It's disingenuous to pretend that Jean Grey's been "dead" in Marvel's comics for some time now, considering that her time-displaced younger self has been leading a team of teen mutants in X-Men: Blue. But it also hasn't quite been accurate to say the "real" Jean as been alive, either.
Dennis Hopeless and Victor Ibenez's Jean Grey is a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of anxiety, self-doubt and fear. Teen Jean's been preparing for the Phoenix's return - the test of her life - but this week, the Phoenix decides that it's tired of waiting for her to study up. Reckoning day's here.
Much like an iconic drag queen who melodramatically announces that she's finally ready to retire and leave the business behind, the adult Jean Grey is actually coming back from the dead. That alone isn't all that surprising, but the fact that she and the Phoenix Force will be leading the X-Men definitely is.
There are certain constants in the world of comic books that are so reliable and so predictable, you can damn near set your watch by them. Lying Cat will always catch you lying. Batman will always brood. Jean Grey will never stay too dead for too long. It's about that time, folks. The Phoenix is coming back.
Jean Grey is one of those comic book characters that people either unabashedly love or despise with a burning passion. She's been the focal point of some of Marvel's most convoluted, retcon-packed storylines, and after over 50 years of saving the world, she's finally getting a chance to be a three-dimensional person in her own solo series.
