Wow, this issue is a roller coaster from start to finish. Let's just get right into it.
First, Scott's reunion with Corsair is as bizarre and emotional as expected. Bendis takes advantage of the fact that most of us are seeing it happen in "real time," if you will, for the first time, given that Corsair was originally introduced in the 1970s. Scott is understandably overwhelmed and Corsair is equally nonplussed, given that he has to go through the experience of explaining to Scott how he's alive (and why Scott's mother isn't) all over again. Bendis does a great job of conveying their emotions both during the discussion itself and in the aftermath of it, with Scott seeking solitude as he tries to process "really weird day."
I did raise an eyebrow at a few moments, though. First, Corsair seems younger than he did when we last saw him in "Uncanny X-Men" #486. Did Corsair also travel through time? It would explain why he's still alive, though he himself doesn't seem to think that he did. Bendis is going to have to explain that at some point, though for the time being I'm willing to just see where we go. Second, I thought that it was weird that it was Laura going to comfort Scott. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was hilarious when she hugged him, prefacing it with, "I don't usually do these." But, I thought that Bendis was really pushing the Laura/Scott relationship here, at the expense of developing Scott's relationship with one of the guys. Hank really didn't follow him into the storage room to see how he was doing? I feel like even Warren would've tried. Again, these moments didn't totally overshadow the larger moment of Scott discovering that Corsair was alive, but they were distracting.
Then, we have Jean facing the Shi'ar tribunal and, perhaps more amazingly, "her" crimes. Here, I thought Bendis did a great job in deciding to clarify, once and for all, what Jean did exactly when it came to destroying that solar system. If I remember correctly, Jean's destruction of the solar system was initially a throw-away sequence during the Dark Phoenix saga; it wasn't until later that Marvel realized that it was somewhat dicey to have a major heroine commit genocide. Again, Bendis takes advantage of the fact that most of us weren't reading comics when these events initially occurred and gives us an unflinching view of that crime here. It makes you sort of wonder how exactly Jean's going to defend herself.
Finally, the art in this issue is spectacular. Be it emotionally fraught facial expressions or stunning alien-world vistas, Pichelli and Immonen are amazing. They're two of my favorite artists, so I was excited to see them together. But, they're helped significantly by Ponsor, whose colors are equally evocative. Great stuff.
(Also, please, Bendis, make Peter and Kitty happen, if only for a little while.)
I can't wait for the next two issues. Putting together the Guardians and the Starjammers alone promises all sorts of space-pirate fun; adding in the original X-Men just ups the ante.
**** (four of five stars)
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