gsroney's review against another edition
5.0
In spite of all its flaws, I still give this a high rating. I read it as a teenager, and have seen manny adaptations of it, but I still think it holds up to re-reading, in spite of some dated dialogue. It’s the culmination of a lot of X-Men ideas introduced by Chris Claremont: The Hellfire Club, Mastermind, Kitty Pryde, Phoenix, Shi’Ar and the Imperial Guard, with cameos by Dazzler, the Kree, and the Skrulls.
It does have the same issue that many comics of its time did, in that it tried to deal with many unrelated plotlines and characters that are not core to the story—but that was the nature of serialized storytelling at the time. This was a long game, and took around a full year to tell.
John Byrne’s art is truly great here, and it was always interesting to see the subtle manipulation of Jean by Mastermind end up having truly cosmic consequences and a tragic and heartfelt ending.
It does have the same issue that many comics of its time did, in that it tried to deal with many unrelated plotlines and characters that are not core to the story—but that was the nature of serialized storytelling at the time. This was a long game, and took around a full year to tell.
John Byrne’s art is truly great here, and it was always interesting to see the subtle manipulation of Jean by Mastermind end up having truly cosmic consequences and a tragic and heartfelt ending.
tmarso's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amazing stuff. Could see and hear it in my head. Great story all around.
elllie_725's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kmfeeney's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this was the most boring comic I have ever read. I didn't even make it half way through but it felt way longer and story was progressing so slowly. Not for me.
sullyisreading's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Kind of expected more, but then I remembered I had watched this storyline in the 90s X-Men show, and the build up to what is actually fun and interesting about this whole story is so, so slow that when you get there, it's a genuine sigh of relief. It was cool seeing certain characters introduced like Kitty Pryde, but honestly, if you plan to read this for Dark Phoenix primarily? Maybe skip about... 97 pages in. Really picks up by that point.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
When I was a kid, I would buy my comics at the local Eckerd's drugstore. For whatever reason (other kids buying stuff, my general unawareness of the serial nature of comics), I bought plenty of X-Men issues before and after the Dark Phoenix Saga, but not during. So I probably read the storyline about ten years after it was initially published. As a result, I've never had the same emotional connection to this volume as a lot of X-Men fans have.
Yes, there's good stuff, with the pinnacle being Wolverine in the sewers. I like the introduction of Kitty Pryde and Dazzler, and it's great to see the Imperial Guard again. But reading it these days, the transition of Jean Grey to Dark Phoenix feels awkward and forced, with Claremont piling on exposition. Having read the original ending of #137, I think the rewrite with Jean's death made for a better story. But while I can't argue with the grandeur that Claremont and Byrne bring to the final issue, on this reread I saw too many strings and not enough motivation.
Yes, there's good stuff, with the pinnacle being Wolverine in the sewers. I like the introduction of Kitty Pryde and Dazzler, and it's great to see the Imperial Guard again. But reading it these days, the transition of Jean Grey to Dark Phoenix feels awkward and forced, with Claremont piling on exposition. Having read the original ending of #137, I think the rewrite with Jean's death made for a better story. But while I can't argue with the grandeur that Claremont and Byrne bring to the final issue, on this reread I saw too many strings and not enough motivation.
maionezi's review against another edition
5.0
ძაან მაგარი რაღაცა იყო კაროჩე, აგე ეხა 21 წლის კაცი ვარ და ესეთი არაფერი მინახია რა, იქსმენებია და კაროჩე რა
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
5.0
This was probably my thirtieth time reading this one over the years and my heart breaks afresh every time.