Phoenix Resurrection #1 (of 5)
Spoiler Free
A strange phenomenon involving 2 children draws all of the X-Men out for an investigation. After splitting up into 3 teams in 3 distinct locations, they all run into some trouble, and all 3 of them see an omen in the sky. This is also seen by a familiar figure working at a diner. We follow Jean for the rest of the issue where we see other familiar faces and names, specifically one on the last page that should make some X-Men fans very happy.
Spoiler Filled Breakdown
We start with 2 kids finding a girl lying on the side of the road, bleeding from a head wound. As they question whether she’s dead or alive, she sits up. Her eyes are blacked out and she says “DAED FFO RETTEB WREW EW” or “We Were Better Off Dead” backwards. Then they are approached by another girl with red hair who asks if they want to play frisbee, as the first girl mysteriously disappears. The girl with red hair throws a bird who is surrounded by fire and the kids turn to run away.
Two hours later, Kitty Pryde’s X-Men team arrives on the scene to investigate and find the two children in an odd state – both unconscious, floating off the ground, and with the same headwound that the girl they found had. Rachel Summers mentions feeling off and eventually says “DAED FFO ETTEB” and turns around to face Kurt with a bloody nose. Kurt takes her to seek some medical attention.
This prompts Kitty and Beast to call all of the X-Men together to discuss what they’ve come across. The children are now recovering with no memory of the incident, but Kitty and Beast are concerned because the energy present in the area took out one of their psychics just by being near it. They also find this same energy signature in 3 distinct areas of the world, leading to the team splitting up. One team goes to the former Hellfire Club, one to Mont Saint Francis, and the final team (composed of Wolverine centric characters) to the North Pole. They all end up in fights against enemies, and the Wolverine characters fight a classic version of Wolverine.
As these fights progress, the enemies abruptly disappear and then at all 3 sites, the teams are blinded by something in the sky, which as Old Man Logan puts it is “Not Good.”
This is also seen by a lady at a diner named Gladys and she is joined by her co-worker named Jean who looks up and sees this Phoenix form in the sky. Back in the diner, Jean attempts to take an order from a Mr. Cassidy who is having difficulty deciding what he is in the mood for.
Jean finishes her shift and goes to her parent’s home for dinner and talks to her them about how her day was weird. As she goes to leave and cancel on their dinner plans, the doorbell rings and her mom tells her that she can tell their guest that dinner is cancelled. Jean doesn’t remember that they are having company for dinner. The issue ends with Jean opening the door for Scott Summers holding a bouquet of roses.
Reflections, Impressions, and Predictions
I loved the mystery that shrouds this issue. We didn’t really get any answers, just a lot of questions which is great for the first issue of a miniseries
Really curious about what the “We Were Better Off Dead” thing is all about.
It seems like all of the iterations and offshoots of Jean are all being affected here.
All of the enemies that are fought in this issue may actually have been psychic projections, but who is causing it and why?
This place where Jean is could be one of many places. Purgatory, the afterlife, or something else entirely. Something has to explain all these characters who are dead all showing up at the same place
I’m curious to see how this is all explained.
I hope for a resurrected classic Cyclops as well as Jean Grey. Also, I hope it sticks and isn’t just some short-term ploy. I’m getting a little tired of the constant death and resurrection of the Jean Grey character.
Final Breakdown
Story – It’s a mystery, with action and beloved characters. It’s a good start, we’ll see where it goes in the next few weeks. 7/10
Art – I’ve always loved Leinel Francis Yu’s art work and this issue does nothing to pull away from that. His characters always look splendid, especially his work with shadows. 8/10
Continuity/Character Consistency – We are not sure where this falls in continuity yet. The characters are also balanced and true to who they are thus far, with the exception of those in the Jean Grey section of the book, but we don’t quite know what’s going on there yet. 6/10
Twist Factor – The end of the issue that incorporated several X-Men characters, including one of my personal favorites. 8/10
Final Score – This is your Marvel book of the week right here. 9/10