Jean Grey has a history of being badly handled as a character. Too often she is either the X-Men team mom or solely defined by her mutant powers. These are considerable, even without her hosting an avatar of death and rebirth. Phoenix #1, the latest From the Ashes series from Marvel, addresses this by allowing Jean to fly free in a new arena.
Written by Stephanie Phillps, with art by Alessandro Miracolo, Phoenix #1 is set in a part of outer space far from Earth. It is here that Jean Grey travels, seeking to make amends for the destruction she once unleashed. This leads to adventures ranging from averting the death of a sun, to stopping a riot in a Nova Corps prison. However, Jean’s actions have unintended consequences, and the world she saved is soon threatened by something she accidentally unleashed.
Phoenix #1 gets to the heart of Jean Grey’s character
Stephanie Phillips’ script is full of action, with Jean using the Phoenix Force to tackle threats more often seen in Green Lantern comics than X-Men. Where the story shines, however, is in the quieter moments, such as when Jean talks with her husband, Cyclops. It is here that Jean’s character is expanded beyond her being a generic strong female protagonist.
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These moments establish Jean as confident and in control of her powers. Gone is the wilting violet who passed out whenever she uses her powers from X-Men The Animated Series. This Phoenix unironically describes channeling the energy of a star as generally easy. Despite this, she seems surprised that others view her with astonishment.
The artwork by Alessandro Miracolo is undeniably epic in its scope. Miracolo does a fantastic job of conveying the mindboggling energies and distances that the Phoenix operates across. That is a trick many comic artists fail when drawing a space opera, but Miracolo makes it look easy. This adds to the irony of how down-to-earth Jean Grey’s character is in the midst of cosmic weirdness.
All in all, Phoenix #1 is everything a first issue should be. It is full of intense action with beautiful art, which establishes its title character. It is also one of the rare X-Men comics that proves welcoming to new readers, with no previous experience with the franchise needed.
Grade: 5/5.
Phoenix #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
