X-Men: Phoenix Rising TPB [Paperback]

Roger Stern (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785107118
• ISBN-13: 978-0785107118
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,260,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jean Grey returns from the dead!, August 25, 2004

By 

N. Kok "Kirby Kok" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: X-Men: Phoenix Rising TPB (Paperback)

X-Men : Phoenix Rising ressurects one of the most important characters in the Marvel Universe, Jean Grey! the book features the Avengers,Fantastic Four, and X-Factor.the graphic novel features art by John Buscema, John Byrne, and Jackson Guice. the story was written by Rogern Stern, John Byrne, and Bob Layton. the book tells you the explanation on how Jean Grey was ressurected and how she formed X-Factor with the Original X-Men! Jean Grey is my favorite character in the Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, and X-Factor comics. The introduction is written by Kurt Busiek, he was the writer responsible for Jean Grey's return to the Marvel Universe! Highest Possible Reconmmendation!

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Phoenix's First Resurrection, March 1, 2004

By 

Edmund Lau Kok Ming (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X-Men: Phoenix Rising TPB (Paperback)

To many, this is the story that ruined the X-Men. That is understandable. To many, the classic death of Jean Grey/Phoenix on the moon at the end of the "Dark Phoenix Saga" is not something to be tampered with. Therefore, when Marvel decided to resurrect Jean for the formation of X-Factor in the mid-1980s, many felt cheated. They felt that this story cheapened the original "death". For me, I'm glad that Jean is alive again (although she's dead again in the recent Grant Morrison X-Men run, I was told!). I felt that this story opened up so many story possibilities - especially the emotional tug-of-war that Cyclops, then married to Jean-lookalike, Madelyne Pryor, had to face.

The problem with many comic fans is that they can't seem to see beyond the "scandal" or "controversy". For example, the Batman story, "A Death in the Family". Everytime you hear fans discussing that storyline, they have to bring in the controversial decision that D.C. made at that time to set up a 1-800 number for people to call in voting whether to let Robin live or die. Seeing beyond that little piece of marketing ploy, the story by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo is pretty tight and solid. Same thing here. Jean Grey lives. The Phoenix entity that died on the moon was a different person altogether (therefore, Jean is not guilty of the crimes committed by Dark Phoenix). If the fans would just take time to examine the story carefully, they would find this a solid book to begin with.

Firstly, we have the issue from Avengers wherein the cocoon holding Jean underwater is found. The fans also screamed when they discovered this - Jean's resurrection taking place in "Avengers" rather than "Uncanny X-Men". But then that was the time when Jim Shooter was head at Marvel and continuity BETWEEN the books was very tight (unlike the current no-continuity nu-Marvel). I, for one, do not see a problem with that. And I'm thankful to see again the work of Roger Stern, John Buscema and Tom Palmer, whom I consider the best Avengers creators ever (check out their work on "Avengers: Under Siege" to see what I mean). The second part of the storyline takes place in "Fantastic Four" and it's largely written and drawn by John Byrne. Great flashback scenes here explain in detail what really happened to Jean and Phoenix in "X-Men #101". I was told that Chris Claremont tampered a little with this story and some panels were redrawn by Jackson Guice. This, of course, contributed to Byrne's finally leaving the FF soon after. The best part of the book, and also the part that packs the most emotional punch is the last chapter - a reprint of X-Factor #1. Bob Layton writes and Jackson Guice pencils this tale of how Jean's closest pals/lovers, namely, the original X-Men, react to her being alive again.

Reading this carefully, one can see the seeds being planted for future storylines in the X-books like "Inferno" and "X-cutioner's Song". Scott is pushed to the limit emotionally and ends up a wreck, abandoning his wife Madelyne and son, Nathan. The original five X-Men, including Jean, forms X-Factor. The last panel with Madelyne discovering Scott's "unfaithfulness" on TV (in an X-Factor ad) is priceless.

Lastly, this book comes with an Introduction by Kurt Busiek, who had the guts to claim credit for coming up with the idea of Jean's resurrection in the first place. Overall solid writing and art throughout. Long live Jean...

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential, September 3, 2003

By 

Napualani Ahina (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: X-Men: Phoenix Rising TPB (Paperback)

The entire Phoenix Saga is by far the most compelling story line in Marvel's history. This graphic novel is unfortunately missing several issues that follow the supposed death of Jean Grey (which would leave some newbie readers a little lost). It also does not end with any sense of closure as "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Inferno" graphic novels did.

There isn't a lot of action here as you would find with most other X-Men graphic novels. However, this is an important link in the chain of Phoenix-related events. The development of the characters and the twisting of the plot is unmatched. No true fan can deny that this paricular era of Marvel's history was the finest in comic story-telling. The art is superb and the depth of the characters is what REALLY makes this worth reading.

Discover the complexity of Jean's revival. Watch the unravelling of Scott and Madelyn's marriage. See the forming of a new superhero team. Witness a woman's descent into madness... "Phoenix Rising" is an essential part of any worth-while collection.