The Good
The idea of a crossover with the original X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy sounded really odd at first. Brian Michael Bendis is making it work. Bendis often pulls back the action and dives into what makes the characters tick. We're almost used to the original X-Men being in the present but he still manages to throw curveballs at us, like when Cyclops has a run in with a certain character. It's moments like this that makes me really enjoy the idea of the young mutants exploring their future.
While all this is happening, we see the developments continue as Jean Grey prepares to go on trial for something she hasn't done yet. It's interesting to see how preparations proceed as well as Star-Lord's father's reaction.
Both Sara Pichelli and Stuart Immonen handle the pencils on this issue. That was a little concerning at first. Despite being fans of both, having multiple artists often becomes distracting. That wasn't the case here as the art flowed nicely from page to page. Justin Ponsor's colors makes it all look glorious.
The Bad
I feel like I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. The idea of putting Jean Grey on trial for something she hasn't done (yet) seems odd. Surely there has to be a twist coming up.
It's a little odd as well but it almost feels like the trial and story are happening at a fast pace. Maybe we're used to the seemingly slow-paced Earthly trials but as the X-Men and Guardians speed to the rescue, the trial is already about to begin. At the same time, we wouldn't want the story to be dragged out too much.
As Cyclops has to deal with his emotions, he is comforted by someone you wouldn't normally expect. Maybe it's an evolution of the character or further development but it feels a little strange.
The Verdict
The X-Men's adventures in space are always fun to see. Throwing in the young X-Men from the past, mixed together with the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Trial of Jean Grey continues to be a fun story arc. There are some moments that feel a little strange but that's part of the charm of the story. We're seeing things happen in unexpected ways. The art by Sara Pichelli and Stuart Immonen combined with Justin Ponsor's colors really makes the pages shine. The story is heating up but we'll have to wait to see what sort of curveball Bendis throws at us next.
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