New X-Men? #101

All-New, All-Different X-Men #101

“Like A Phoenix, From The Ashes!”

Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum

Summary

After crashing into the Jamaican Bay, Jean is somehow transformed into a being of unknown power. In the wake of this, Professor Xavier sends the X-Men (minus Cyclops) on a brief getaway to Ireland, to decompress. However, are things as comfortable in Banshee’s castle as they thought?

Rolling Commentary

If you didn’t get the message from the cover, it literally spells it out for you on Page 5. The Phoenix has risen.

I guess it’s a good thing the shuttle landed near the edge of the Jamaican Bay then, so that the X-Men can conveniently walk out of the water immediately on Page 6. Also lucky is that Nightcrawler’s image inducer didn’t get damaged in the crash, and that Storm can somehow re-ionize the atoms of her costume. Man, I want me some unstable molecules. And shouldn’t the military, like, take these guys into protective custody? They just fucking crashed a space shuttle, and no one’s even asking any questions? Clearly, mutant prosecution can’t be that bad if they can get away with this type of stuff.

Page 13. It’s awfully convenient that Sean Cassidy inherited this gigantic castle, isn’t it? Especially considering that the first time the X-Men met him he was stealing things for Factor Three (I know he had no choice, but still). And tell me, is Storm really wearing her costume while they’re all on vacation?

Page 15, and I’m forced to revamp my just-asked question: Is Storm really wearing that headband thing… while she’s SHOWERING? And what’s with the little peep show dudes?

Post Mortem

Jean Grey has died, so now she can be reborn as the Phoenix. Huzzah. This issue slows down quite a bit from the last few, allowing the X-Men to catch their breath before what happens next (teehee). It’s not a bad issue, per say, so much as very little really happens in it.

Minor qualms about the dialogue aside, though (Why does Black Tom feel a need to use everyone’s full name whenever he addresses them at all?), this issue mostly exists to bridge the last story arc with the one coming up, and make us wonder about what’s happening to Jean. Hopefully we’ll be done with this Juggernaut (not a big fan) and Black Tom (even less of a fan) nonsense soon.