The Astonishing X-Men Omnibus Edition by Joss Whedon

With a total of twenty-four issues, the 2005 debut of The Astonishing X-Men feels like you're viewing one season of an American television show which is perfectly understandable, seeing as its writer Joss Whedon is also the one that brought us TV gems like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse and Angel. This gorgeous omnibus edition collects all issues of Whedon's legendary run, comprised of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine, Beast and Colossus. Truly engaging, endlessly creative and shockingly sublime in the right places, The Astonishing X-Men has to be the BEST X-MEN SERIES I've read this year (with Jeff Parker's X-Men: First Class being the close second). I would consider this as a rather a fine example of a writing that works phenomenally when it comes to telling a really engaging superhero story with a balance between plot and character developments. 

Like I said, it feels like the first season of a favorite show, filled with stellar moments in the plot construction and the character arcs that make it float and stay on course. Both riveting in execution of story and delivering some of the most emotionally meaningful moments about characters (especially two female superheroes), Joss Whedon's The Astonishing X-Men is something I will recommended readily to a fan of the X-Men films but has yet to read them in comics. This is a great starting piece to ease newbies in while at the same time pleasing the long-time crowd of fans.

The twenty-four issues are divided into four story arcs which are composed of six installments each. We have Gifted where a scientist develops a cure for the mutant gene, and the new team of the X-Men band together to prove that they can be just as loved by the public and the media as the other superhero teams such as the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. In Danger, the X-Men faces the threat of their most formidable foe yet; a sentient being who has lived in the Xavier School and watched them fight during combat simulation and is therefore more than informed regarding their weaknesses. For Torn, Emma Frost (a reformed villainness) commits the unthinkable, fracturing her teammates and certain important relationships within their group. The last arc, Unbreakable, ties together all three previous plot stories with its own primary focus on the alien planet Breakworld which, according to some prophecy, is destined to be destroyed by an X-Man. The conclusion of that arc continues to the Giant-Size edition whose ending was the most unexpected and stomach-churning pay-off I have ever been subjected to. Just thinking about it again makes me very sad and very mad. That being said, Whedon performed consistently in his writing for each issue, holding back no punches and making sure that each blow hurts enough to give you a lingering ache. 

But like most of Whedon's work, he knows how to take characters to places and then he breaks and molds them into something better and enthralling, even if it's fragmented with the kind of holes you can never mend.

The two stars of his series are Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost. Whedon's first issue began with seeing Kitty Pryde again as she walks back into the Xavier School for the Gifted, bags in hand but looking as if she has never left the place at all. What I enjoyed about Kitty in her appearances here in the series is the fact that she's a darling. Really, she is. Inquisitive, selfless but clever, and brave to a goddamn fault, Kitty always becomes the star of a story when a writer really knows how to commit her stellar characterization on paper. I thought she had an impressive run so far, taking on the responsibility of becoming an X-Man head-on even if she maintained that "being an X-Man does not always suit me". In spite of whatever insecurities she had about her skills and role in the team, she never lets it get to her and performs under pressure quite creatively and adamantly. This isn't really the first time Kitty caught my attention. In Claremont's X-Men: Forever, she accidentally phased through Wolverine while a mutant got them stuck and when she separated from him, he got a piece of his adamantium claw on her knuckle. The way she dealt with that physical transformation was so riveting to watch because at her core, Kitty remains the resourceful and compassionate kid she is through all of it. In her first appearance after the Dark Phoenix Saga, thirteen-year old Kitty is inexperienced in so many ways but was eager to learn and prove herself. This is around the time Days of Future Past hit, and her older self and younger self merged to save the day. It's such a shame that the movies don't put her front and center (alongside Wolverine if they must insist, considering Logan and Kitty have a good brother-sister thing going on anyway), especially when they cast a talented actress like Ellen Page for the role. In any case, at least in Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, she truly got to shine. 

Meanwhile, the White Queen has always fascinated me since her very first appearance in the Dark Phoenix storyline as one of the formidable henchwomen of the Hellfire Club. It's worth noting that she and Kitty were introduced together especially here in Whedon's tale where the two are obviously at odds with each other. Kitty has made it no secret that she has no love for Emma and does not and will probably never trust her. And Emma knows this. She understands people way more than we give this cold-hearted woman credit for. The reason why she brought Kitty into the fold in the first place (as revealed in issue #18), is because Emma is losing her mind because parasitic Cassandra Nova hijacked her telepathically, and she knew Kitty would be the only one who won't hesitate to kill her. That's a powerful thing to entrust someone with, and it didn't help her already temperamental relationship with Kitty either. But Emma had revealed to Kitty that she is capable of murder if she's motivated for the right reasons, and such a startling revelation, I know, has shook Kitty, but she's not able to deal with that for now. Still, I think, in a twisted sort of way, Kitty began respecting Emma and what she can do after that incident. With little empathy and people skills, Emma can be so easy to dislike and cast aside as a woman forever trapped in the villain role, but Whedon had composed her here in such a validating perspective where she's finally vulnerable and in love with a man she feels she doesn't deserve. That broke my heart as much as Scott Summers has thawed the frost in her heart. She's so entralling in the story arc TORN that I can hardly keep up with her! I really like Emma, more than I ever thought I would. Her relationship with Scott is also worth shipping. They're an intriguing pair.

That's not to say that the male characters are slacking. Cyclops was allowed to truly shine as he rediscovers his purpose as the leader of the team while Colossus takes on fate itself and tries to bend it to his own will. Meanwhile, we have Beast, who gets to contemplate about his mutation and whether or not he wants to go through another painful physical transformation as Wolverine finds yet another young girl to become a promising protégé to train. The variety of villains for this series has served their respective purposes, short-lived as they may be whole a few were certainly impactful, and they only enriched the tapestry that Whedon has painstakingly and with great love care weaved for us readers. There was even a motion comics series because everyone apparently came to an agreement that this is meant to be shown visually in another medium because it's just that damn riveting. I recommend for you to check out said motions comics yourself which has copies online. As I finish this review, I literally can't think of a single disappointing thing about this series. Well, except for the Giant-Size's ending concerning Kitty Pryde but even that wasn't enough to lessen my adoration for the entirety of the series. I am still so duly impressed by the quality that Whedon has produced here. This remains as a strong contribution to the X-Men universe nonetheless!

Overall, Joss Whedon's The Astonishing X-Men has accomplished what it set out to do when it started: to astonish the world. A perfect mixture of sustainable action, relentless twist and turns and resonant character insights and relationships, this is a series that you will be a fool not to start reading at once. The majority agrees that this is just bloody brilliant and a worthy addition to any fan's X-Men collection.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

X-Men: Second Coming by Various Writers

The X-Men narrative in general has always been a strong allegory for real-life socio-political strifes particularly when it came to many civil rights movements in the late sixties it more or less makes an indirect commentary or allusion to. Long-time writer Chis Claremont inarguably had produced a lot of classic storylines from his seventies-eighties roster, and a few of them tackled hard-hitting issues regarding race wars and discrimination (in stories like God Loves, Man Kills and The X-Tinction Agenda). 

Running for fifty years now, the X-Men has had multiple titles consisting of ensemble of characters, conflicts and backstories plus big-event crossover story arcs that it can get pretty overwhelming sifting through the entirety of this content to get to the unanimously agreed upon "gems" and "must-reads", and I have made it a self-appointed mission to do just that since 2015 began. It has been an incredibly fulfilling experience with a breadth and magnitude that tends to overwhelm but nonetheless stimulate every nerve ending in my being. It's as intoxicating as the richest wine out there and I will never be done sampling it.

I have read the staple classics such as The Dark Phoenix, Age of Apocalypse, and Days of Future Past as well as House of M and Messiah Complex (the latter two being prequels to Second Coming), and I must say that my hunger for more X-Men stories only continue to deepen that I don't think I will ever have my fill. And that works just fine for me. There have been moments my appetite was satiated (like when I read The Dark Phoenix and Magneto Testament, my two most favorite story arcs so far). Reading and finishing the fourteen-chaptered epic that was Second Coming brought me that kind of satisfaction again. I was simply impressed.

With the collaboration of five writers namely Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Matt Fraction, Zeb Wells and Mike Carey, with artists David Finch, Terry Dodson, Ibraim Roberson, Greg Land, Mike Choi, X-Men: Second Coming is an astounding collection that is very climactic in scope, tonality and overall content. The collection includes issues from the titles X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, X-Men: Legacy and X-Force and set in the aftermath of the mutant decimation from House of M where Scarlet Witch re-made reality and de-powered mutants across earth that the mutant gene seemed to have been permanently suppressed if not altogether extinct. An anomaly occurs in Messiah Complex where a baby with a mutation was born and all the anti-mutant human factions led by the Purifiers rallied to kill the baby. On the opposing side we had the Marauders led by Mr. Sinister who had other plans for the new mutant baby that are less than altruistic. Meanwhile, the X-Men led by Cyclops have to find a way to ensure the newborn's safety because he or she may be the key to restarting and repopulating the world with mutants again.

Suffice to say, the quest was inexhaustible filled with multiple arcs that still manage to be cohesive enough to tell a compelling story. The arc ended with Cable (Scott's son Nathan Summers and a seasoned combat soldier) taking the baby (named Hope) to the future to train her until such time she is ready to return back to her actual timeline and become the "messiah" everyone wanted her to be. This is where Second Coming takes us. The in-the-nose biblical references aside, this particular arc is more comprehensive and understandable than its scattered predecessor. If you're a comics fan who is looking for a lot of action sequences then this collection is already a must-have. The varied visual artwork is always engrossing to look at, and a few of these issue have less dialogues to make room for more brutality and violence which was executed well enough not to be repetitive or underwhelming. As for the storytelling itself, the villains have a more grounded sense of purpose than the last time. Calling themselves The Human Council, they are the most despicable anti-mutant assholes we have known from the past such as Reverend Striker and Cameron Hodge, being led by a Sentinel-based being created solely to destroy the mutant messiah Hope. This motherfucker's name is Bastion and he is relentless in his eradication of mutantkind.

The most notable events that happened in Second Coming include the small but important personal dramas that occur between action breaks (and sometimes even during the killing which is really cool). Two fan-favorite characters also give their lives to save Hope, while Scott Summers' leadership abilities and morality are tested time and time again as he make some of the hardest and most jarring choices in the battlefield where his primary objective is to ensure the survival of their species. One of Scott's questionable decisions include the formation of X-Force (which were established in Messiah Complex). They are supposed to operate outside the pacifist ways of the X-Men and will kill and terminate any human who crosses the line. Of course, this is readily opposed by a lot of members of the X-Men such as Nightcrawler, Storm and Professor X himself but Scott dismissed their complaints and pushed through, assigning Wolverine to lead the group during daring and near-death extraction/eradication missions. It's worth noting that for the first time in ever, Scott and Logan actually agree on something, and it's a hefty price they are willing to make. For Scott, it's the mutant species whose number continues to dwindle that he wants to preserve; for Logan, it's his loved ones he will fiercely fight for even it meant blood will be spilled now and then. I would especially like to point out that certain tactics like this are just the first stepping-stone of Scott Summer's "fall from grace" which will be ultimately explored in the crossover event Avengers vs. X-Men. But I digress. That's a story for another time.

Second Coming is all about Hope Summers, Cable's adopted daughter and the prophesied messiah who is just a teenager raised in an environment where survival and death are intrinsically inseparable. Most of the time, she doesn't know what to make of the grander scheme of things and it's only her faith in Cable that keeps her grounded. Later on, this same trust will be broken as events around her take a strange and dark corner where she must grow up soon or face utter destruction not just of herself but of the entire race depending on her. This is too much of an obligation to place upon the unsteady shoulders of a teenage girl but Hope, in spite of her insecurities and doubts, has been trained well by Cable. She is tough and mature beyond her years yet constantly torn between that hard-edged version she carefully cultivated around Cable, and the naive and curious teen girl who sometimes wants a life that's normal and less insane than what she is forced to live with while on the run. I like Hope. I thoughts she was sympathetic enough. I like reading about her angst and frustrations and it broke my heart when she got hers broken too. I want to know more about her after this, and I plan to read stories centered on this mutant messiah.

One of the things I enjoyed about her was her strained interactions with Scott throughout the story. She never trusted him and would never listen to him. She doesn't get where he's coming from because she has never been a leader and that is her failure. The same thing can be said about Scott. He's been fighting wars for far too long that he forgot what it's like to be young and confused and that made him so alienating to Hope. Given time and under different circumstances, they would have been great allies, considering Scott is her paternal adopted grandfather (technically speaking), but this is probably the only moment they have to get to know each other: in a state where they have to make unpopular decisions. I think their interactions in this volume were enlightening because you can see the contrast in the way they deal and cope with their respective impending doom; it's like they're trapped inside two-ways mirrors looking into each other but never really seeing what is in front of them beyond their personal negative bias, especially Hope. She blamed Scott for everything and I can understand her for that because she's young and the only life she has ever known was the one she had with Cable whom she loved and respected and now she lost him.

The climactic issues for Second Coming are definitely the last two at the end. In issue #13, Hope faces Bastion at last and the confrontation was shocking and massive. I was dumbfounded while reading it. Other elements for this story arc included the participation of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four who were basically there to help in any capacity they can but this was a battle for the X-Men and they have been excluded from it by Bastion so all they could do is to maintain the peace on the sidelines as our mutant superheroes have the fight of their lifetime. And that fight was decided by Hope Summers herself. For issue #14, we got the aftermath where the X-Men bury their dead, talked about life-changing decisions, and tried to make sense of the impact of what just happened and what new directions they must take.

Of course, things are about to get more complicated with Hope especially after Emma Frost witnessed for herself the possibility that Hope may become the next receptor for the Phoenix Force itself which is definitely terrifying in the scale of biblical proportions. Perhaps Bastion may be right to try and kill Hope after all and that is a thought I never believed I could ever entertained. Emma rushed to inform Scott about it but Scott was far too thrilled to pay attention to this grave news because as he checked Cerebra, it looked as if Hope's coming was an advantage to their species after all. Mutants began popping all over the global map again, and for now that's all the news Scott cared about.

That's gonna bite him in the ass soon enough. Nothing is ever a cosmic accident in the X-Men universe after all.

In a nutshell, X-Men: Second Coming was a thrilling, engrossing and stupefying action-adventure story with loads of psychological twists and turns and an emotionally resonant tale about a father and daughter, and the latter's struggle to define her place and purpose in the universe. It's engaging in so many ways and is memorable for all the right moments. The ensemble of characters as well as fan-favorites are almost all here with standout performances by Magneto, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Cypher, Cable and the New Mutants. I think it's safe to say that X-Men: Second Coming is very much a top 'must-read' and 'must-have' for an X-Men fan. It's the accumulation of all the conflicts and strenuous relationship dynamics that characters have endured and faced throughout their run in the comics, and it's guaranteed to be a ready crowd-pleaser for its brilliant visuals and the multi-layered narrative approach.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

The Uncanny X-Men issue #200 "The Trial of Magneto"

At this point in Chris Claremont's era--the late eighties, to be exact--things have been more complex than the usual for The Uncanny X-Men. Two iconic events have just come to pass (The Dark Phoenix Saga, issues #101-108, and Days of Future Past, issues #141-142), while certain relationships have been tested, abandoned or newly-formed among our heroes. With Jean Grey dead and gone, Scott Summers leaving the team to try and have a normal life with his now-pregnant wife Madelyne Pryor, as well as with the inclusion of the youngest member Kitty Pryde and Jean and Scott's alternate-universe-daughter Rachel Summers--something's gotta give, that's just a fact.

Add the whole 'anti-mutant' sentiment becoming more steadily rampant, and a Professor X who had just been beaten up by mutantphobes and is now about to die; and Rachel Summers becoming a new Phoenix receptor--well, it's only sensible that messy clusterfucks of only the X-Men proportion are unavoidable. Seriously, y'all should pick up Claremont's 70's-80's run because these are just some of the classic and notable storylines that helped sealed his era as the most definitive run of the X-Men.

Issue #200 released on the first day of December 1985 marks a rather eventful moment in the X-Men history, given its numerical importance, and it's a double-sized issue running on forty-one pages of thrilling action, drama and a climactic conclusion. 

In the context of all the aforementioned things in my introductory paragraph, things apparently can get shittier and this happened during a Holocaust Memorial occasion where Kitty Pryde and Magneto himself were attendees. Cue Mystique and some evil mutants wreaking some ill-fated havoc, and the apprehension of human authorities over the place where Magneto (who has chosen to reform, albeit that new unfortunate ugly purple costume--who knew not being a super-villain anymore would also mean losing his fashion sense) basically surrenders himself, claiming its time to face the music and pay for his past transgressions. Hence, the momentous The Trial of Magneto began.

This issue touched upon on some finer points concerning Magneto's character that I enjoyed being examined and analyzed. Claremont is not only credited for giving Erik Lehnsherr (Magnus, Max Eisenhardt) the personal backstory of being a Holocaust survivor, he is also responsible for fleshing out this former cookie-cutter villain of the sixties into a full-pledged riveting character readers care about and often even root for, whose internal moral struggle to lead or destroy has always been the driving force both for the noble and atrocious actions he has committed throughout his years in the active role and service of being a mutant avenger to some and an uncompromising terrorist to many. Magneto is not merely some comic book villain to hate; he's somebody you can understand and sympathize with especially for this specific timeline of Claremont's run where we get to see him acknowledge the error of his ways. Before this trial in front of the International World court with five judges appointed by different governments across the world, Magneto's road to redemption began much earlier on and arguably most prominent when he had just prevented Rachel Summers from murdering Professor X's assailants in the previous issues or so. 

He argued that he had tried rage and vengeance and it only cost the lives of thousands of mutants that were rallied against and prosecuted all because his stand as Magneto actually contributed more to the humans' blatant hatred and ignorance of their kind. Erik Lehnsherr simply wanted to try another way now, and so he vowed to obey whatever the International World court's decision will be. Coming to his defense during the trial are Gabrielle Haller, Kitty Pryde and Charles Xavier. Meanwhile, the Fenris twins (mutants who have a grudge against Magneto) are blackmailing the X-Men by committing crimes against humans and crediting their acts of destruction to them. And since the human population at that time can no longer tell the difference between the X-Men and the evil mutants, they naturally called for the blood of any mutant they can string up and execute on the spot. With the X-Men preoccupied by this sour development, Scott Summers--who had been forced to come back previously even after making a promise to his wife Madelyne that his retirement from crime-fighting is permanent--faces an awkward situation, all the while suspicious about his former mentor, Professor X, who is grasping at the straws since his powers are weakening more and more each day, yet refuses help or admittance of his pending mortality. In addition, Madelyne is about to go on labor and Kitty Pryde realizes her eyesight is failing her and she might need to get prescription glasses. 

Basically, this issue is filled with personal tragedies, big and small, and in the heart of it all is Magneto:

I really love this issue. It was stirring, powerful and well-paced. There are great moments of dialogue and confrontations in the pages that kept me turning one after the next, all the while being thoroughly excited and dreadful for all the situations overlapping and connecting with each other especially once we reached the climax of the story. The altercation between the Fenris twins and the X-Men crash-lands into the court, interrupting the trial, and shit just hits the fan in the most alarming rate. The heroes and the villains battle it on as Magneto tries and succeeds in not killing the Fenris sibs himself which truly spoke to how much of a changed man he is. Sure, he made that grand speech I posted above but it was truly this single act of compassion that demonstrated the sincerity of his redemption. And his long-time friend and adversary has acknowledged this himself in a scene that utterly destroyed me. My Cherik radar is literally hyperventilating!

In the middle of an explosion underground, the only person Erik cared to save was Charles and he pulls him out to safety and into a garden of all places where the two estranged friends have an honest and moving conversation about second chances.

While Charles is more than ready to happily die in Erik's arms, knowing that he's leaving Erik in a good place, his alien cohort Lilandra appears and promises to save Xavier, much to everyone's relief. She had to take him away though which meant that he'll be gone for a while. Regardless, I'm happy that these two dorks have once again made up. There could have been a kiss in there somewhere too (observe that one panel) but they were sadly interrupted, much to my eternal dismay. Now I don't think Erik even asked Charles for forgiveness but the professor willingly gives it anyway, even a chance for Erik to absolve himself some more by accepting the responsibility of leading the X-Men in Charles' absence. What Charles and Erik have is a cycle of screw-ups and hurt feelings (NOT AN EXAGGERATION; no one fights and tries to destroy each other's love and faith in one another like Cherik) but ultimately theirs is a relationship about growth and forgiveness, of dreams and principles. It's a strong connection formed ages ago that could never be severed which is why Erik always come back to Charles like this (to the tune of Sara Bareilles' Gravity), and why Charles unquestionably gives him another fair chance because the truth is that even after all that ocean of death and violence between them, Charles still believes that Erik's inherent goodness will prevail. TRUE LOVE ALWAYS DOES.

Erik: "Suppose I fail and betray your dream."

Charles: "Our dream. And we'll never know if you don't try."

Did you hear that, Erik? Charles still includes you in his goals of the future even though you can be such a dickhead and often forget to include him in yours. Not even Shakespeare can count the ways of how much Charles Xavier loves Erik Lehnsherr. For me, the true testament of how much you love a person is when you want them to be standing next to you when all your dreams come true and no other friendship and unrequited romance exemplify this than Cherik. So we end this masterful issue with Erik swearing, Mouline-Rouge style (That Come What May line was simply asking for that comparison) that he will try to be a better man for Charles Xavier. 

I swear, one of these days, Erik will actually fulfill that promise.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum [1975]

Around the 1970's, Marvel stopped publishing new X-Men stories after issue #93 and instead spent time reprinting past issues. It's almost comparable to Doctor Who being gone in television in the UK since 1996 and only came back around 2005. 

Luckily, it only took five years before Marvel decided to publish a new story. Hence the sixty-eight paged Giant-Size X-Men #1 which was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum who also served as its co-author. This was an important release because not only did it mark the return of the strangest super-heroes of all in comics for some fresh material, it was also the same issue that served as a link between the old team composed of the core four members since its debut in the sixties: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel (minus Beast who left some time during the run) plus recruits, Havok and Lorna Dane, and that of the new ones as featured in the cover.

Afterwards, publications for The Uncanny X-Men run resumed again with issue #94 which, of course, also finally began the sixteen-year career of one Chris Claremont, who was fated to define and turn the X-Men as one of the most formidable and widely successful Marvel titles to ever been in print. That was only possible because this contributing piece written by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum opened the doors for that, since they had wanted Claremont on the writing board themselves and therefore helped with the transition. It's inarguable that without the launch of Giant-Size X-Men #1, we may never have gotten to Claremont's X-Men which is a literary cruelty of the highest order, in my opinion.

This issue also aimed to explain as to why the X-Men were absent in the last five years which turned out to be because they were abducted and stashed away in the island Krakoa during a mission to find another mutant. Only Cyclops was able to survive the ordeal and return to the Xavier School to recover and heal. Meanwhile, Professor X began recruiting across different parts of the world. For someone strictly wheelchair-bound, I have no idea how he is able to go about traveling, but hey, an excusable technicality. It was a montage of scenes, anyway. Perhaps the professor had some help around who never got to appear in the pages themselves. So in this issue, we get the appearances of Thunderbird (a new character at this point) and Sunfire which are two mutant characters I never really cared for because I hardly know them, so I'm going to purposefully skip them and talk about the four other ones I have varying degrees of affection for. 

First, we have Kurt Wagner, the teleporter otherwise known as Nightcrawler. He was being chased around by an angry mob who are trying to kill him when Professor X put a stop to it. He then made a promise to help Kurt figure out some things about his lineage and ability, but all Kurt wants to be at this point is to be normal which was perfectly understandable but the professor was quick to challenge his concept of normalcy. Intrigued and probably with nowhere else to go or anyone else willing to take him in, Kurt agrees to come with him.

Next we have Wolverine who already made his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181, and therefore a recognizable interesting character for the readers. In this issue, it was shown that he had been working for the Canadian government when Professor X wheels in the office to recruit him, making a pretty convincing argument as far as Wolverine is concerned. One of the bureaucrats tried to stop him but not one to nurse any fondness for authority figures, Wolverine latches out and threatens him not to get in the way. 

Professor X makes a stop to meet up with Banshee who cheerily went along for the ride without much coaxing. Professor X gets to Kenya, East Africa to encounter a self-fashioned goddess, Ororo Munroe who at first thought that the wheelchair-bound bald man was offering a ridiculous proposition, seeing as she didn't feel like living the comfortable lifestyle she has grown accustomed to. However, Charles Xavier knows exactly what to say and says things so poetically that Ororo was eventually swayed.

Next, we have sweet Peter Rasputin of Russia who demonstrates his mutant strength as he saves a girl from being ran over by a tractor. I thought it was interesting that of all the recruits, he was the only one shown to use his abilities to rescue someone and that alone has made him automatically endearing to me especially when he began to contemplate about what Professor X tells him next. This is a guy who genuinely wants to help people when he knows he has the tools to do it, and is only reluctant because he has loved ones to leave behind. His family is very supportive which made it easy for him to make his decision to join the professor and see what else he can offer the world.

So we throw in Thunderbird and Sunfire (who came off as an arrogant prick later on), and we get the new X-Men!

Cyclops later arrives to explain their mission which is to save the original X-Men from the island of Krakoa. The rest of the pages showed that these new members are not that eager to work with one another (cough, Sunfire, cough) but they generally try to form some kind of teamwork anyway as they navigated through the mysterious island where Marvel Girl, Havok, Lorna Dane, Angel and Iceman have been held captive. After finding out that the mutant the original team has been looking for turns out to be the island itself (and the fact that Krakoa has been feeding on their energies for some time now), the new guys decided to fight the wretched creature together with the help of the professor's telepathic aid. The battle was more difficult than they imagined and as soon as they made their escape, they realized that the plane can only carry a minimum amount of passengers. Now the thirteen X-Men have to decide who is going to get left behind first. 

And this is where the issue gets cut short. Now, I already know what is going to happen next since these events will be once again tackled upon in the House of M-aftermath story, Deadly Genesis which I'll be reading in May. There's a rather wicked secret about this, and boy, it's going to be a doozy one. I think I won't talk about that here and would instead discuss it on my review for Deadly Genesis. The revelation is a rather game-changer for certain characters. I'm getting excited just thinking about it now.

Overall, Giant-Size X-Men is a worthy read not only because of posterity but also because it introduced four X-Men characters who will stick around and garner their own respective fanbase throughout the years. This issue also marks the beginning of the Claremont era.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

The X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby [1963]

I've been gone for quite some time, I know, but not because I was slacking off. I merely had to finish reviewing some novels, and the last issues of three New 52 Batman titles in the meantime; but all the while looking for online copies of certain classics from Claremont's The Uncanny X-Men run, and the very first Stan Lee debut issue. It took me only a few days to locate downloadable sources which are simply glorious. 

So in the last two weeks of April I'll be reading and reviewing six storylines, two of which are this debut story and the Giant-Size relaunch, while the rest are as follows: The X-Tinction Agenda (issues #270-272), The Trial of Magneto (#200), Fatal Attractions (UXM #304, X-Men vol 2, #25), and Legion Quest (UXM #319-320, X-Men vol. 2, #40-41). It's worth noting that both X-Tinction and Fatal Attractions also happen in several other X-titles but I'm only choosing to read and review the key issues from The Uncanny X-Men and X-Men volume 2 run (the latter of which is for very Cherik reasons, naturally).

Take a walk with me in the silver-age memory lane with Stan Lee's very first issue of The X-Men illustrated by one of Marvel's holy trinity Jack Kirby. It's only right to include this issue in my roster after all, considering its significance, posterity-wise. This was really the first time I read it again since I was...in high school, I think, and its simple sixties charm hasn't dimmed for me at all, not one bit. Featuring the original five (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, the Angel, and Beast) led by the powerful telepath Professor X, The X-Men  debuted as the 'strangest super-heroes of all." Clearly, a lot more eccentric than the Fantastic Four and the Avengers combined whose title runs are comparably more interesting. Most probably, I think. This is just the first issue and whatever makes the X-Men distinct and special nowadays hasn't been captured yet. Of course, the Chris Claremont era basically defined what the X-Men are, but we still owe it to Stan Lee for creating these characters in the first place. And they are absolutely an astonishing hoot in this debut.

The issue opens with a surly bald man hanging around by the window sill, alone in his private thoughts when he suddenly (and loudly telepathically) summoned his students so they can get some practice. Then came four boys with the youngest of them only at sixteen (Bobby a.k.a Iceman) who were already in their garish yellow uniforms upon entering the professor's room, ready to test out their unique abilities, these so-called "mutant" powers which we find very soon enough are fairly awesome as we spent an ample amount of pages with demonstrations of each of these boys' capabilities. The most appropriate adjective I would describe everything about this issue would be DORKY. The entirety of it all is just hilarious and oddly endearing in some places. Something about it just tickles me especially the awkward moments in between such as this panel with Angel and Cyclops politely yet sweetly trying to accommodate their dear old mentor with his reclining chair while said mentor sort of looks like he was drawn to look as if he would rather be elsewhere (preferably on a beach with his lover, Magneto, but I digress).

I'm giggling throughout the next pages of their "practice" as the professor purposefully does not even talk aloud but rather continues to communicate telepathically, justifying that it's also part of the training regimen but at this point it feels as if this frowning bald man just doesn't want to make any effort to open his mouth and would rather just sit down and watch the dorks almost successfully, sort of but not really attack and kill each other with their dangerous powers. This monotonous excitement was cut short when the professor brings the good news of acquiring another mutant to become a student in where I assume is a reclusive place (seriously, where is this school located?) Also, Iceman looks fucking ridiculous. He literally looks like a cheaply-made snowman. It's a bit distracting especially since he's wearing goddamn boots. Wouldn't the footwear stick to his frozen feet? Anyway, after a rather seamless transition of the Professor now sitting on a wheelchair in the next panel (I'll just assume Angel and Cyclops once again politely yet sweetly carried him and placed him there), they resume their 'normal' looks to go meet the lady, aiming not to scare her off. But Beast is quite the perv, calling her names like "gorgeous", "doll", "sweetheart" and even trying to peck her cheek out of goddamn nowhere. So...basically acceptable sixties behavior, I guess.

But Jean Grey is not your average lady. She's a telekenetic who can lift things and even a hefty man like Beast is no exception. After he outright attempts to affectionately molest her, she responds by dismissing Angel's chivalrous comments of trying to defend her honor, by casually suspending Beast with mind power alone, demonstrating to the boys that she is not some helpless damsel they can just touch and fondle when they feel like it. She lets him hover around in the air for a bit before she mercilessly brings him down to a sofa. Beast should consider himself warned at that point. Good for Jeannie. Again, I'll just assume that the professor simply did not give a fuck since he did not even react to any of this. He literally looks zoned out during this issue. And I'm just going to put it out there that it's because he was thinking about what Magneto is up to right now which, case in point, transitions to said super-villain as soon as the professor explains to Jean that there are evil mutants out there who are hell-bent on world domination. So right after that display of mildly amusing sixties sexism aside, the next panels now featured some hilarity concerning Magneto and the military and all that metal. The most impressive feat of which for me is the fact that Magneto can magnetize dust particles, and he then wrote the soldiers some love-me notes in the clear blue sky:

Now any respectable super-villain who can write his name in beautiful calligraphy like that using only dust particles is someone worth taking seriously, do you hear me? Magneto means serious biz. Y'all better surrender or he'll write another threatening letter..in CURSIVE WRITING!

Meanwhile, Jean Grey puts on her costume while the boys, from the corner of the room, watch her admire herself in a mirror, which begs the question: How long have they been there and did they watch her change clothes the entire time? Jeannie caught them in the act and Beast lamely makes an excuse when thankfully Professor X summons them to inform them on the attack from the previous scenes. Now, I assume that the X-Men haven't been training long enough for any sort of mission in the foreseeable future but the Professor I guess, definitely, if not quite literally, wants to throw them in a baptism of fire, including token-girl Jean Grey who JUST GOT THERE. 

"Well, sweetheart, since you had the costume on anyway, you might as well join the suicide mission, whatever, seeing as you can also lift things and stuff," chimes the professor nonchalantly.

Also, the professor neglectfully fails to mention that the kids will be meeting a man he has known for a long time (realistically, the Xavier-Magneto connection love affair hasn't been made canon yet) but let's just say he recklessly just sent away some youngsters who are very much green and ill-equipped to take on his murderous ex-boyfriend without even bothering to inform the powers of the foe they were going to face. And how do they react to this development? Well, Bobby was thrilled:

First off, "Yaybo!" should make a comeback. Am I the only one who thinks this is a timeless expression that must be utilized in every day life? Second of all, Bobby, you know what would help you get ready faster? Not put on goddamn boots because, really, how is that helping you walk better? Or maybe Bobby just wants to wear the uniform of his teammates even if it's just the footwear so he could still feel like he belongs in the group which would be heartbreaking if that is really the case then. 

So then they arrived at the scene of monstrosity (after the Professor flies them in his own private plane using his mind powers--which begs the question: can he not just will himself to walk if he is powerful enough to keep a massive aircraft afloat?). The kids then encountered Magneto for the first time. Pretty amazingly illustrated fight scenes happen as Magneto tries his darndest best to incapacitate the X-Men and almost succeeds too but then Cyclops cleverly dug a hole using his solar beam or something which enabled them to escape underground..or something. I'm really not taking anything about this issue seriously even though it's totes fun and charming all the way. 

Especially Magneto, who refers to himself in the third person like this:

*snorts* "Miraculous" Magneto...yeah, I bet that's Charles' pet name for him in the bedroom.

Overall, an uncannily entertaining debut issue. Personally, if you can't read the original run for yourselves, I recommend everyone to listen instead to the Danger Room podcast where the guys made it their personal mission to review each issue of the X-Men from the Stan Lee era. They also provided scintillating commentary along the way as they ask the hard questions concerning the subtlest loopholes in the narrative, characterizations and overall wackiness of the sixties run, all the while enjoying themselves with the content. I know I just did.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont

This was a rather misleading collection. First of all, what you need to understand is that this volume only officially contains the two issues concerning the time-traveling storyline that has been known now as a classic Claremont must-have. The rest were supplemental ones. Comprised of issues #138-143 of The Uncanny X-Men line plus the Annual #4 with Dr. Strange, this volume of Days of Future Past is actually less about the famed story arc mentioned. It mostly offers us great character material concerning Kitty Pryde, the newest and youngest member of the X-Men.

This also picks up events after Jean Grey's The Dark Phoenix saga which was why issue #138 features a tribute to the life and times of the said fallen heroine as told in the perspective of her lover Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops, as well as the history of the sixties X-Men.

It's worth mentioning that Cyclops also takes a sabbatical leave to grieve Jean properly so the leadership role goes to Ororo Munroe (Storm) in his abrupt absence. With the loss of Jean Grey comes the advent of one Kitty Pryde, a thirteen-year-old mutant and aspiring superheroine who can go through any solid surfaces as her power. The next issues (#139-140, Annual #4, #143) were devoted to her character development where she slowly finds her way into the schematics of her second family, trying to fit in and learn combat skills to enhance her mutant abilities. I suppose I understand why this volume had to include these issues since they are vital in understanding and sympathizing with this new character. After all, she will eventually play a key role for issues #141-#142 which are the Days of Future Past installments. Yes, only two issues.

If you have seen the movie adaptation first last year, know by now that the content of comics counterpart was very much different than what we have seen on screen. In this Claremont tale, it was Kitty Pryde who takes the center stage and travels back in time through the help of Rachel Summers so she can warn her comrades about the Brotherhood of Evil Mutant (led by Mystique) and their nefarious plans to assassinate Senator Kelly which prompted the deadly re-launch of the Sentinels project. Once that project comes into fruition, the mutant-hunting killer robots become unstoppable which cost so many lives of the X-Men which was why a thirty-something Kitty travels back to 1980. Funny enough, the distant future she comes from was 2013.

When Kitty-from-the-future takes over, she possesses the newbie version of herself who now has to convince her comrades of the threat in the future if they didn't stop the Brotherhood. The two issues that feature this storyline were compact and action-driven, with enough fight scenes to sustain the excitement and drama of the scenes. At this point, I've been invested on Kitty as a character and I'm glad she was so dynamic and relatable, as oppose to an obvious Jean-replacement which she is clearly not. Claremont did a fine job establishing how important her role is in the present by showing us how she's growing as an X-Men recruit (notably in issue #143 where she single-handedly defeats an alien enemy during Christmas; it pretty much served as her rite of passage), and this therefore gave some weight to her role in the future where she is one of mutantkind's last chance for survival. I would assert, however, that this volume would be disappointing if you're hoping to collect all of the DoFP-related material because the story arc honestly run only for two issues!

Still, the truth for the matter is that if you have plans to read everything about Days of Future Past, then you're going to have to check out certain flashbacks and tie-ins from The Uncanny X-Men (#188-189, #192, #199, #202), Excalibur (#35, #52), and Wolverine Days of Future Past which has three issues. You may also want to check out Days of Future Present and Days of Futures Yet to Come for the posterity of it all if you like. As for this volume, I think I can recommend this to Kitty Pryde fans because I think the supplement issues are really more about her, but if you're more inclined to read something plot-heavy then just check out #141-142 issues by themselves.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

The Dark Phoenix by Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Midway through reading this classic Claremont tale, I understood its significance to the X-Men mythology instantly, and I also wondered if it had some kind of impact on the role of the female superheroine in comics back then and today. That's because I consider Jean Grey in this story to be a very empowered representation of what a comic book heroine can become and be undone for at the same time. I would like to try and touch upon that subject matter in this review.

This is quite possibly the most popular and enduring comics story arc in recent memory that any self-respecting fan of the medium will immediately associate the X-Men with, and The Dark Phoenix Saga is deemed with such high esteem and praise for many good reasons. One thing that I think we all should remember about reading classic storylines from comics that defined and shaped the continuity or characterization of a particular title is to curb our expectations and adjust our preconceived notions about it to something more realistic. In my experience, some of these classics can exceed expectations while some are just relics that were overhyped. A few of which actually do require further contemplation after finishing them in order to garner a more nuanced appreciation. I can honestly say that The Dark Phoenix is one of them. It was a memorable story in itself because the ambiguity in which it was resolved was definitely worth the discussion. 

Though it may have been groundbreaking during its time, I think it better serves as a commentary of what female superheroines represent in comics before, as well as the limited roles they used to play or may continue to play. I don't want this to be some kind of feminist review because I don't have enough credibility to start a dialogue like that here. In general, I usually stay away from gender discussions particularly in fiction but it's hard to ignore the implications and symbols present in this story concerning Jean Grey both as herself and the manifestation of the Phoenix. I just thought such a discussion is noteworthy. [SPOILERS AHEAD!]

OVERVIEW

The saga itself is composed of ten issues from The Uncanny X-Men starting from #129-138 which follows the corruption and fall of Jean Grey after she succumbed to the dark and twisted force of her Phoenix power. But before that, a short background: Some time during the run of said series, a mission in space exposes Jean to a deadly radiation of solar flare which seemed to amplify her mutant powers which therefore made her attain the highest potential of her telepathy/telekinesis. She returns to Earth with a new identity and costume. She becomes known as the "Phoenix" since. As she becomes noticeably stronger, Jean as the Phoenix was also more lenient in using her powers and various teammates of hers, especially Cyclops and Wolverine, notice that she's freely using her skills without the usual measured caution that the old Jean Grey had. They would only later find out that this observation is just a symptom of Jean's inevitable downward spiral.

The Dark Phoenix arc also served as the introduction of the infamous and exclusive inner circle of the Hellfire Club led by Sebastian Shaw, and two iconic characters: Kitty Pryde, future Shawdowcat and one of the most memorable X-Men members; and Emma Frost, a formidable villain of telepathy who is also dubbed as the White Queen. The X-Men's primary mission only begins when the Hellfire Club (through Emma Frost) wants to acquire Kitty Pryde who is just starting to become fully aware of her mutant potentials. Pryde was also a candidate for the X-Men so when Professor X, Storm, Wolverine and Colossus visit her at her home, Emma Frost took advantage of the situation and decided to abduct these X-Men on a public location much later on. Kitty manages to escape and warn the other X-Men of their comrades. But before all of this, Cyclops, Phoenix and Nightcrawler are on a mission to find another mutant whom they encounter in a disco club. I'm referring to Dazzler who is just so ridiculous that I can't take her seriously while I was reading. Anyway, the meat and bones of the action start by the time the remaining X-Men rescue their captured friends with the help of the newly recruited Kitty.

That was the main plot of the first five issues or so of the saga but the developing subplot in the sidelines is that of Jean Grey who has been experiencing "timeslips" where she is being manipulated telepathically by Mastermind to prove his worth in the Hellfire Club he wishes to become a part of. He tries to get Jean to turn against the X-Men and for a short time during the story, he did manage to turn her into his Red Queen during a climactic confrontation between our heroes and the Club. Thankfully, Jean has embedded Scott with a psychic link so while Jean was presently ensnared by Mastermind, Scott tries to win her over through a duel in the astral plane, but he fails. Still, it was enough to shake Jean back into reality and upon discovering the damage that Mastermind has done, she becomes visibly angry--almost vengeful--in a way we have not seen her before. This is one of my favorite chilling exchanges in the comic book:

 

THE AWAKENING

 

I thought that this was an important moment because of the build-up established from the previous four issues. Throughout the earlier installments, we saw Mastermind charm his way inside Jean's mind and heart, providing her with a beautiful romantic illusion where she was a noble woman from the past, enaromored with a gentleman named James Wyngarde. He opened her up and then pushed her further into embracing the depths of her desires, captivating her with needs she never realized she's always had: to have all the love and power in the world as well as glory as she rules next to a man she considers her equal. Jean Grey allowed this fantasy to claim her but once it was shattered she was left with so much self-loathing and dread which she subsequently inflicts to the fiend who fed these desires. I don't think Claremont and co. knew back then how impactful this speech could resonate now for readers like me who live in an era where the influence of female empowerment continues to grow. I would like to believe that a lot of us women in this generation have more control over our agencies, choices and self-expressions than the women in the earlier generations who have limited options back then. Jean Grey's speech addressed to an oppressive, overbearing man who fancies himself as the one who holds power over her is just damn cathartic to read.

 

"You came to me when I was vulnerable. You filled the emotional void within me. You made me trust you. Perhaps even love you. And all the while you were using me!" is a statement I know a great number of women in the past and present can relate strongly to; any woman who has been marginalized, abused and enslaved at one point in their lives can definitely attest to the freeing strength of this kind of righteous rage which Jean exhibited at this point. What comes next is terrifying though because Jean is determined to show Mastermind the price to pay for taking advantage of a woman and using her as your personal puppet.

As impressive as Jean was for taking control of that situation, it was ultimately the last catalyst that unleashes the disruptive and wild force known as the Dark Phoenix in issue #135. This extreme manifestation of her powers is ironically the very creature that robs her off her free will and agency. She becomes entitled, arrogant, selfish, hedonistic and uncaring as the Dark Phoenix, even going so far as attacking her own friends, believing that they are the ones holding her back in the first place. She left them completely devastated as she roamed the outer space, looking for something to devour because of this insatiable hunger inside her. She picked a random planet where five billion lived. She did not even bat an eye with this atrocity that seemed to only come naturally for her. This casual genocide attracts the attention of the Shi'ar empire ruled by Lilandra, Professor X's long-time alien girlfriend. After DP had that satisfying meal, she went back to Earth to visit her old home where her parents and sister lived. They were happy to see her, of course, but the dormant Jean also felt their fear which was a primal instinct that DP picked up on and she lashed out on them, feeling as if they were threatening her newfound independence and freedom. The X-Men luckily came back for another brutal second encounter and it was Professor X who eventually managed to lock the Phoenix away from Jean's subconscious. The victory was not meant to be savored though because Lilandra and the Shi'ar are determined to bring Jean Grey to trial for the genocide she just committed previously. This was the falling action of the grand arc that is The Dark Phoenix Saga.

EMPOWERMENT AND ABSOLUTE POWER

There is a true brilliance to Claremont's narrative and progression of this story from the moment Jean Grey was transformed into the Dark Phoenix. I have only vague recollections of the cartoon adaptation of this arc in X-Men: The Animated Series and I haven't gotten far from my re-watch of said cartoons just yet, so everything about reading this was fresh for me. Two things I liked about this saga are the tonality and approach of its writing when it comes to the roles of the female characters.

As Kitty Pryde's first appearance, I found that she was a surprisingly adaptable and brave young girl in the cusp of realizing her potentials as a mutant and aspiring superhero. She wasn't portrayed easily as a damsel in distress. In fact, it was her resoluteness to help the captured X-Men that enabled the other members to rescue them in the first place. At thirteen, her world was turned upside down but she coped with it rather impressively. Instead of running away, she found the courage to stand up for strangers she did not even know that well but believed that they are good and therefore worthy to be saved. At the end of it all, she did break down into tears but that was only a natural reaction to the dangerous life she has yet to know will be her daily existence from that day forward. Still, for a first introduction, Kitty Pryde already holds promise as a capable heroine who tried to make good choices out of the worst scenarios she faced.

In contrast, Emma Frost is a self-made, strong and cunning villainess who may ultimately answer to a domineering male group (Hellfire Club) but she certainly possesses loftier ambitions of her own and seemed to commit heinous acts not because she was forced to do them, but rather because she is motivated by her own greed. Her allegiance to the Hellfire Club's men is attached to the fact that they are also enabling her to pursue whatever personal goals she may have on the side. It wasn't explicitly shown but I get the sense that she could very much decide to leave the men by themselves if she wasn't getting what she wants from them in return and the men may be aware of that arrangement as well. She was defeated by another woman (Jean Grey), and it was another bonus for me to see that when her role in the story abruptly finished, it wasn't because a man did not find her useful anymore. Now I'm very interested to read about Emma Frost from this point on. To have another competent and powerful female telepath offers possibilities and I definitely want her to come back.

But empowering female characters in this story was sadly not very consistent though. The appearance of Dazzler was baffling to me especially her role in helping the X-Men. I do not understand her motivation in doing so anyway, let alone her relevance which was why I was uncaring that she was there. The same can be said for Ororo Munroe (Storm) who spent almost all her time in the story being a lesser superheroine next to Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix. It was understandable for Jean to overpower Storm during their confrontations especially in her DP form but it also places Storm in a very unflattering way where her capabilities are diminished. There was even that passing scene in Mastermind's illusion where Jean was a noble woman and Ororo was a servant in her household who tried to escape and so Jean had to whip her. It just made me shake my head because I really didn't think that should have been put there. It's jarring and slightly insensitive to see a supeheroine of color be portrayed like that. It just wasn't necessary to the story anyway, and it only adds to the diluted effect of Storm's rather passive role in the narrative. Well, at least they did get to manage Storm to kick ass again at the later pages as the story comes to an end so I'll just take comfort in that. Speaking of said later pages---

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

The second climax of this saga arrives when the X-Men (Wolverine, Nightwalker, Storm, Angel and Colossus with recent Avenger-ed Beast) face Shi'ar warriors in a "trial by combat" arrangement to save Jean from punishment. There are at least twelve pages of great action sequences that these combats provided. It was visually engrossing which made me imagine seeing them on screen (and that only made me dislike X-Men: The Last Stand further. We really should have gotten The Dark Phoenix instead.). But before all that, I would just like to share this favorite set of panels where Jean Grey puts on her old Marvel Girl costume. It was nostalgic and appropriate. It shows that there is still light and humanity present in Jeannie, and she embraces the heroine she was at the beginning at this moment to demonstrate that her friends, especially her boyfriend Scott, have not lost her. And she is not ready to be lost herself.

In the end, it was only Scott and Jean who were left standing and together they fought their way for Jean's pardon and freedom. Scott was injured during the battle and seeing her beloved in danger has once again awakened the Phoenix in Jean. Tragically, the possibility of her going dark and twisted because of the Phoenix is just something her relationship with Scott and the rest of the X-Men cannot withstand. And Jean knew this from the moment Professor X was able to put some temporary restraints on her powers which are ultimately infinite and uncontainable. So in a quiet last scene between the lovers, Jean informs Scott of her decision to extinguish herself in order to save all of them. That conversation was done rather beautifully for me. In the heat and determination of everyone especially Scott to save Jean from her doom, they did not anticipate that perhaps she herself is giving up control and choosing to lose the battle instead by righteously as well as selflessly letting go of her powers. That's how I interpreted that final scene because it makes sense for Jean's character to choose death in order for others to live. It's who she is as a person. It's why she's one of my all-time favorite superheroes. She recognized the devastation and havoc she had caused when she committed mindless genocide as the Dark Phoenix and she would rather die a mortal than live as a goddess with unbridled passions and a lack of awareness and concern for life. It's a choice we all should commend her for.

THE VERDICT

I understand why this story is considered an important classic because it does define a lot of future arcs concerning Jean Grey, and the effect of the Phoenix as an unstoppable sentient force in the Marvel Universe. But I have my personal reasons why I think this is simply a comic book story you should find time to read. Since I began writing this review with the intention on discussing the role of female characters as the heart of the conflict, climax and resolution for this story, I want to end it now by recommending this to other young women who will read this review. Often, I've made this subconscious decision to ignore the underlying sexist themes and small moments I may encounter every now and then in superhero comic books if they only get in way of enjoyment of a great story (in spite of such flaws). I understand that superhero comic books have been majorly written by men in the past (and present, with a few exceptions) so old classics like this one can be very dated in the most negative sense possible. This is why The Dark Phoenix for me was uplifting to read because I found the way they portrayed Jean Grey (and, to a lesser extent, Kitty Pryde) to be most admirable. Most sites will tell you to pick this up because of its posterity and value as a classical tale. But personally, I want you to read this because it's a meaningful story about one woman's emotional and psychological journey through the joys and burdens of power, and the ultimate sacrifice she chooses to make, all for love and humanity.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10