I will write about these three volumes in one post because otherwise it would be repeating same things in each individual post and having something extra for volume 5 post. These volumes contain almost whole Chris Claremont - John Byrne - Terry Austin run in X-Men. Volume 2 had two issues of that run and volume 6 has three issues. Whole run was solid. There wasn’t similar evolution as first two volumes had. Run started strong and kept going. X-Men changed when the run started but there wasn’t too much evolution in storytelling during the run. There was no need.
Wolverine got biggest change during the run. We talk about Jean Grey later. This run made Wolverine one of best loved characters in Marvel universe. Before this he was always trying to start a fight. During this run he got more layers. Before Byrne he was just angry guy. During this run he became someone who could lead the team. Villains started to have more complicated plans. Magneto was different person in this run than he was before. He wasn’t as complex as he would become later but this run took him more towards that direction. Magneto of first two volumes wouldn’t have flown X-Men to his base and left them to his torture device. Villains have other motivations than being just evil.
Storytelling got tighter. It is like X-Men are on same adventure all the time. X-Men were spilt quite early and got together much later. Banshee wasn’t dropped from team even when he lost his powers. He hanged there with others until team was reunited. There were times when next story arc was built when first was still going. Proteus - Hell Fire Club - Dark Phoenix continuation is just pure genius. Speed slows down a little after it. Which is where we got to bonus material of Volume 5.
Other volumes’ bonus material is mainly original art and covers from issues inside volume. Volume 5 has original ending to Dark Phoenix saga. I didn’t know it was ready to be printed when ending was changed to what we got. Little bit spoilers to Dark Phoenix saga if someone doesn’t know how it ends. Jean Grey was fighting without her Phoenix powers. But when X-Men fall she becomes Phoenix again which leads X-Men to stop her and her killing herself. In original ending she doesn’t become Phoenix. X-Men lose the fight and she is stripped of her powers. Bonus material also contains round table conversation of Dark Phoenix saga where all involved discuss how they saw what happened. Chris Claremont and John Byrne tell how X-Men would have continued after original ending.
Plan was to have depowered Jean Grey trying to make sense what happened during Dark Phoenix saga and then having Magneto to offer her to give her powers back in issue 150. Having original ending in printing condition and next issue cover with depowered Jean Grey in it explains why issue after Dark Phoenix saga was flashback and why story slows down so much for few issues. Another interesting observation from round table was reason why Jean Grey was separated from X-Men quite early on of Claremont-Byrne-Austin run. Byrne thought she was too powerful for the team. When she joins the team story is going towards Dark Phoenix saga from that point onwards. Something like Dark Phoenix Saga was hinted even when Phoenix was introduced first time and hints of her losing control was always there but Dark Phoenix story really starts shortly before she rejoins X-Men.
Binge reading these volumes was quite a ride. They have you hooked by constantly giving something to wait about. There is always hints of things to come. Dark Phoenix was hinted when Phoenix was created. Proteus story arc started before Byrne joined and was hinted from time to time. I will continue binge reading next volume which shows where X-Men go after Byrne and Austin left. Uncanny X-Men Masterworks collections continue to volume 12 but I think I have break after reading next one. Maybe read what Byrne did with Fantastic Four after he left X-Men