Oh God, not another X-Men series. Well, at least this one is a limited one instead of ongoing, but still, don't we have enough of these? And how many times do we need to see Jean Grey or the Phoenix or both come back from the dead, really? Well, I might as well have a look-see. ... Hmm, the art is pretty good... extremely good, actually, some of the finest work I've seen from Greg Land. And the story... well, it's not entirely clear, but there's something unusually personal and haunting to this cosmic yarn. It's not the most accessible of X-Men stories I've read, but it's definitely got something different going for it, which is more than enough to get me to pay attention.
A Shi'Ar captain sets out to eradicate the Phoenix Force from the face of reality, but his attack on the energy creature sends it through space, looking for a host, and for something -- or someone familiar. The fading spark of the Phoenix finds its way to Earth and into the tiny body of a firefly... an insect that just happens to be handy the grounds of a certain school for gifted youngsters. The spark finds faces and spirits it remembers from previous lives, and it finds what it's searching for: someone to love it.
Land's art here is amazing, photo-realistic in the level of detail that he and inker Matt Ryan have poured into it. The women are all stunningly beautiful, but they're not overly sexualized. Sure, there's an extended scene in which one female character is quite naked, but there's a ghostly tone to it that keeps it from seemingly like gratuitous cheesecake art. Land's depiction of the Beast is the best I've seen in some time. Justin Ponsor's colors give the line art a painted look and add to the realistic depth and texture. His vibrant tones also reinforce the more cosmic, energetic elements. Greg Land has been a popular name in the industry for a while now, but this project is going to really amp up the demand by fans for more of his meticulous, sleek linework.
There's a vagueness about the story here that feels more like a way to skirt around the issue of Jean Grey's resurrection. That plot development has turned up so often in X-Men comics in the past, it's become symbolic of a defining flaw of the shared-universe, super-hero genre: the impermanence of death in the drama. Pak's script seems to try to have its cake and eat it too, though. Jean doesn't really come back here, but her spirit does a bit.
Instead, the central character is the cosmic creature that once bonded with Jean and is once again assuming her form. What's surprising is how well Pak's script brings out the creature's character. Pak captures a voice for the creature that's both child-like and wise, both vulnerable and disturbingly powerful. Unfortunately, for one to appreciate the story of this rebirth, one needs to be up on X-Men history, both recent and more distant. Still, there's an eerie but intriguing quality to the firefly's aimless and curious exploration of the X-Mansion. 7/10
