Phoenix Omnibus Vol. 2

by Chris Claremont, Stanley "Argerm" Lau (Cover Art), Marvel Various (Writer)

The cycle of death and rebirth continues! A new Phoenix rises, an oddly familiar figure debuts, and Jean Grey returns from a watery grave! Rachel Summers has arrived from a frightful future to the present day, but can she cope with meeting her father ― or claiming the power of Phoenix? Meanwhile, Cyclops has fallen for the redheaded Madelyne Pryor ― but is she the reincarnation of his late love? Or is the truth even more sinister? And when Jean Grey is discovered very much alive, the true nature of the original Phoenix is revealed! X-Factor is forged, Rachel faces the Anti-Phoenix and fights to save her future, and the Phoenix's flames ignite an Inferno!
 
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT, JOHN BYRNE, ROGER STERN, BOB LAYTON, LOUISE SIMONSON & ALAN DAVIS
 
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, PAUL SMITH, WALTER SIMONSON, JOHN ROMITA JR., RICK LEONARDI, MARC SILVESTRI, JOHN BUSCEMA, BUTCH GUICE, TERRY SHOEMAKER, ALAN DAVIS & WILL SIMPSON

Cover by STANLEY "ARTGERM" LAU
 
X-MEN (1963) #141; UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #142, #168-176, #184, #199, #201-203, #207-209, #221-222 and #239-243; AVENGERS (1963) #263; FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #286; X-FACTOR (1986) #1, #13, #18 and #35-39; and EXCALIBUR (1988) #42-50, #52, #61 and #66-67.

Genres: Comics, X Men

1328 pages, Hardcover

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Chris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.

Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.

Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.

Reviews

[Paul Cocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this Phoenix Omnibus Volume 2 partly because I had the first volume, but also because it kicks off with the "Days of Future Past" storyline, which I absolutely loved as a kid. This collection is a beast -- about twice as thick as the first volume. It took me around two months to work through it all.

The stories here span from the early 80s to early 90s, covering a lot of ground in X-Men history. While there’s not a lot of focus on Jean Grey specifically throughout this book, it expands on her legacy to include Rachel Summers and Madelyne Pryor. You get to see the Phoenix Force find new hosts and the return of the original Marvel Girl. In a sense, the book recognizes the ever-lasting impression of Jean Grey.

Chris Claremont's writing dominates, but you also get work from John Byrne, Roger Stern, and others. The art roster is impressive too, with names like Byrne, Paul Smith, Marc Silvestri, and John Buscema. The styles evolve as you progress through the book, which is interesting to see.

There's a ton packed in here -- the introduction of Rachel Summers, Kitty Pryde joining the X-Men, the debut of the Morlocks, Rogue becoming an X-Man, Storm's leadership and makeover, Cyclops and Madelyne's wedding, and more. And while these stories don't all directly connect to Jean Grey, they are part of the her legacy and lasting impression on the X-verse.

If you’re interested in the Phoenix saga, this omnibus is a logical extension of the first volume. It's not perfect for everyone -- there's some double-dipping with other collections, which could easily annoy X-fans who have other X-Men collected editions. But for those wanting to dive deep into this period of X-Men history, it's a solid choice.

These plotlines collectively contribute to the rich narrative of the X-Men comics, with several directly tied to Jean Grey's legacy and the Phoenix. The characters and storylines mentioned above often intersect with Jean's storyline, exploring themes of identity, love, loss, and the complexities of mutant life.

[Alan Duran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading several of the stories in this volume to bridge the gap from The Dark Phoenix Saga to the Mutant Massacre Prelude. (X-Men #141-142, 168-176, 184, and excerpts from #185 and #188). This volume picks up with the classic Days of Future Past which introduces us to Rachel Summers. Kitty Pryde comes to live at Graymalkin Lane, we meet Callisto and the Morlocks, Madelyne Pryor makes her debut, Storm becomes leader of the Morlocks, Rogue joins the X-Men, Wolverine nearly gets married, Storm cuts her hair, the return of the Dark Phoenix courtesy of Mastermind, the wedding of Scott and Madelyne, and Rachel Summers finally makes her appearance in the current timeline. Lots of great artwork courtesy of John Byrne, Paul Smith and John Romita, JR. Recommended.