Title: Phonix Endsong (Part 1 of 5)
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Greg Pak
Penciler: Greg Land
Inker: Matt Ryan
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editor: Mike Marts
Publisher: Dan Buckley
A new year and a new Jean Grey incarnation, shocker? Not with X-3 coming out in a year or two. The new belief about the Phoenix is that she is just that – a Phoenix, forever destined to rise and fall like her mythological namesake. What happens though when the Phoenix rises too early? In this startlingly decent X-Man miniseries, we find out just that.
Story!
Some Shi’ar (at least that’s what I assume they are) rebels have chosen to raise the Phoenix before it’s time to destroy it once and for all. The Phoenix flies to what it knows – to what it remembers: Graymalkin Lane and the Xavier School in the form of a dragonfly. Upon having quick interactions with Wolverine, Beast, Quenton Quire, the Stepford Cuckoos, and Emma Frost – the Phoenix is drawn to Scott. An ancestral memory brings it into Scott’s mind where he remembers Jean vividly. (More on that in art)
From here the story starts to take shape a bit further. The Phoenix finally arrives at its destination, the one vessel that has always been able to hold onto it, Jean Grey. As is expected, though, Jean’s dead. Pfft, that’s never stopped the ‘Force’ before, so it does what any infinitely powerful force of nature would do in its stead – it raises her from her grave Crow-style. The man on the scene: Wolverine. They exchange words, and Jean is caught in a war within herself trying to control the Phoenix Force within her.
Let me say that Pak has shocked the hell out of me with this single issue. Not only does it show quite readily that he knows these characters well, but he is doing them justice. Emma’s emotional Achilles’ heel in Jean – Wolverine’s tentativeness, all of it comes through with flying colors. Add in some snappy dialogue and you have yourself a winner of an X-Mini.
ART!
Now I’m sure what drew quite a few people to this book is the work of Greg Land, who is easily turning into the next big artist in the industry – why? Check out some pages from Aria or his Birds of Prey work and you’ll understand immediately. The man not only understands the female form, he draws it amazingly. His men aren’t so bad either, but that’s not for me to decide. Anyway, after reading this the first time, my life-partner in crime Danielle commented that she found his work in this title a bit too stiff. Upon a second glance, I’m torn on it. Certain framed shots, the opening shot of Wolverine for example, do look a bit stiff, but as you move on through the issue the action defers away from the dragonfly/Phoenix, and into the characters.
Note: There is a page in this book that will blow you away. Take everything you know of Jean Grey, stuff it into a single page splash and have Land do it… it’s phenomenal and will make an amazing lithograph.
Also, check out the opening page Phoenix, it’s vicious looking, and I give Ryan and Ponsor their due credit for making this book look as good as it does.
Overall!
Phoenix Endsong is a surprise. Right off the bat you can complain about Jean coming back and things like that, and I won’t disagree with you – it’s a bit overplayed. I will say though, that when the story justifies it, I swallow such revamps a little easier. This story just might make me like Jean Grey again. (Although I doubt it can help me ever enjoying Cyclops) If you are an X-fan, this just might turn into a must read story.
