A review by mschlat
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont
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.