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Jean Grey #1 Cover Crop
Credit: Marvel Comics

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In ‘Jean Grey’ #1, Jean’s posthumous performance review begins

Jean Grey is dead; long live Jean Grey.

Amidst the Fall of X fanfare, Jean Grey #1 has arrived, heralding the return of the legendary Louise “Weezie” Simonson to the series’ titular character, on whom Simonson left an indelible mark as a writer/editor at Marvel in the late 1980s. Rounding out the first issue’s creative team are Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Sarah Brunstad. For the first time in years, truly nothing is left to distract Jean from a little self reflection – all it took was being brutally murdered.

Not unlike Descartes heading into his Meditations, in the midst of war and strife Jean Grey has found herself in a liminal space and turned her attention inward. Questioning her role in the conflict, Jean inspects the foundations of her very being on the assumption that some personal error is what has led her once more into death. Walking the halls of her own mind maze, the first stop on Jean’s self examination takes her back to the early days at Xavier’s, just as the time-traveling Original Five X-Men returned to the past.

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Under the direction of different creators, Jean Grey #1 could have easily been a modernized summary of her origin or an unremarkable What If…? tale. Simonson, Chang, and Maiolo ensure that this is not the case here. Jean is not simply retelling an old story: she’s looking for new insight. Rather than a cautionary tale from the Watcher, her meditation on what could have been if she hadn’t locked their time-traveling memories away becomes an exercise in illuminating Jean’s self-righteousness and egoism, as well as some of the deep seated disdain she has towards herself.

When a character is as powerful as Jean Grey, vulnerability and interiority become sides of oneself that are cordoned off from nearly all others. In fact, it was this same self-righteous aspect and her empathy for the Brood that led to the most recent conflict between Jean and Cyclops. Being removed from all external stimuli with only herself to answer to opens Jean up to a level of intimacy that reminds us how rich of a character she really is.

Jean Grey #1 Phoenix
I am Phoenix, therefore I am fire and life incarnate
Credit: Marvel Comics

Headstrong and with no authority figure left that she truly feels the need to submit to, the divergent hypothetical Jean ends up drawing on some of the worst aspects of both Professor X and Magneto’s Silver Age characterizations. A flexible view of others’ free will and a self-hating spiral into monstrous acts inspire teen Jean to summon the Phoenix early, which in turn leads to oblivion. With so much said and even more left unsaid about what this meditation on her past could mean, Jean’s attention turns to the next inflection point in her life story: her first death and rebirth as Phoenix.

The way Chang draws Jean’s eyes throughout the issue are a treat worth highlighting as they detail teen Jean’s deteriorating mental state. His art is only strengthened by Maiolo’s coloring, and the pink he uses for Jean’s psionic signature is pitch perfect. In every regard, a stellar bar has been set in this issue for the rest of the series.

In so much as Jean Grey #1 relies on the strength of Simonson’s talent and connection to the character, no creator is flawless. Of note, the usage of the terms “native” and “vegetable” are not necessarily objectionable, but they leave a bit to be desired. Taken in context of the whole issue though, such gripes are minor and do nothing to truly damage the tale that’s being woven.

In Jean Grey #1, Louise Simonson makes a lovely reentry into the life and times of Jean Grey with stellar artists Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo by her side. Jean’s study into her own being is intimate, messy, and rewarding to fans of developed and nuanced character work. Her post-death journey has just begun, and the results seem to promise dramatic ramifications for herself as well as mutantkind’s future.

Jean Grey #1 Cover Crop
In ‘Jean Grey’ #1, Jean’s posthumous performance review begins
Jean Grey #1
In Jean Grey #1, Louise Simonson makes a lovely reentry into the life and times of Jean Grey with stellar artists Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo by her side. Jean's study into her own being is intimate, messy, and rewarding to fans of developed and nuanced character work. Her post-death journey has just begun, and the results seem to promise dramatic ramifications for herself as well as mutantkind's future.
Reader Rating1 Vote
9
Getting to explore Jean's real dark side
Gorgeous, gorgeous psi-powers
Just amazing work all around
A couple instances of questionable phrasing
9.5
Great
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