Guardians of the Galaxy #13 (HERE BE SPOILERS!

It's surprising that the events that occur in this issue happen in "Guardians of the Galaxy," because they're all really about the original X-Men.  Actually, they're all really about Jean, until they're suddenly about Scott.

Jean reveals the ability to combine her telepathy and telekinesis into psionic energy (and in so doing showing where Nate Grey got his powers, in a way).  Bendis clearly connects this development to the story, since it comes not only after Oracle continually pushed Jean to control her abilities but also after Gladiator gave her a pretty compelling reason to push herself to the limit.  Control + anger = innovation.  But, it's more than just Jean advancing to the next level in terms of her powers.  It's also about Jean Grey forgiving herself for the crimes that she will allegedly commit.  Jean correctly notes that she was the host to a force of nature that no one else managed to control; she posits that Gladiator is mad at the fact that he wasn't able to stop nature, and she makes the (probably accurate) point that someone else would've been forced to destroy that galaxy if she hadn't.  When Gladiator insists that he's improving his odds of it not happening again by killing the Greys (thereby proving that he pretty much listened to nothing that she said), Jean lets loose on him.  It's all so beautifully crafted, Jean coming to maturity, emotionally and physically, at exactly the moment that she needs to do so.

But, lest we think that this issue is about Jean, Scott steps into the fray.  The Scott Summers that we see threaten to kill Gladiator if he comes after Jean again is one that we all recognize now, the first sign of the man that he will one day be.  But, Bendis doesn't stop there.  To everyone's surprise, Scott announces that he's leaving Earth and going with his dad.  It's totally unexpected, but it makes complete sense.  In terms of the comic, we sort of expect Scott to stay with the team because, well, they're a team.  But, in terms of reality, it makes total sense that Scott would want to go with his father (even if, at some point, Bendis really does have to explain how Corsair is still alive).  As Scott said, he's an orphan who suddenly discovers that he's not, and he needs to take advantage of that.  The moment that really got me, though, isn't when he announces that he's going with Corsair, but when he describes his decision to Jean.  It's a quiet moment, as he holds her head in his hand and tells her that they know that they don't live happily together and that they now have a shot to be happy.  You can sense that he's right, that he's liberating himself from the burden that his present counterpart has carried with him since he was 16 years old.

In other words, in terms of the original X-Men's lives diverting from the path that their present counterparts took, this development is the most significant so far.  It's a bomb in the middle of the original X-Men's lives, and I can honestly say that I have no idea where we're going.  Pichelli and Marquez make it clear that Jean is slowly losing control in the end sequence, and, without Scott to ground her, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen.  Will we have another Dark Phoenix?  Will Hank fill Scott's shoes when it comes to Jean?

Honestly, I can't think of a comic that excites me more right now than "All-New X-Men" (even if this series is technically "Guardians of the Galaxy").  Hopefully, the series will stay connected by Kitty and Peter's long-distance relationship.  (Hurrah!)  At any rate, this cross-over event was truly, truly epic.  It advanced the plot of both series, spurring honest-to-goodness character growth and delivering pretty grand battle sequences to boot.  Nothing feels cheap here, as these events often do with the author trying to rush to the finale.  Every development is based on a previous one, and each character acts in a way wholly consistent with the events that they're experiencing and their established personalities.  That's remarkable for most authors, but particularly Bendis, given his run on "Avengers."  If you're thinking of buying this TPB, do it!

***** (five of five stars)

All-New X-Men #24 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I actually don't have a ton to say about this issue.  It's thoroughly enjoyable, but also pretty straight-forward:  the Guardians, Starjammers, and X-Men manage to get through the Shi'ar defenses, but find themselves face-to-face with the Imperial Guard searching for an escaped Jean.  The most intriguing part is the machinations of J'Son, who crashes the trial and grandstands in a way that lets Jean know that the Shi'ar murdered her family.  I have to say, for someone who was awful at continuity when he wrote the Avengers, Bendis is doing a great job of taking even the more obscure parts of the X-Men's history -- like the "End of the Greys" storyline -- and making them matter.  It's unclear if J'Son wanted simply to cause trouble for the Shi'ar or if he's somehow spoiling to get Jean to turn into Phoenix, but, either way, it's not probably not well intentioned.

*** (three of five stars)

Guardians of the Galaxy #12 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

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)

All-New X-Men #23 ("HERE BE SPOILERS!")

OK, I would normally whine about Corsair suddenly appearing alive to amp up the drama of this arc, but, OMG, I don't care, because I totally didn't see it coming and I can't wait to see where it goes.  We really have gotten the band back together!

This issue is amazing.  It may be my favorite issue of any comic, like, ever.  It's just...fun.  Rocket Raccoon answering the Shi'ar hail with, "Guardians of the Galaxy.  How may we help?"  Amazeballs.  Gamora telling X-23 that she likes her after X-23 demanded to go into space with her to fight the Shi'ar?  Excellent.  Scott sarcastically apologizing to Rocket for erroneously using some sort of device as a fire extinguisher by screaming that it's his first "space fire?"  Hilarious.  We even got some budding sexual tension between Kitty and Peter.  (Let me just go on record right now saying that I 100% want that relationship to happen.)

In his various "Avengers" titles, Bendis almost always made these sorts of moments of levity amidst drama feel forced, but they all feel totally organic here, in part, I think, because the drama is real.  After all, it's not all fun and games for everyone:  Jean isn't exactly having a great time of it.  Oracle's conversation with her is downright creepy and Kallark is suitably imposing.  Bendis really gets across her confusion and fear, hinting that the Shi'ar might have bitten off more than it can chew in capturing her.  I can't wait to see.

***** (five of five stars)

Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

"What is a Canada?"  "It's cold and distant.  You'll love it."  Heh.  This issue earned three stars just for that exchange (from Peter to Gamora).

Bendis does a great job here filling in the details of how the Guardians get involved in the "Trial of Jean Grey."  I was wondering how they learned that the Shi'ar were after Jean and the revelation that Rocket tapped the Badoons' communications after Angela and Gamora's assault on them made total sense.  It also made sense that the Badoons would know about it in the first place from the council of monarchs that we've seen a few times in this series, since Gladiator had to explain why he was breaking their agreement to lay off Earth.

That said, my only complaint about this issue is that I wish Bendis would've put in a little more effort in using the council to get Gladiator to explain the obvious question that everyone is going to be asking about this "trial:"  how do you put someone on trial for crimes that she committee in the past, despite the fact that she hasn't yet committed them?  (I know, I know.  Time-travel stories suck.)  Gladiator just asserts that she's the same person so she's responsible, but it's a ridiculous answer.  However, all the other monarchs seem to think that it's a ridiculous answer, too, so the Shi'ar's questionable logic might actually become a plot point.  But, as of right now, I gave the same eye-roll that the Supreme Intelligence (metaphorically) gave.  Questionable company, but war makes for strange bedfellows.

*** (three of five stars)

All-New X-Men #22.NOW (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

The main challenge that Bendis faces in telling this story is making it feel like it would've happened if two different authors wrote these titles.  I mean, we have an obvious connection, with the Shi'ar wanting to go after Jean for her role as Phoenix.  It's not totally out of left field, as if it were a "Daredevil"/"Guardians of the Galaxy" event.  But, it still feels overly convenient.  Given that the Guardians only appear on this last page of this issue, though, the jury isn't going to return a verdict on that question for a while.

In the meantime, let's talk about the X-Men.  My only real problem with this issue is that Jean is getting harder and harder to take.  Bendis does a good job in reminding us why she's reaching her breaking point, given that, you know, she's learned that she dies twice, her current best-friend becomes her husband but cheats on her with "Silver Boobs McGee," and her entire family is eventually killed.  It's not exactly an unreasonable response.  Plus, she's clearly frustrated by the fact that everyone is clearly watching her for a reaction, like she's going to suddenly turn into the Dark Phoenix; it's clear that it's this frustration that drove her fight with Scott here.  But, it doesn't make it any easier to read.  Plus, it's starting to distract from the stories about the other original X-Men.  Although it's unlikely that this arc is going to focus on Bobby, it would be nice to settle into a routine at some point to delve further into how the other characters are doing.

*** (three of five stars)