X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong

and forget that Phoenix dies a lot lol Buy this, very poetic and artistic, gorgeous Phoenix Warsong picks up some direction, if you need it captures the Phoenix well

I'll keep this short: Loved Pak's writting, he made me feel like I was reading one of the classic original team stories, and although I missed Iceman (to complete the original lineup) the presence of Kitty, Nightcrawler and Storm compensated his absence. But what I think really stands out is the way Cyclops' character is handled, perfectly portrayed as the X-Men's cornerstone, the ultimate leader, a man who has earned the respect of his teammates by taking the right decisions and boy does he have to make some tuff calls to win the day. The relationship between Cyke and Emma keeps developing and it is made clear that they are truly in love and not just fooling around. Land's art style is beautiful (the women he draws are hot, specially Ms. Frost) and neatly complements Pak's words making this an outstanding book.

This miniseries should have been stale and unexciting, but somehow its one of the best X-men miniseries in years. The story is well written, the characters are very believable and well-portrayed, Emma and Cyclops's rather unconvincing relationship is explored and made convincing in only 3 pages of dialogue, and the general quality of the writing is very high. The story suffers from a few defects, some of which might actually be seen as admirable qualities; most of these come from the remit the publishers asked for, and not any deficiencies on the part of Greg Pak. The biggest defect, which can also be seen as part of the story and an intriguing theme (given the subject matter, the Phoenix), is its cyclical nature. This will leave some fans annoyed, others will not care, and still others might actually like it as a thematic decision. The art is generally truly outstanding. Greg Land has an almost photo-realistic look which, most of the time, does not look artificial or fake but is usually breathtaking. Particularly nice are the full page of Angel, wings outstretched in the mansion; the double page with the X-men; and a really lovely sequence in the arctic made up of minipanels between Wolverine and Jean. Any fan of Grant Morrisson's New X-men should pick this up- it is in some ways the epilogue that should have, but wasn't, written- as well as fans of Phoenix, Jean Grey, and I dare say most fans of the Astonishing X-men in general.

The two previous reviews mention how amazing the art is in this book -- and I agree completely. The characters look very real and believable, and the facial expressions add a lot to the story. Greg Land did a fantastic job. I would go farther, though, and add that the coloring by Justin Ponsor is amazing as well, and really elevates Land's already fantastic art. Coloring in comics has come so far in the last few years (as has penciling, inking, and writing)that I think it has to be acknowledged as a major contributor to the overall effect of the book -- colorists now add so much to the pen and ink drawings they are given that many good artist/colorist teams produce work that looks like it should be framed and displayed. A good colorist today is almost like an effects expert on a big budget film, adding light, shadows, depth, and realism. Greg Land's pencils are so well done that the book would have looked great even in black and white, but with Ponsor's colors, it looks amazing. Because the art in this work is so strong, the readers' connection to the characters is greatly increased, elevating the tension and emotion of the story. Additionally, the action sequences are so well drawn and colored that many pages gave me the same feeling I get from watching big budget effect movies -- a real feeling of excitement and momentum. The Phoenix Force has never been more real, or anywhere near as scary. The page where (without giving too much away) the Phoenix Force charges Emma Frost (the White Queen) is stunning and really makes the Phoenix Force an intimidating, strongly visual character. Land (the penciler,) Mat Ryan (the inker,) and Justin Ponsor (the colorist) all deserve the highest praise. The whole comic industry has improved drastically in terms of story and art in the last few years, and this book fully demonstrates that. And again, I can't stress enough how much Land's facial expressions and body language add to the book. His drawings look like real people, and that makes the story more real. As to the story itself -- for me, Greg Pak did a fantastic job. His story draws heavily from what has come before, but can be read and understood even by people who don't have a degree in Xmen lore. The characterizations were great, and unlike one of the other posters, I didn't feel it detracted to show that Wolverine was torn up about killing Jean, or that Kitty and Emma don't get along, etc. That's who they are and how they feel, and it was appropriate for the story. As stated in a previous post, Wolverines comment "I may look tough, Jeanie, but I'm really getting tired of killing you," combined with the detail and realism of the art, made for an effective, emotional moment. The story moved fast, and was very entertaining. I was surprised by how touching aspects of it were, and again unlike one of the previous posters, found the ending resolution satisfying, touching, and hopeful. The way the Xmen overcome the threat of the Phoenix was

In this series, the Phoenix force is brutally jarred from slumber by Shi'ar determined to destroy it. Because of the brutal attack, the Phoenix is confused, scared, and lonely. Returning to the Xavier Institute in search of Scott, she finds that his heart now belongs to Emma Frost, the White Queen. Hurt by the rejection, both the Phoenix and Jean struggle for control of Jean's mind, body, and soul. Since the Phoenix can end all of creation, or easily destroy the Earth, the X-Men must battle their former teammate. One of the great strengths of this story is the wonderful characterization. Wolverine's quiet declaration of " I may look tough, Jeannie, but I'm getting tired of killing you" or Cyclops' face covered in tears as he remembers the love he had for his former wife are small examples of the touching, yet powerful moments sprinkled generously throughout this story. It is also not without fast paced, bloody battles. Another strength is the art! Greg Land's art is breathtaking. The painted, photo-realistic panels are a marvel. I found myself reading this through for the story, then going back to gaze at the art. There are only two downsides. One- you can only reawaken the Phoenix so many times without it loosing a little meaning and Two- I thought the overall product would have been vastly improved had the last page not been included. Overall, a very spectacular book which I highly recommend.