The Dark Phoenix Saga (Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011))

A good quality x-men run and of course considered a staple in x-men lore, i'm only taking out a star because I personally hate jean grey and Scott summers and of course this revolves around them. This also has a weird tangent where jean thinks she's someone called the red queen and she lives in the 1800's? idk man like a said, weird tangent in the story

Great Product...super fast shippin...came in at exactly as described..takes alot of pressure off when that happens..Thank You Very Much..Great Job.
Transactions this smooth deserve future considerations.

I was so excited to get this collection after reading so many glowing reviews praising the quality of the story, some going as far as to compare this collection to Frank Miller's Year One. Maybe that set my expectations too high, but even by the most generous standards, this is not even in the same ballpark as Year One, Killing Joke, Watchmen, et al. The writing is clunky and heavy-handed. The dialogue is silly, somehow managing to be equally grandiose and insipid. The characters's inner monologues read more like poorly written stage direction, explaining everything that occurred in the previous panel, everything that is currently going on, and what the next action will be. I suppose if you grew up on this comic and read it as a kid, then maybe this will be a fun walk down memory lane. If not, I would skip it, or see if your local library has a copy. I know I will not be reading this again, and will pass it along to my niece in a year or two when she's old enough (she is only 7, after all).

This is definitely more of a series of comics than a graphic novel, which was what I was expecting. It was annoying that the first few pages of every chapter or "issue" would explain what was going on, with frequent references to events you something either just read, or from issues published many issues before. Admittedly, I am a fan of graphic novels, not serial comics.

OK, first off this is my favorite X-Men storyline ever, and I have wanted to have a nice hardcover for a while, so I was especially pumped when I saw this 30th Anniversary Hardcover solicited. Now I buy a lot of collected hardcover trades from the store and can pretty much tell what I'm getting based on the price. The price on this would be justified if were an Omnibus or a massive collection. It is not. There is no new material here. You get the 10 or so issues that consitute the "Dark Phoenix Saga", and approximately 4 issues of various bonus comics, including Phoenix: The Untold Story. You also get an foreward from Stan Lee and and an afterword by Chris Claremont, both several years old and recycled from one of the other trades of this collected material.
For this amount of content I am used to paying $39.99 MSRP or around $23.00 or so after the store's fantastic discounts. But $75.00!? For what? For this price, they should have included the earlier "key" Phoenix comics and made it more of an Omnibus package.
Unless you just MUST have a hardcover, spend the $20 bucks for the trade. Same great story without that WTF feeling afterwards.

Leading up to this 2012 softcover printing of THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA, every bit of info I'd seen, including this the store page, had stated that it would include the oft-reprinted main storyline from Uncanny X-Men # 129-137, plus related material from Uncanny X-Men #138, Classic X-Men #43, Bizarre Adventures #27, Phoenix: The Untold Story, and What If? #27. Basically, it was advertised as a softcover edition of the 352-page, 30th Anniversary hardcover from 2010, while retaining the price of the prior softcover edition from 2006. I was amazed that Marvel would include so much additional material for such a reasonable price; however, as The Dark Phoenix Saga is perhaps Marvel's most popular storyline, I figured that they'd realized how this particular book would never be a loss for them (they could give away an entire print run and still continue to make money off of it).

Just before it was to be released, I heard from various sources that the solicitation info was incorrect, and sure enough, it turns out that this edition only includes the standard Uncanny X-Men #129-137. Of course, the main story is still a great read over 30 years later, and the art is incomparable; however, what was advertised is not what was released. As of the date of my review, the store and most other websites still contain the wrong information for this softcover edition, so be sure you know what you're getting.

The X-Men are returning from another adventure when Jean Grey experiences yet another seeming time slip where she inhabits an ancestor of hers from the 18th century. The 1700s Jean Grey is head-over-heals in love with Jason Wyngarde. Unbeknownst to her there's a modern-day Jason Wyngarde who is a member of the inner circle of the Hellfire Club. The overall club is populated by the rich and powerful of America. The inner circle is a bunch of mutants with world-domination ambitions. They want to bring other mutants into the fold, especially Jean Grey. Her telekinetic and telepathic powers recently went off the chart when she became the Phoenix. When the X-Men get back to headquarters, Professor X sends them to check on two new mutants detected by Cerebro (Kitty Pryde in Chicago and Dazzler in New York City). The Hellfire Club has secretly hacked into Cerebro so they are after the two new mutants and they know all the powers of the X-Men. A hard fight is in store.

This book is a far ranging and focuses on Jean Grey's psychological turmoil. At first she can't figure out what's going on with the time slips; the earlier Grey is more dangerous and cruel. But that's just a side of her personality she keeps under wraps. Keeping that undercover is harder and harder as her powers grow and the corrupting influence of Wyngarde deepens.

The story is also loaded with lots of action which occasionally go over the top, especially at the end. The drama goes to eleven, but in a satisfying way.

Besides the ultimately sensational Spider-Man, and the tragic dark figure known as Batman, the X-Men have been a key focal point in my interest in the universe of comics. From the moment I viewed the widely underrated film, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, I had unknowingly begun a journey into pursuing their adventures in the comics. Out of all the X-Men comics I've read, Chris Claremont's run became not only my favorite (as well as thousands of X-fans), but also a major defining moment in the history of the team. Not only did Claremont help bring the new X-Men members (Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler) to light, but he also introduced the racism towards mutants as a prominent theme, and wrote the series on the basis of character development. In the eyes of nearly all X-Men fans, no story of Claremont's has seen greater character development than the classic DARK PHOENIX SAGA.

In MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 2, the X-Man Jean Grey was supposedly killed by the intense radiation of a solar storm while piloting a shuttle back to Earth, but instead Jean underwent a different fate. When the shuttle crashed into the Hudson River, both her and her teammates were astonished to see her rise out of the water with her mutant powers increased tenfold, declaring herself reborn as a being known as the Phoenix. As the X-Men series continued, so did the growth of Jean's new persona. Not only were her telepathic and telekinetic abilities enhanced, but also her personality gradually grew more dark and merciless. The development of the Phoenix's power reaches its peak in THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA.

After the X-Men defeat Moira Mactaggert's mutant son Proteus on Muir Island, Jean Grey begins to suffer from strange hallucinations. Some how seeing herself in the 18th century, Jean and the X-Men are unaware Jason Wyngarde of the mysterious Hellfire Club is manipulating her mind with illusions. After several close encounters with the Hellfire club, the group's leaders, known as the Inner Circle, capture the X-Men at one of its annual parties. The mutant leaders of the Inner Circle plan to warp Jean into the Black Queen of their hierarchy, but their attempts to brainwash her only unleash the dark side of her powers. The manipulation of Jean's mind causes her god-like abilities to corrupt her into the insane Dark Phoenix. Now an omnipotent entity with an insatiable hunger for destruction; the Dark Phoenix begins to wreak havoc across the universe. Once she returns to Earth, the X-Men know that in order to save all of existence from Armageddon, they will be forced to fight the one they once called a comrade. And even if they figure out a way to save Jean from corruption, will they be able to protect her from the rest of the universe, who sees her as a galactic threat that must be eliminated?

Although Chris Claremont's writing can feel cheesy and out of date at some points (keep in mind that this was written in 1980), this was with out a doubt, one of the most heart-pounding and emotional X-Men story arc I've ever read! One of the key components of an excellent book is being able to allow the reader to understand the emotions characters experience or struggle with, and feel for them. THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA makes no errors in allowing its readers to feel sympathy for Jean and the rest of the X-Men, as Claremont deeply explores the pain humans (or mutants) feel when forced to fight the ones they care about the most. Jean Grey was not only one of the founding members of the team, but also one of their most passionate, and devoted members to their cause. But Jean is no longer the woman she once was. Instead, she has become a devastator of worlds that kills without mercy. But to the rest of the X-Men, they still view Jean as the benevolent woman they once knew; obscuring them to the fact that she has become a threat to all of existence. The depth of internal struggle Claremont portrays within the X-Men is extremely intense, and allows the reader to feel sympathy for both the X-Men, and for Jean Grey, who is cursed with a power beyond her control.

I didn't know much about the Hellfire Club before reading this, but their role as antagonists is well executed. To the public eye, the Hellfire Club is a social group of the world's most successful industrialists, but behind the curtain, a circle of evil mutants who plan to use their political and economic power to dominate humanity leads the group. But it's Jean Grey who gets the center stage, here, as her transformation into the Dark Phoenix shows how even a virtuous soul as hers can fall into darkness when tempted by power. Claremont displays the almost limitless, and merciless power of the Phoenix when she consumes an entire star (feat even the world-eater Galactus could not achieve), destroying an inhabited system of planets in the process, and later defeats the X-Men with relative ease. The development of her character from a caring agent of peace, to an entity of destruction is not only a work of creative writing, but it's an astounding portrayal of the corruption of a noble soul as well.

Other high points of praise in this story arc include the first appearances of Kitty Pryde, Dazzler, and Emma Frost, as well as the expansion of the romance between Cyclops and Jean. My only criticism is that the battle between the X-Men and alien Shi'ar Imperial Guard in the final chapter was a bit tedious, as it felt too many individual fights were going on at once, but it was still an intriguing one. One thing I should mention is that the famous ending to the story (which I dare not spoil to those who have not read it), was not originally planned by Chris Claremont, but was inserted due to a dispute between him and the editor. Although I prefer Dave Cockrum for the classic X-Men stories, the illustrations John Bryne provides here are the best of his run overall, providing an excellent visual depiction of Claremont's tragic story arc.

A must read for any X-Men fan, THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA is not only a pivotal turning point for Jean Grey's character and the X-Men in general, but also a timeless classic that explores the basic truth of how power can easily corrupt even the most benevolent individual.

-"The corruption of the best things gives rise to the worst."
David Hume

To read more of my reviews on comics and sequential art, be sure to check out my website University of Panels,
http://samhulksmash75.wix.com/universityofpanels#!comic-book-reviews/cgt5

The impact of this story was lessened over the years when the image you see on the cover was undone a while later, but that doesn't change the brilliance of this collection.

Claremont and Byrne truly had one of the best runs on a comic that anyone's ever had, and this was the most pivotal story in that run. This collection includes the first appearances of Kitty Pride and Emma Frost, as well as the X-Men's first encounter with the Hellfire Club. We've got the best early showcase of Wolverine having to fight his way out of a corner and two of the original X-Men making returns to the group.

Perhaps my favorite part of this volume was the sequence that had the X-Men spending a night preparing for a planned fight with the Imperial Guard the next day, as each of them reflects on their situation in a different way. That small touch is what made Claremont so great in his writing, as he knew putting the characters before the flash and style of the big fight scenes, though both aspects are pulled off brilliantly. Byrne's artwork remains eye-catching and iconic even all these years later.

There have been many great story arcs since this appeared in the pages of Uncanny X-Men in 1980 among both DC and Marvel, but this is the absolute best multi issue story in comics history. (My very close second is Crisis on Infinite Earths by DC).

The seeds of the final story began many issues before the collected issues of 129-137, (the panels of which in these earlier issues should be collected as a prologue)and began the greatest chapter of comics writing history as the X-men continued to become 3 dimensional characters. Far beyond what occured in many comics of the era. It certainly was a transition that set the stage for writing that occurs now, 30 years later.

The story by Chris Claremont is dynamic and engaging and the art by John Byrne is (in my opinion) his best work. (I know he may resent someone calling his best work 30 years ago - but I think it was less cluttered and the characters more interesting to view).

Each issue ended with the reader on pins and needles having to wait a whole month with no internet, no previews, no way of knowing anything about upcoming story. Truely a cliffhanger. It certainly paid off with an emotional ending as Jean Grey, the Phoenix, died on the moon. Devastating!

Even though the character has been resurected and in many ways cheapened in the process, this is the best story of her "life" and is a must have in the library.

I would suggest getting the 30th Anniversary hardback edition for you private library and purchasing the TPBs as lending or give away copies. Having more copies will not be wasted shelf space. Give this to anyone who wants to read a great illustrated story or to a young person just starting in comics. (although they will be in for a shock when picking up modern versions which are more gritty, dark, violent, sexually explicit and not as well written or drawn).

Yes, this is arguably the greatest X-men run ever ~ story and art. Yes, those of us who waited for each issue with bated breath remember how emotionally vested we were. Hard to believe this only represents less than a year's worth of issues.

How about that page where there are three different views of the same X-Men in the same posture? (Normally, our heroes look like this..... But presently, as prisoners of the Hellfire Club, they look like this.... And thanks to Jason Wyngarde, Jean Grey is seeing them like this.....) Classic stuff.

Can't add to what's been said. This artwork is THE ONLY X-art that could possibly lay claim to Neal Adam's Sentinels run throne for finest ever. And probably does.

My only complaint is that Claremont retired Banshee just before the X-Men's greatest battle. And the once-proud sonic screamer never really did recover a proper place in the X-Men ever after as the other four "new" X-men solidified as the classic core.

A note to first-time readers, though, seek out the Proteus story that immediately precedes this one. Issues 126-128 are every bit as high a caliber as this, the last boasting arguably the best cover of all time.

Lots of superlatives, yes, and all deserved.

This is the 1st trade paperback I remember reading as a kid. Some kids had Archie & Jughead; I had Dark Phoenix! It's still considered a classic today...

Highlights here for me...
Issue 129- Battle in an ice cream shop. Kitty's 1st appearance; classic X-Men.
Issue 130- Dazzler's 1st appearance; I actually like her as a character.
Issue 131- Phoenix vs. White Queen. Phoenix demonstrates her abilities.
Issues 132 to 134- It's X-Men vs. Hellfire Club, with Wolverine stealing the show.
Issues 135 to 137- Phoenix problem explodes. A battle with cosmic proportions.

Byrne's artwork is highly detailed, yet it's very much early eighties here; some people like it, some people don't. If you already know you don't like early eighties art, this may at least be worth checking out for the famous storyline. Think about it: stories are introduced in comics every week, every month, year after year. How many are truly memorable? My guess is: not many. Yet it amazes me to think of the impact this story has had & continues to have in comics. I can't even fully explain why it's been so successful, other than to say that all the elements of good comic-making came together really well: writing, art, characters, and story. It's still solid reading today!

Related products: 40 Years of the X-Men;Wizard X-Men Masterpiece Edition Volume 1;X-Men: Days of Future Past;Uncanny X-Men Omnibus; and Fantastic Four Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 7.

The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne was simply the best comic book story I have ever read. While this trade paperback contains most of it, the story really ran for about 25 issues *before* the issues in the TPB.
It started as a subplot when the mutant X-Man, Jean Grey, was possessed by the Phoenix entity, a being of great power that slowly transformed her into one of the most powerful superbeings in the universe. The story contained in this book is the climactic end to the story. As Phoenix, Grey becomes more and more powerful to the point where she can no longer fully control the urges that her godlike abilities give her. A shadowy organization called the Hellfire Club seeks to control her and manipulate her power to their ends. Meanwhile, her fellow X-Men, including her love Scott Summers (a.k.a., Cyclops), seek to infiltrate the Hellfire Club. Ultimately they end up defending Phoenix after she has unleashed her powers in ways they never dreamed imaginable.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is a story of power, love, subterfuge and tragedy. Each of the X-Men has their moment to shine in this story. Of particular note is the sequence wherein Wolverine singlehandedly rescues the entire team, one of the best single-issue stories ever, in my opinion.
Claremont and Byrne were at the peak of their abilities in this story. Neither has shone as brightly before or since. While stories like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen are often said to be the best comic story ever created, my vote goes to the Dark Phoenix Saga.

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!

The quintessential X-men story. Written almost twenty years ago, the storyline shows the reason why the X-men are so popular: despite having all their powers, they are subject to the same temptations and succumb to the same sins as us mere mortals. Amidst all the action you have to have in a comic book, there is the evolving love affair between Scott and Jean, and Wolverine's side role in it. There's the addition of Kitty Pryde, and her journey as she discovers and develops her talents. There's the first appearance of Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, and all the other characters who evolve into important places of the X-men mythology. Of course, there's the fate of Jean Grey, and the final admonition that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" (which has, by the way, since been used ad infinitum by any other comic book writer who wanted to sound cool). A very well-told, well-illustrated, and rich comic book. A good introduction to the X-men, if you've never met them before. If you have, and are more familiar with their current incarnations, this book gives you somewhat of an idea where they came from.

Before Sinister, before Apocalypse, even before Sabretooth...there was Jean Grey.
The purest soul and noblest heart among the X-Men, she was willing to sacrifice her life to protect those she loved. Cosmic chance empowered her with a force beyond comprehension, and she became the Phoenix, an angel of mercy and light, who saved an entire universe with the power of her love for her friends.
Then...as all great things do...she fell.
This epic (there's no other way to describe it) chronicles exactly how Jean fell, transformed by her own dark side (with a little help from the Hellfire Club) into a Black Angel, a Chaos-Bringer, a Ravager of Worlds. The best thing about it is that it does so in a way that every reader can understand. You could give this to your eight-year-old son or your forty-eight-year-old mother, and either of them could understand the story, and take it to heart in their own ways.
Claremont shines in this epic as in all his X-Men work, but the true brilliance is as much in the way John Byrne draws the characters as in the way Claremont writes them. Sympathetic yet dynamic figures express their feelings and actions in ways that neither Jim Lee's stone-faced idols nor Frank Quitely's reality-based blobs of humanity can quite approximate. The X-Men are heroes, through and through, but what Claremont and Byrne get across, as effectively as their heroism...is their humanity.

I found the reviewer who noted the Dark Phoenix collection below to be helpful; the collection below is larger than this one. I pulled this out of wikipedia to help folks identified the extended saga coverage. You can search the store by the ISBN code to find it.

The X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga hardcover (352 pages, July 2010, Marvel, ISBN 978-0-7851-4913-2).
* Released for 30th anniversary.
* The X-Men #129-138, Classic X-Men #43, Bizarre Adventures #27, Phoenix: The Untold Story (one-shot), and What If? #27.[18]

Before I actually read the X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga, I'd watched the animated version of it on TV, and boy, was it great!! So naturally I was expecting that when I picked up the graphic novel it would be just as great!! And my expectations were fulfilled even more then I had hoped when I read this great X-Men graphic novel!
It had great character depth, great action, and faantastic characters. It makes you ponder the question : "What would happen if an X-Man recieved a power 1,000 times greater than that of her own, and didn't have a powerful or stable enough mind to control the immense power?" And we're talking about a power that the Watchers said is second only to that of the Creator!!! This of course is the intergalactic entity named the "Phoenix" And Jean Grey is the X-Man who becomes posessed by the entity, and, of course things don't turn out as expected, in fact, they turn out much worse, apocolyptically worse!!
I would advise all X-Men fans to definitely read this landmark story in the X-Men mythos!!

Although Chris Claremont seems to have a symbiotic relationship with anything X-Men, John Byrne certainly didn't last too long in the whole scheme of things. That aside, this TPB collects this duo's best-ever X-Men work, chronicling the seduction of Jean Grey's human soul to the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix. The drama is first-rate and the art is excellent. The "Wolverine Alone" section is sort of a misnomer: we actually only witness a few panels of the diminutive Canadian X-Man against the Hellfire Club mercenaries. The climax double-size section is superb, where a semi-coerced team of mutants (morally uncertain of defending Jean b/c of her annihilation of an entire planet as Dark Phoenix) battle the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. The ending panels are some of the best ever printed in comics; it's just a shame that Jean was "brought back from the dead." But who, after all, ever *stays* dead in comics?

This graphic novel reprints one of the classic X-Men stories of old -- the Dark Phoenix saga. For those who might not be up on their comic history, the Dark Phoenix Saga told the story of how Jean Grey -- one of the original X-Men -- found herself cruelly manipulated by the evil mutant Mastermind until she finally lost control of her own powers and became a threat to the very future of the universe. In the end, it falls to the X-Men (led by Jean's lover, Cyclops) to either bring her back to sanity or destroy her. This was perhaps the pinnacle of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne creative team and certainly very few subsequent X-Men stories have come close to touching the quality of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Chris Claremont's secret as a comic book writer was that he never wrote down to his audience. While some others might have simply said, "Hey, it's only a comic book," and cashed in their paycheck, Chris Claremont approached his X-Men stories with a sincerity and integrity that elavated the best of his work out of the super hero genre. As always the characterization of the individual X-Men is strong with Wolverine truly coming into his own. Even the usually somewhat dull Cyclops is given one of his few chances to shine in this story and Claremont manages to present a multifaceted view of this sometimes overly upright figure. The dialogue, especially Cyclops' final monolouge on the moon, is also far more powerful (and at times genuinely witty) than what is generally expected from a "comic book." Over the course of this story, Claremont and Byrne introduced several characters that would later become key ingrediants to the X-Men's success -- the Hellfire Club, Dazzler, Kitty Pryde, and all of them show their future promise from their very first appearances.
I was a kid when these issues first came out and I can remember what an impact they had on me at the time. Not to be overdramatic but back in 1980, the fate of Jean Grey affected me much the same way the fate of Jay Gatsby affects me now. Now, some might scoff at that or say that its easier to please children but that's not true. Even more so than adults, children and young teens can spot when someone's just going through the motions. Every year, hundreds of new comic books are released. Most cease publication after less than six issues. X-Men survived. It takes a lot to make an impact on you when you're young and that was what made Claremont and Byrne's X-Men so popular. Unlike future writers and artists, they never took their audience for granted. With the Dark Phoenix Sage, they crafted one of the great legends of my youth. When I recently reread it, I do so for the sake of nostalgia but I was overjoyed to discover that even though I'd gotten older and subsequent events in the X-Men had cheapened a lot of what those earlier issues were about, the story hadn't suffered. As both a piece of childhood nostalgia and as a story held up on its own considerable terms, the Dark Phoenix Saga is a powerful piece of work and it is a must-have for all comic book fans -- past, present, and future.

Compiled into a (more or less) complete collection, Chris Claremont and John Burne's classic story follows the team as they reluctantly battle a possessed Jean Grey to save the universe. Having only seen this saga in other media, this has more depth than the animated series and way more than the live-action movies, when you look past the exhausting amount of dialogue and the improvised climax. Covering issues 129-137 of "Uncanny X-Men," the saga features the debut of Kitty Pride, the Dazzler, and Emma Frost; the return of Angel and Beast, and even a special appearance by the Watcher. The reader is also treated to a reissued cover gallery and original artwork.

This comic is rated T: Violence, Adult Situations.

You can read about the importance of this story arc to the original Uncanny X-Men's history elsewhere. For this review I'm not going to focus on the story or the art, both of which are exceptional, but rather the presentation of the material in this volume.

After half a dozen paperback editions containing Uncanny X-Men 129-137 (The Entire Dark Phoenix Story Arc), Marvel finally released what was primed to be an ultimate edition of this classic. The content added includes Uncanny X-Men #138, the Funeral of Jean Grey/Phoenix, which is a fitting epilogue to this story. Why they never included it before in other editions is beyond me. Also included here are a number of supplemental materials which round out the Dark Phoenix experience.
Among this material is:

* The 2nd story from Classic X-Men #43, which shows what happened to Phoenix after she died and gives us a glimpse at the birth of Madelyne Prior - Jean's evil clone who would go on to star in Uncanny X-Men: Inferno.

* The 1st story from Bizarre Adventures #27, which is told from the point of view of Jean's sister a year after her death.

* Phoenix: The Untold Story, which was a one-shot special comic that included the original unedited version of Uncanny X-Men #127 which had a different ending. Only half of this original issue was used when issue #127 was re-edited for release. Not only are there additional pages, but there is also quite a lot of alternate dialogue in the pages leading up to the final battle. Phoenix the Untold Story also presents interviews with the creators and editors of this saga, and how and why they made the decision they did to end the series differently than as planned.

* What If? #27, which tells us what would have happened in all likelihood down the road for the X-Men and the World had the story ended the way Chris Claremont had originally written it.

* Covers from previous Dark Phoenix trade paperback releases along with the covers of Classic X-men #34-42.

* Covers and a few pages and covers from the original issues in inked-only format (prior to cropping and the addition of word balloons).

* Lastly, pages from the Official Guide to the Marvel Universe which have write ups on Phoenix, Cyclops, Mastermind, the X-Men team featured in this book, The Imperial Guard and the Hellfire Club members featured in this story.

All of this bonus material is fantastic and adds to the read. Every page from the main story and the supplemental material has been restored and is presented with stunning clarity. This book should have been the ultimate presentation of this classic story.
Unfortunately, Marvel marred this release with cheap production values. While the paper is high gloss, and I'm assuming archival, it is extremely thin and flimsy. Weight wise I would say that it is slightly thicker than standard printer or photocopier paper. I was expecting the paper to be thick like the Omnibus releases. One has to be careful when turning the pages, because the paper is such that it would tear easily if turned to sharply.

The issues themselves seem to be presented in their original size. However, the covers that accompany them have been scaled down are about 1/6 smaller than the original print editions. This makes no sense as the book is over-sized and so there is plenty of marginal room on the pages for the covers to be presented at their original printed size. The smaller cover sizes also apply to the reprinted covers from the Classic X-Men issues as well as the trade paperback covers from previous Dark Phoenix Saga releases.
The cover for Phoenix the Untold Story is wrap-around, meaning it covered the front and back covers of the original issue. Here it is presented on two pages with the artwork extending into the crack of the spine. The book binding is so tight that you can't open the book wide enough to clearly see the portions of the cover that go into the crack of the spine. This cover should have been presented instead as a pull-out page, as having it on two pages the way it is breaks the visual continuity of the art.

Lastly, the original retail price of $75 for this book is ridiculous considering the cheap paper sock and the amount of material included. Especially since the majority of the material presented here was previously restored for volumes 4 & 5 of the Marvel Masterworks Uncanny X-Men volumes. Not to mention, that after those restorations, Marvel re-released this saga with restored artwork in paperback form. So Marvel would not have had such high production costs for this volume to justify the asking price. Given the quality of the paper stock, $35 would have been a fair price (I purchased mine for $30 second-hand). Had they used thicker paper like their Marvel Omnibus collections, then I could see a $50 or $60 price tag.

All in all, this is a great collection. I'm sure in the future Marvel will release another hardcover anniversary edition, hopefully one with better paper stock and the covers presented in full-size. For the time being this is a nice addition to one's collection, but don't pay full price for it.

Xmen have been around for a long time. Many great battles, but this one is the greatest of those tales. Powerful, sad, exciting, this tale will weave you in it's web.
The story focuses around Jean Grey. SHe is currently plaqued by strange flashbacks that eventually are led into the Hellfire Club, and Mastermind. The Xmen try to save her but in the enbd her Phoenix powers turn evil and the battle begins. The rollercoster ride of a story doesn't let up, even at the final battle on the Moon.
Highly recomended for all those comic fans out there. Buy this today.

If you are anything like me, and read Claremont's more recent work, scratch your head, and wonder if Claremont has any relevance anymore in comicbookland, THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA is the answer.

If you are new to the X-men universe, and want to know the merry mutants at their very best, or your only exposure to them has been in the movies, this is the book that should be first on your list.

Claremont, the writer, and Byrne/Austin, the art team, are as if they were thinking with the same brain. The result is one of the most breathless, rollercoaster, and truly epic sagas in comic book history. Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, and the rest are written and rendered so well, you can almost hear the dialogue being delivered.

In short, this is the closest you will ever come to holding a wide-screen summer blockbuster in your own two hands. You will not regret this purchase.

The whole compilations of the dark phoenix saga when it was done in late 80's I believe. Must have. Great story, keeps you interested from the beginning. Love this and am happy to have the whole saga in one book

... as others have said, the value is not. Would have been a different story if the book had collected the Days Of Future Past storyline and this book would have been a continuation of the first Uncanny Omnibus. It's hard to justify the buy, and all the extra material isn;t really anything I especially wanted, so, well, there you have it. There's no denying the power of this story, though, and if you haven;t read it, this is probably the best presentation of it.

This is another one of those classic comic storylines: The Dark Phoenix Saga and the death of Jean Grey. There really isn't much more you can say than that. If you are familiar with it you know how great it is. And for you recent X-fans, those that aren't familiar with it, it is one of the classic stories and one that if you haven't read yet, you're not really that much of a fan.

This is a great introduction book for any reader who has just started getting into the X-Men. A tale of love and disaster, this tragic story was what brought the X-Men to the forefront of the comics industry. Simple enough for a first grader to understand, yet, as an adult if you look beyond the action you get the deep sense of what true power can mean in the wrong hands. Newer readers, who have read the recent X-books, will be able to understand the convoluted mess that is the character Jean Grey's life, by checking out how she weilds evil as the Black Queen and as Dark Phoenix. You will also see Dazzler and Kitty Pryde in their debut appearances. Also the last chapter, "Elegy", gives a condensed version of the X-men's origin, which will enlighten any newer reader. This book should have been the basis of the X-Men movie due out in summer of 2000. Fantastic reading

Pretty much the best X-Men story, period. More than happy to have this in multiple formats. Whether in the middle of an essential, in the issues, in Classic X-Men, or in a trade paperback format such as this, this is one story that is worth the paper it is printed on, and worth being delivered to you in more than one way.

I recently bought this book along with Days of Future Past and Legionquest, and let me tell you, this book rocks! It gives a breif background on the Hellfire Club as well as letting you get some insider info on Jean Grey/Pheonix. This book is truly one of the best I've read.
If I'm correct, then this is the first time a lot of characters are introduced, mainly some from the Hellfire Club. You also get a look at Kitty Pryde, who is later known as Sprite and then Shadowcat. You also see Dazzler, the dazzling disco diva/mutant. The Shi'Ar, Hellfire Club, and X-Men are only a few of the groups of individuals you see in this fantastic book.
If you don't have this, then get it! :)

This shocking(then) story of Jean Grey becoming a godess and her eventual fall from grace is magnificent. When Jean's dark side destroys an entire star system the X-Men know she's got to be taken out. But which X-Men has the heart to kill Jean? In the end Jean must choose to live as a godess or die human. Beutifully written and drawn. This is the Quintessential X-Men story.

This is it. Look no further. No comic book storyline will ever encompass what Chris Claremont and John Byrne were able to do with the Dark Phoenix Saga. As any true X-fan knows, the Claremont/Byrne era is what truly defined the X-Men we know today. Wolverine alone never would have been such a popular character without these storylines. If there is one trade paperback you buy in your lifetime, this is it. Give it a try, and I guarantee you'll be hooked. I own over 10,000 comics, and these are my favorites, bar none.

This shocking(then) story of Jean Grey becoming a godess and her eventual fall from grace is magnificent. When Jean's dark side destroys an entire star system the X-Men know she's got to be taken out. But which X-Men has the heart to kill Jean? In the end Jean must choose to live as a godess or die human. Beutifully written and drawn. This is the Quintessential X-Men story.

This is it. Look no further. No comic book storyline will ever encompass what Chris Claremont and John Byrne were able to do with the Dark Phoenix Saga. As any true X-fan knows, the Claremont/Byrne era is what truly defined the X-Men we know today. Wolverine alone never would have been such a popular character without these storylines. If there is one trade paperback you buy in your lifetime, this is it. Give it a try, and I guarantee you'll be hooked. I own over 10,000 comics, and these are my favorites, bar none.

Forse la saga più importante per la continuity mutante fino agli anni '90, quella di Fenice Nera potrebbe essere considerata a ragione la vetta insuperata del lavoro di Claremont, affiancato da mostri sacri quali Byrne e Austin.
Il presente volume raccoglie gli episodi 129 - 137 della collana UNCANNY X - MEN, riportando anche le copertine originali oltre che quelle della riedizione nota come CLASSIC X - MEN. Chiudono il tutto alcune tavole in bienco e nero di Byrne e Austin, per un totale di 200 pagine.
In una nuova, graditissima veste con colori rinverditi abbiamo la possibilità di rileggere l'ingresso nel gruppo di Dazzler e Kitty Pride mentre Jean Grey, la Fenice, viene lentamente ma inesorabilmente corrotta dalle proprie debolezze e da una oscura presenza che sembra seguirla ovunque, causandole allucinazioni destabilizzanti. La Regina Bianca, alias Emma Frost e il resto del Club Infernale con un agguato agli eroi mutanti danno il colpo di grazia alla già fragile psiche di Jean, facendo si che ella si trasformi nella devastante e invincibile Fenice Oscura.
Possono gli X - Men superstiti, nonostanta le dure sconfitte subite, lasciare che la malvagia ex compagna semini morte e distruzione nell'universo senza tentare di fermarla? Ovviamente no, per cui si scatena una battaglia che coinvolge anche l'impero stellare Shi'ar oltre che l'anima buona di Jean, impegnata in un tentativo disperato di riprendere il sopravvento sulla sua nuova, impietosa personalità. Inevitabile la finale presa di coscienza da parte di Jean delle atrocità commesse e successivo epilogo tragico dell'intera vicenda...
Che dire? Il disegnatore e l'inchiostratore sono in gran forma, X Chris è più ispirato che mai, regalandoci emozioni e colpi di scena degni del miglior feuilleton ottocentesco (ma con superpoteri!)...certo, alcuni dialoghi e situazioni tradiscono l'età di questi albi ma in generale penso che gli autori di oggi farebbero bene ad andarsi a ripassare questo gioiellino del fumetto popolare americano.
"Sono il fuoco! La vita incarnata! Ora e per sempre...io sono Fenice!"

The aftermath of Jean bonding with the Phoenix entity to help save the galaxy. Scott and Jean's relationship is falling to pieces as the Phoenix experiences emotions. The ultimate fate of Jean will be decided as she's found guilty for killing billions of lives. Friendship and love between the Xmen and Jean are put to test as never before.

That's the story the defined and climaxed the very existence of the X-Men - unfortunately, things went terribly downhill from here, with dozens of meaningless spin-offs and boringly implausible never-ending sagas... But we'll always have the Dark Phoenix - or "When John Byrne's artwork 'almost' matched Neal Adams' - with a big help from Terry Austin, of course". Needless to say, a couple years after this Byrne completely lost it.

This was actually the first story that marked the begining of Chris Claremont's trend of trying to do four or five different little stories all in one over-blown crossover. The theme of Jean grey being transformed into a vastly powerful being that sets out to destroy the universe was repeated 16 years later with Charles Xavier becoming Onslaught (please). It also started the trend of dead characters later coming back to life, but that's another story in of itself. The X-Men animated series recently did an adaptation of this story for television, and it wasn't much better. You want to read a good Marvel story, try the Fantastic Four; Coming of Galactus saga, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

I must admit this story is incredible. John Byrne's art work is wonderful. He is one of my favorite comic book artist. Chris Claremonts scripting is still imitated today. I have not grown tired of reading this story and it's just a comic book. This is a recommended read.

The greatest X-MEN story ever told.I cannot reccomend this enough. As a long time X-MEN fan this story is one of my Personal favorite story lines. Claremont & BYRNE at the top of their game. A story of how absolute power corrupts. You have not read an X-MEN story till you read this. My only gripe is that THE PROTEUS STORY wasn't included in this TPB. But you can get that as a separate TPB.

75 bucks is insane for this relatively unmassive hardcover of a great story.

It should have been 100 for Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 2, a book that's a couple of years behind in release, and it could have continued where it left off (3 issues into the Saga), or it should have been a Premier Classic for 20-25 bucks with the typical issues of the Phoenix Saga.

Instead, Marvel is gouging fans with this insane price:
Dark Phoenix Saga HC: 350 pages, about 10 issues, including a What If we don't need and some bonus backups from XMClassic.

Let's compare how Marvel gouges the fans:
Thor by JMS Omnibus: 500+ pages, 19 issues, some double sized: 65 dollars. Over 150 more pages for ten less
Invincible Iron Man Omnibus: 19 issues, 40 dollars. The trim size is standard, but with signifigantly more issues and nearly half the price, it's a far better deal.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus: nearly 40 issues, 100 dollars retail. 25 more and you get three times the stuff inside.
Astonishing X Omnibus: 25 issues, 670+ pages. Same cover price as this hardcover with nearly twice as many pages.

The price alone, you can get far better Marvel books with far more content inside for way less money. This is basically Marvel saying screw the fans and gouging them.

If you want the DPS in HC, you can buy the Marvel Masterworks: Uncanny X-Men Vol. 5 (Hardcover) for 20-30 average and get all the key issues. Volume 4 has the first couple issues of the saga where Kitty is introduced.