Attorney of Phoenix

X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga

Description

Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier to protect a world that fears and hates them, the X-Men had fought many battles, been on adventures that spanned galaxies, grappled enemies of limitless might, but none of this could prepare them for the most shocking struggle they would ever face. One of their own members, Jean Grey, has gained power beyond all comprehension, and that power has corrupted her absolutely! Now they must decide if the life of the woman they cherish is worth the existence of the entire universe! Collects X-Men #129-137.

Believe the hype: the Dark Phoenix saga is one of the greatest comics stories ever. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and penciller John Byrne (credited as co-plotters, and aided immeasurably by inker Terry Austin), the story begins in The Uncanny X-Men #129 when Professor X sends his team in search of two new mutants detected by Cerebro. The figures in question turn out to be Kitty Pride, who would eventually join the team as Sprite, and the flashy disco singer Dazzler, who would go on to star in her own book. Little do the X-Men know that they're walking into a trap set by the Hellfire Club, a group of supervillains that seem perfectly matched to counter our merry mutants. The insidious part of the plot, however, is how a mysterious man named Jason Wyngarde seems to have been Jean Grey's lover in another time, another era, and how that might give him control over her now. Jean Grey was, like Cyclops, an original member of the X-Men, and had the power of telepathy (a gentle power, like that of the Invisible Girl of the same era). When she was reborn as Phoenix in issue #108, however, she became power incarnate. Can it be controlled, or must the X-Men make a choice between the woman they love and the fate of the universe? It's all here in this nine-issue volume, plus Wolverine alone, Emma Frost, the return of original members Angel and Beast, and a showdown with Lilandra's Imperial Guard in one of comics' great milestone issues, X-Men #137. Read it, true believer--'nuff said. --David Horiuchi

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-22
Summary: "X-Men masterpiece collection!"

The greatest comic book arc ever in Marvel history.Byrne and Claremont created magic with the Dark Phoenix saga,the art work was simply incredible,the script superb and the pace breath taking.
The X-Men as a comic has never been as good since this amazing run of issues,how can you top Jeans noble sacifice to save the universe,we all cried with Scott and the rest of the X-Men when this happened.Wolverine fighting the Hellfire goons on his own,Scott fighting for his life against Wyngarde,the introduction of Kitty Pryde,Dazzler and Emma Frost,so so much happened,what a hell of a ride!
The lead up issues were fantastic with the introduction of the Hellfire Club who ranked with the Sentinels and Magneto as the greatest villians the X-Men ever faced.
Each month was a torment as you waited for the next issue to come out.
Please,please buy this,read it,saviour it,this represents the best in comic book production,quite simply a collection of masterpieces!

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-08-08
Summary: "X-Men Begins Here"

For those new to X-Men - readers who liked the movies and maybe found the cartoons amusing, it may be difficult finding an entry point to the comics. Before this "X-Men" was threatened with cancellation due to poor sales, and if you picked up any of the inconsequential stories that preceded the Dark Phoenix Saga by a few years, you could clearly see why. Now I'm not going to try and assure you that this trade is legendary, that you just haven't lived until you've picked it up, or you don't know anything about X-Men unless you know a little bit about what goes on here - that goes without saying.

A heck of a lot of things happen in this book. We are introduced to four major X-Men characters: Kitty Pride, Dazzler, Sebastian Shaw, and Emma Frost of the Hellfire Club. In the following decade, Kitty would become one of the most prominent characters, and gain a large fan-base; Dazzler would have a couple of inclusions (but nothing really serious), while the Hellfire Club would return to upset the X-Men in other stories during the 80s. These events are followed by a growing transformation within X-Man "Jean Grey", as she becomes the Dark Phoenix. From there, a lot of unwanted drama takes place with the X-Men trying to reach the woman they've come to love, and even die-hard X-Men fans will roll their eyes when they read over the dialogue between "Jean" and Cyclops.

This is essential reading. It may appear dated to many, but it was a definite improvement for it's time, and you will be missing out greatly if you don't pick this up.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-05-25
Summary: "good seller"

good fast shipper product came in excellent condition and they respond quickly enjoy their service.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-05-21
Summary: "They don't come much better than this"

I started reading comics in 1973, but it wasn't until I read Uncanny X-Men #129 that I started regularly collecting a title. In "The Dark Phoenix Saga", Chris Claremont and John Byrne brought years of subtle, creeping continuity to a head for Marvel's team of mutants, and the conclusion in issue #137 filled me with two things I'd never experienced from a comic: astonishment and loss. To this day, I am amazed that this story was built from the rubble of a formerly defunct Marvel series. Following their defeat of the reality-warping mutant Proteus in issue #128, Cyclops, Phoenix (Jean Grey), Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, and Nightcrawler return to the US for a much-needed break; however, Jean experiences hallucinations of another life in the 18th Century. Her personality splits in two, with the "Dark Phoenix" eventually taking control and committing crimes on a galactic scale. The team is eventually transported to the Blue Area of the Moon, where The Watcher invites us to view the "last stand" of the Phoenix. Featured within are the Hellfire Club, the White Queen, Dazzler, the Beast, the Angel, the Imperial Guard, and a newcomer named Kitty Pryde.

X-MEN: THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA reprints the entire 9-part storyline with covers and supplemental material. For a trade paperback, the $25 cover price is absolutely ridiculous, especially since this is one of Marvel's most popular and heavily reprinted books - it's not like they'll ever take a loss with this gem. Still, if you are looking for a story that will draw you in emotionally and actually keep you occupied for hours, this is it. While Chris Claremont is rightly berated these days for his confusing plots and overwrought dialogue, the man was once the best in the biz, and his skills are on brilliant display here (perhaps more so due to Byrne's co-plotting). The plot is wonderfully paced, interactions between characters are masterfully arranged, and every caption, speech-, or thought-balloon serves a distinct purpose. Byrne's artwork, enhanced by Terry Austin's superb inks, has rarely looked better - almost 30 years later, it looks fresh and vibrant. The characters are truly alive, and even the details in his backgrounds compete for attention.

Unfortunately, Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, Jim Shooter, and even Byrne would torpedo all of this hard work years later with Jean's return in FF # 286, but at the time, this was it for Ms. Grey. So suspend your knowledge of more recent storylines and come back to a better, simpler time when there was only ONE mutant title at Marvel. Also, I must commend Marvel for using a classic cover image rather than something featuring Wolverine front-and-center.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-05-20
Summary: "Still great after all these years..."

I grew up watching the X-Men TV show and then the movies, knowing a little from the comics.

So when I finally decided to give the older comics a read, starting with The Dark Phoenix Saga, I was skeptical of how great the series REALLY was.

To say the least, it is worth the read on every page.

The story is compelling and fluid, building up with intensity and drama. The art is more than solid and nothing told in the story is really 'unneccessary'.

Page for page it is just a great read, super hero or otherwise and any X Men fan, die hard or casual should give it a glance to see the X Men at their potential best.