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Uncanny X-Men (1963) #475-486
Uncanny X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire
A brand-new era for Uncanny X-Men begins here!
Fresh off X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Ed Brubaker takes the helm of Marvel's mighty mutants. Artists Billy Tan and Clayton Henry join Brubaker for a story that won't just affect Earth, but will rock the foundations of the entire galaxy! Vulcan is out for revenge and has his sights set on the Shi'Ar Empire! Get ready for the ride of your life!
Collecting Uncanny X-Men #475-486
Fresh off X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Ed Brubaker takes the helm of Marvel's mighty mutants. Artists Billy Tan and Clayton Henry join Brubaker for a story that won't just affect Earth, but will rock the foundations of the entire galaxy! Vulcan is out for revenge and has his sights set on the Shi'Ar Empire! Get ready for the ride of your life!
Collecting Uncanny X-Men #475-486
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
16 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,796 books3,015 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
October 12, 2021
THIS WAS SUCH AN EPIC STORY!
It starts with X-Men reforming like Polaris and Havok and them going after Vulcan and wherever he has been headed, Professor X, Nightcrawler, Rachel and others join them too and they make their war through the earth ship and then going to different planets to gain allies and before that there is Korvus (Sword of the phoenix) who they have to battle, survive warskrulls and Professor X being taken captive and teaming up with the Starjammers next. We also follow Vulcan and his story, meeting with Deathbird, falling in love, rise of D'ken and then even Lilandra? And it becomes this epic odyssey of a story when the two sides have to battle and its death and mayhem and backstabbing and a new status quo and the fate of Starjammers and X-Men and others and it changes the galaxy forever!
Oof what a story, reading it is an epic experience. It takes all the great storylines and combines them into an epic saga in the end and gives a moment to everyone and adds a lot of myths and expands on Vulcan and shows him for the threat he is and also manages to do a lot of great callbacks. Plus I love Havok and Polaris together finally and that ending just wow! A must read story for sure!
It starts with X-Men reforming like Polaris and Havok and them going after Vulcan and wherever he has been headed, Professor X, Nightcrawler, Rachel and others join them too and they make their war through the earth ship and then going to different planets to gain allies and before that there is Korvus (Sword of the phoenix) who they have to battle, survive warskrulls and Professor X being taken captive and teaming up with the Starjammers next. We also follow Vulcan and his story, meeting with Deathbird, falling in love, rise of D'ken and then even Lilandra? And it becomes this epic odyssey of a story when the two sides have to battle and its death and mayhem and backstabbing and a new status quo and the fate of Starjammers and X-Men and others and it changes the galaxy forever!
Oof what a story, reading it is an epic experience. It takes all the great storylines and combines them into an epic saga in the end and gives a moment to everyone and adds a lot of myths and expands on Vulcan and shows him for the threat he is and also manages to do a lot of great callbacks. Plus I love Havok and Polaris together finally and that ending just wow! A must read story for sure!
July 1, 2018
So figured I'd go back to read all the stuff I missed in the days I couldn't afford comics ( I love you marvel unlimited) and now it's Ed Brubaker's run on Uncanny X-Men!
So the X-Men are going off to space. Sounds cool, right? We got Xavier, Nightcrawler, and basically a bunch of C-lister x-men characters. We also have Vulcan going after the Shi'ar empire and trying to destroy it. It's basically one big race to reach the empire to stop/prevent full on destruction, with a lot of drama inbtween. So basically X-Men in space!
Good: I liked some of the character's interactions. Mostly anything with James. While he's my least favorite character in X-Force, he's one of the best here. Also there's some great fight scenes, especially with Nightcrawler.
Bad: The art can be a bit too broody or dark for it's own good. I also thought the storyline was stretched to long and by part 9 I was starting to get bored. I also think far too many characters that people unfamiliar with X-men won't enjoy this.
SO overall it was not horrible, but not great. I'd probably go with a 2.5 overall.
So the X-Men are going off to space. Sounds cool, right? We got Xavier, Nightcrawler, and basically a bunch of C-lister x-men characters. We also have Vulcan going after the Shi'ar empire and trying to destroy it. It's basically one big race to reach the empire to stop/prevent full on destruction, with a lot of drama inbtween. So basically X-Men in space!
Good: I liked some of the character's interactions. Mostly anything with James. While he's my least favorite character in X-Force, he's one of the best here. Also there's some great fight scenes, especially with Nightcrawler.
Bad: The art can be a bit too broody or dark for it's own good. I also thought the storyline was stretched to long and by part 9 I was starting to get bored. I also think far too many characters that people unfamiliar with X-men won't enjoy this.
SO overall it was not horrible, but not great. I'd probably go with a 2.5 overall.
December 30, 2016
This is a pretty good X-Men-in-space tale by Ed Brubaker. While it's not his best work by a country mile, it kept me entertained for twelve issues. Actually, my main criticism of the story is that I felt it could have been told more succinctly in eight issues; maybe even six.
The downside for me is Billy Tan's artwork. He's a classic case of all style and no substance; he's got absolutely no grasp of basic human anatomy. I mean, look at the arms on virtually any of his figures... No clue how the human musculature works at all. He can compose a page though and his visual storytelling flows well, so credit where credit's due.
Reading this has actually made me want to go back and re-read Deadly Genesis before I move onto Emperor Vulcan.
The downside for me is Billy Tan's artwork. He's a classic case of all style and no substance; he's got absolutely no grasp of basic human anatomy. I mean, look at the arms on virtually any of his figures... No clue how the human musculature works at all. He can compose a page though and his visual storytelling flows well, so credit where credit's due.
Reading this has actually made me want to go back and re-read Deadly Genesis before I move onto Emperor Vulcan.
November 20, 2010
Mutants in space. What's not to love?
July 18, 2018
SUMMER OF X-MEN CAPSULE REVIEW #10
I just finished writing up mini-reviews for all the books in Peter Milligan's early 00's X-run, and I wanted to include Rise and Fall... while I'm thinking about it, because (since it immediately followed Milligan) I think it serves as a better conclusion to that run than anything within the run itself. It's also a followup to Brubaker's own Deadly Genesis, and is subsequently followed by a series of 'X-Men in Space' adventures that are mostly notable for the fact that the X-Men get their asses handed to them in every single one.
Of course, the team at the center of the story isn't the 'real' X-Men (meaning a group with Cyclops or Wolverine or Storm in it) -- it's the team run by Havok, and for the everyone in the audience who doesn't know what that means, Havok is Cyclops' fuck-up brother who basically leads teams into certain destruction every time he's given the reins.
And like, I have no idea if this is an intentional pattern on the part of the X-editors, but it's certainly what happens, and in the fascinatingly strange world of X-comics, it's even more fascinating that there is one team which, without humor or satire, consistently loses and consistently sucks.
For all of the unease and anxiety at the heart of Milligan's run, he at least let Havok have a few not-terrible hero moments -- but in all honestly, the sneering abstraction of Milligan's work was perfectly paired with a hotheaded team leader constantly at odds with his bipolar supervillain girlfriend Polaris (who is or is not Magneto's daughter depending on which retcon you read).
In Rise and Fall... Havok and Polaris' unending pathos is matched only by Professor X, who has been thrown out of his own mansion following the discovery of some horrific youthful transgessions (see Deadly Genesis, or don't, you do you.) So when the Shi'ar Empire (instellar land of Charles' alien ex-girlfriend, a detail that doesn't matter too much here but if you were wondering why it's X-Men in Space, that's why) are in need of help, it's time for a bunch of morose mutant outcasts who aren't even liked by their fellow mutant outcasts to be SAD MUTANTS IN SPAAAACE!
For all this, Rise... is a totally compelling book. I'm not going to say that Brubaker's X-work really makes me care about the characters, but he does know how to keep me turning pages, and in so doing gives a sad sack bunch of second-rate X-Men (okay, and Prof X, but you get what I mean) more to do than their previous characterizations might have ever suggested they were capable of.
I also think it is every X-fan's duty to try at least one of the books where X-Men go to space, which tends to be a corner of the X-verse that many Marvelheads would prefer to ignore. And I get it -- Star Wars has very little place in the ongoing mutant metaphors of Otherness and discrimination, and Star Wars is exactly what this book (and its ilk) are going for.
But Chris Claremont -- Chris freaking Claremont for god's sake -- thought the space angle was an important element waaaay back in the day, and I've come to think it is too. It's the narrative exception that proves (or at least strengthens) what every other X-story is about.
AND THAT's ONE TO GROW ON
I just finished writing up mini-reviews for all the books in Peter Milligan's early 00's X-run, and I wanted to include Rise and Fall... while I'm thinking about it, because (since it immediately followed Milligan) I think it serves as a better conclusion to that run than anything within the run itself. It's also a followup to Brubaker's own Deadly Genesis, and is subsequently followed by a series of 'X-Men in Space' adventures that are mostly notable for the fact that the X-Men get their asses handed to them in every single one.
Of course, the team at the center of the story isn't the 'real' X-Men (meaning a group with Cyclops or Wolverine or Storm in it) -- it's the team run by Havok, and for the everyone in the audience who doesn't know what that means, Havok is Cyclops' fuck-up brother who basically leads teams into certain destruction every time he's given the reins.
And like, I have no idea if this is an intentional pattern on the part of the X-editors, but it's certainly what happens, and in the fascinatingly strange world of X-comics, it's even more fascinating that there is one team which, without humor or satire, consistently loses and consistently sucks.
For all of the unease and anxiety at the heart of Milligan's run, he at least let Havok have a few not-terrible hero moments -- but in all honestly, the sneering abstraction of Milligan's work was perfectly paired with a hotheaded team leader constantly at odds with his bipolar supervillain girlfriend Polaris (who is or is not Magneto's daughter depending on which retcon you read).
In Rise and Fall... Havok and Polaris' unending pathos is matched only by Professor X, who has been thrown out of his own mansion following the discovery of some horrific youthful transgessions (see Deadly Genesis, or don't, you do you.) So when the Shi'ar Empire (instellar land of Charles' alien ex-girlfriend, a detail that doesn't matter too much here but if you were wondering why it's X-Men in Space, that's why) are in need of help, it's time for a bunch of morose mutant outcasts who aren't even liked by their fellow mutant outcasts to be SAD MUTANTS IN SPAAAACE!
For all this, Rise... is a totally compelling book. I'm not going to say that Brubaker's X-work really makes me care about the characters, but he does know how to keep me turning pages, and in so doing gives a sad sack bunch of second-rate X-Men (okay, and Prof X, but you get what I mean) more to do than their previous characterizations might have ever suggested they were capable of.
I also think it is every X-fan's duty to try at least one of the books where X-Men go to space, which tends to be a corner of the X-verse that many Marvelheads would prefer to ignore. And I get it -- Star Wars has very little place in the ongoing mutant metaphors of Otherness and discrimination, and Star Wars is exactly what this book (and its ilk) are going for.
But Chris Claremont -- Chris freaking Claremont for god's sake -- thought the space angle was an important element waaaay back in the day, and I've come to think it is too. It's the narrative exception that proves (or at least strengthens) what every other X-story is about.
AND THAT's ONE TO GROW ON
October 27, 2018
So after the Morrison and Wheedon stamps on the brand it was Brubaker's turn, he opened with the ret-conning Deadly Genesis and then followed Vulcan into space for... 12 issues! If I'd been buying comics at the time this would have peed me off! + the poor art by Tan (sorry Billy!).
.
But despite the pointless length of the arc, the weak character and storyline plotting, the final two issues are gems and are must-reads for X-fans, with a great battle with huge consequences for the Marvel Cosmic and X-book universes.
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As ever with Shi'Ar stories complete disregard for Gladiator's capabilities weakens the plausibility of a lot of what happens here, but that's a given for Marvel writers. A solid 7 out of 12 for me.
.
But despite the pointless length of the arc, the weak character and storyline plotting, the final two issues are gems and are must-reads for X-fans, with a great battle with huge consequences for the Marvel Cosmic and X-book universes.
.
As ever with Shi'Ar stories complete disregard for Gladiator's capabilities weakens the plausibility of a lot of what happens here, but that's a given for Marvel writers. A solid 7 out of 12 for me.
September 11, 2020
4.5 stars. I’m actually currently reading the War of Kings omnibus and this is the opening story. Just felt the need to stop in and say that this was freaking awesome!! I said it once and I’ll say it again, I love space stories and I love the X-men. Put them together and I’m always going to down for it. Plus these characters aren’t really seen together but it worked really well. Havok, Polaris, Rachel, Nightcrawler, Darwin and Warpath really added a certain energy to this book. Anyway back to your regular scheduled program as I get back to this omnibus.
January 23, 2022
A space opera epic in twelve parts starring a very unusual X-Men team formed by Havok, Polaris, Rachel Grey, Warpath, Nightcrawler and Darwin, highly recommended for fans of Star Wars and Star Trek. It leads up to Emperor Vulcan and War of Kings.
May 29, 2015
Good-quality X-Men/sci-fi hijinks. It's a full story, although it clearly builds on past events and leads into others... The plot itself contains all the information you need. For the characters, I was generally familiar with the major players, and that was enough. So, generally pretty good, and a quick read for its size. The main problem is that even though the plot is simple, it feels a little cluttered with characters and we don't really get an emotional arc for any of them.
August 24, 2014
I had high hopes for this book. Brubaker's Deadly Genesis set the stage for the events here, and while Deadly Genesis was OK at best, I was excited to follow it up with a big, fun, ridiculous X-Men space odyssey. Turns out "ridiculous" was the only one of those three I got.
At its core, this book wants to be a Roman-style story of deception and regicide and political power shifts. However, it's also got this whole thing where people with superpowers are beating the hell out of each other, and it just can't seem to balance the two. The action scenes are incredibly boring, with very little originality or flare. As for the power plays, we never see them. All of it happens off-screen, and we just get new reveals here and there that Vulcan (a former X-Man with a bonkers backstory who flew to another galaxy to try and kill a space emperor, like you do) has some sort of plan and it seems to be working. We have no damn clue what that plan is. All we get treated to is a monologue here and there where he basically twiddles his fingers and says "It's allll going according to plan. Mwa ha ha." Bleh. Oh, and then it ends without resolving anything. Cool.
Also, the character work here is abysmal. It's so weird coming from Brubaker, who is one of my favorite comics writers around, but every character is just a soap opera dummy with no real traits. They just do stuff and then move on to the next thing. Also, good luck figuring out who ANYONE is besides the X-Men. They reference all these Shi'ar warlords and kings as if we're all versed on the history of the entire race, but, newsflash, the Shi'ar are not real and I do not know anything about them. A little bit of actual exposition might've helped here, as annoying as that can sometimes be, rather than expecting that the reader just finished the Wikipedia article on Empress Lilandra (who is actually the only one of these characters I'd ever even heard of).
The art holds up pretty well, never really doing anything groundbreaking, but still managing to tell the stories fairly well. There's also a very subtle hint about Secret Invasion in one issue that I thought was pretty cool. But otherwise, I read this as quickly as possible to get it out of the way. I unfortunately own all of Brubaker's X-Men run, and so far am starting to dread the rest of it. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
At its core, this book wants to be a Roman-style story of deception and regicide and political power shifts. However, it's also got this whole thing where people with superpowers are beating the hell out of each other, and it just can't seem to balance the two. The action scenes are incredibly boring, with very little originality or flare. As for the power plays, we never see them. All of it happens off-screen, and we just get new reveals here and there that Vulcan (a former X-Man with a bonkers backstory who flew to another galaxy to try and kill a space emperor, like you do) has some sort of plan and it seems to be working. We have no damn clue what that plan is. All we get treated to is a monologue here and there where he basically twiddles his fingers and says "It's allll going according to plan. Mwa ha ha." Bleh. Oh, and then it ends without resolving anything. Cool.
Also, the character work here is abysmal. It's so weird coming from Brubaker, who is one of my favorite comics writers around, but every character is just a soap opera dummy with no real traits. They just do stuff and then move on to the next thing. Also, good luck figuring out who ANYONE is besides the X-Men. They reference all these Shi'ar warlords and kings as if we're all versed on the history of the entire race, but, newsflash, the Shi'ar are not real and I do not know anything about them. A little bit of actual exposition might've helped here, as annoying as that can sometimes be, rather than expecting that the reader just finished the Wikipedia article on Empress Lilandra (who is actually the only one of these characters I'd ever even heard of).
The art holds up pretty well, never really doing anything groundbreaking, but still managing to tell the stories fairly well. There's also a very subtle hint about Secret Invasion in one issue that I thought was pretty cool. But otherwise, I read this as quickly as possible to get it out of the way. I unfortunately own all of Brubaker's X-Men run, and so far am starting to dread the rest of it. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
September 6, 2021
Whoa!!! That had to be one of the best adventures I've been on with the X-Men yet. I really liked the change of pace. As much as I love the classic characters, its refreshing to see the spotlight on some newer characters whose stories have yet to be told.
Polaris- I really liked her, her green-ness is so awesome. Her outfit, her hair....I am green with envy!!
Havoc- Never knew he existed, but I'm glad I do now. He is so super-charged!! I love that they kept responsibility as a factor. I guess that is the leading trait in the Summers family...except for Vulcan, he appears to have missed the memo. Havoc is just as much the leader as Cyclops. Alex matches Scott. The relationship between him and Lorna was simply electrifying and I loved every minute of it. She lets him off the hook when he needs it. They have such a great balance together.
Marvel Girl- She is every bit as cool and powerful as Jean. While Jean will be missed, Rachel has the ability to fill her shoes. I thought she was a wonderful addition to the new X-Team.
Warpath- Talk about power and destruction...this guy carries an aura of awesomeness on every page he's on. He's so thickheaded its hilarious!! But not to the point of becoming unbearable. Wonderfully developed.
Nightcrawler- The only returning X-Men from the last team. Still every bit as cool as he ever was. Poof! He's gone! Poof! He's back!
Darwin- So awesome! He seems so childlike and just has an innocence to him that is so...I don't even have a word for it, but I like it! His power is so cool! How awesome would it be to be able to adapt to things? His purity of heart is great.
Charles Xavier- He seems so weak, it's hard to believe. He is no longer telepathic, but he can walk! Legs don't seem to be as awesome as a brain in the long-run though. It is strange to see Professor X so vulnerable.
I could go on and on about the characters, but the only way to appreciate them is to just read the novel in its entire awesomeness. I was so thrilled, I had been aching for a good adventure and I finally got it in Uncanny X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire. =D
Polaris- I really liked her, her green-ness is so awesome. Her outfit, her hair....I am green with envy!!
Havoc- Never knew he existed, but I'm glad I do now. He is so super-charged!! I love that they kept responsibility as a factor. I guess that is the leading trait in the Summers family...except for Vulcan, he appears to have missed the memo. Havoc is just as much the leader as Cyclops. Alex matches Scott. The relationship between him and Lorna was simply electrifying and I loved every minute of it. She lets him off the hook when he needs it. They have such a great balance together.
Marvel Girl- She is every bit as cool and powerful as Jean. While Jean will be missed, Rachel has the ability to fill her shoes. I thought she was a wonderful addition to the new X-Team.
Warpath- Talk about power and destruction...this guy carries an aura of awesomeness on every page he's on. He's so thickheaded its hilarious!! But not to the point of becoming unbearable. Wonderfully developed.
Nightcrawler- The only returning X-Men from the last team. Still every bit as cool as he ever was. Poof! He's gone! Poof! He's back!
Darwin- So awesome! He seems so childlike and just has an innocence to him that is so...I don't even have a word for it, but I like it! His power is so cool! How awesome would it be to be able to adapt to things? His purity of heart is great.
Charles Xavier- He seems so weak, it's hard to believe. He is no longer telepathic, but he can walk! Legs don't seem to be as awesome as a brain in the long-run though. It is strange to see Professor X so vulnerable.
I could go on and on about the characters, but the only way to appreciate them is to just read the novel in its entire awesomeness. I was so thrilled, I had been aching for a good adventure and I finally got it in Uncanny X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire. =D
January 29, 2009
X-Men space opera. It may sound strange, but it was actually a rather large part of when Claremont turned X-Men into the beast it is today. And surprisingly I often like them. In this case, I liked the events and unfolding of the story. I think Brubaker just failed on properly motivating characters again. He just blazes through to the plot points.
He also could have used some time to step back and take stock of a few things. For example, I think the reader needed more time with Corsair to get his point of view. He feels so tacked on, but he's such a vital character. It almost makes you miss the old overpopulation of text bubbles. I am thinking Brubaker may excel better at single character books as opposed to team books. He can't quite give everyone their due within the pages.
As for Vulcan, I think they are missing some other impactful event in his childhood that would kinda solve his causes. He just doesn't quite make sense as a character. But he makes for a menacing villain with a tie to the heroes; I can live with that. It is just hard to find the tragedy in him.
Billy Tan should pay his colorist most of his check. The color can really hide how bad his penciling is at times. I felt he stepped it up for the last issue, but besides that made some really awkward images, usually the faces. Clayton Henry was alright, he certainly looked more consistent and refined.
But all this to say, I enjoyed it. Kinda like a popcorn movie with actually a couple big moments. And it has the Starjammers, that makes any story better.
Deadly Genesis is fairly important prior reading for this.
He also could have used some time to step back and take stock of a few things. For example, I think the reader needed more time with Corsair to get his point of view. He feels so tacked on, but he's such a vital character. It almost makes you miss the old overpopulation of text bubbles. I am thinking Brubaker may excel better at single character books as opposed to team books. He can't quite give everyone their due within the pages.
As for Vulcan, I think they are missing some other impactful event in his childhood that would kinda solve his causes. He just doesn't quite make sense as a character. But he makes for a menacing villain with a tie to the heroes; I can live with that. It is just hard to find the tragedy in him.
Billy Tan should pay his colorist most of his check. The color can really hide how bad his penciling is at times. I felt he stepped it up for the last issue, but besides that made some really awkward images, usually the faces. Clayton Henry was alright, he certainly looked more consistent and refined.
But all this to say, I enjoyed it. Kinda like a popcorn movie with actually a couple big moments. And it has the Starjammers, that makes any story better.
Deadly Genesis is fairly important prior reading for this.
March 16, 2015
A marvel space-opera starring the X-men. I really enjoyed this collection of the Ed Brubaker X-men story arc "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire". This is a lot action in this book but there is also a lot of the swashbuckling romance one would find in a sci-fi space tale. Most might find this story a bit hard to jump into unless you read the Deadly Genesis arc before. That arc sort of sets up this big X-men event. The artwork is handled by the current Green Lantern series artist Billy Tan. After looking at the work in this series I see why he is the perfect fit for the Green Lantern space opera. This story had near perfect pacing as well. Basically Xavier takes a handful of X-men into space to stop Vulcan aka Scott Summer's (Cyclops) long forgotten brother from seeking vengeance on the Shi'ar Empire for all the atrocities they committed against him. Along the way this ragtag team of X-men which includes Nightcrawler, Warpath, Rachel Summers (Marvel Girl), Darwin, Polaris and Havok. This was an interesting group to follow and it was especially nice to get to know characters like Havok and Warpath a little more. There is no Wolverine in this tale! I repeat this story was incredible and Marvel didn't have to include Wolverine in the story to sell it. My only complaint about this arc was there was know clear resolution which means you will have to and want to read more of the tie ins to this tale. Ed Brubaker has once again created another great X-men story.
March 22, 2010
Largest problem with this book, as with most books these days is that all of the inks appear digital, or touched up by the computer, leaving no trace of the gorgeous pencils beneath. It makes the art look nothing more than competent. The paneling in this series of books is a saving grace, and the writing is stellar in compariosn to what the x-books were like around 99-01. I enjoyed the Darwin character most and it seems to me the appearance of Vulcan is nothing more than cheap writing strategy, much the same way Strife appeared in the X-cutioner's song. All in all, a good read though.
January 21, 2016
What can I say? great Artwork and a wonderful story by Brubaker. even if you are not familiar with the Shi'ar Empire and their links to the X-Men this one is a great TPB to read. I am glad I took the time.
December 23, 2013
Pretty good X-Men story with a strong space opera feeling.
April 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this X-Men storyline in space. It is nice to see a story arc without Wolverine being shoved down our throats. A nice focus on other non-top tier X-Men.
January 21, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
July 24, 2017
Really enjoyed this!
June 6, 2025
Invincible fans read this, hype moments with good writing
July 3, 2008
As a kid, I would always try to read the X-Men and completely fail. I just couldn't find my way into the impenetrable continuity of the series, to say nothing of the intimidating number of X-Men comics that Marvel publishes. I know enough about the series' to kind of understand what's going on in any given issue, but I never eked any enjoyment out of an issue of Uncanny X-Men.
On top of that, those times that I would try and read X-Men, I would always get stuck sampling one of the series' many outer space adventures. I don't know, I suppose these Star Wars-esque stories are hallmark of X-Men at this point, but I always remember feeling gypped when I would sit down to try to read an X-Men comic book and I'd end up with some half-baked science fiction story. To me, the draw of X-Men wasn't sci-fi, it was the whole racial equality/persecution thread that ran through the books. That's what I wanted to read about, not spaceships and aliens.
That being said, why did I pick up this Uncanny X-Men trade, which is completely a space opera story? Well, I've been a fan of writer Ed Brubaker ever since his much-missed Vertigo noir mini-series, Scene of the Crime. I figured, if ever there was a writer who's track record proved he could do a good job with a comic book, it's Brubaker.
In the end, I found The Rise and the Fall of the Shi'ar Empire to have all the problems I associate with X-Men books. The story directly connects to some other X-Men story that I haven't read. The characters all talk about stuff that happened in comics like fifteen years ago. The art is of that overly-rendered style that some people seem to love, but I couldn't follow half the time. About a third of the characters have these vague energy powers that I didn't really understand.
Obviously, this book wasn't for me. That being said... I could follow the whole story. I know what the plot was, who wanted what, and I can remember how it ends. It's probably the best X-Men in Space story I've ever read... I guess I'm just not a fan of those stories.
On top of that, those times that I would try and read X-Men, I would always get stuck sampling one of the series' many outer space adventures. I don't know, I suppose these Star Wars-esque stories are hallmark of X-Men at this point, but I always remember feeling gypped when I would sit down to try to read an X-Men comic book and I'd end up with some half-baked science fiction story. To me, the draw of X-Men wasn't sci-fi, it was the whole racial equality/persecution thread that ran through the books. That's what I wanted to read about, not spaceships and aliens.
That being said, why did I pick up this Uncanny X-Men trade, which is completely a space opera story? Well, I've been a fan of writer Ed Brubaker ever since his much-missed Vertigo noir mini-series, Scene of the Crime. I figured, if ever there was a writer who's track record proved he could do a good job with a comic book, it's Brubaker.
In the end, I found The Rise and the Fall of the Shi'ar Empire to have all the problems I associate with X-Men books. The story directly connects to some other X-Men story that I haven't read. The characters all talk about stuff that happened in comics like fifteen years ago. The art is of that overly-rendered style that some people seem to love, but I couldn't follow half the time. About a third of the characters have these vague energy powers that I didn't really understand.
Obviously, this book wasn't for me. That being said... I could follow the whole story. I know what the plot was, who wanted what, and I can remember how it ends. It's probably the best X-Men in Space story I've ever read... I guess I'm just not a fan of those stories.
July 21, 2019
Después de liarla bastante gorda con Génesis Mortal, Ed Brubaker llegó a la Patrulla X para continuar desarrollando la historia que había comenzado en esta serie limitada, siguiendo las amenaza en la que se había convertido Vulcano, el tercero de los hermanos Summers, que había hecho su aparición en Génesis Mortal y que había orquestado una complicada venganza contra Charles Xavier. Después de ello, Vulcano había decidido continuar con sus ansias de su retorcida justicia acabando con los Shi'ar, y es aquí donde comienza esta nueva etapa, con Brubaker a los guiones y Billy Tan y Clayton Henry alternándose con los lápices. Presentando una nueva alineación con el Profesor Xavier al frente y Kaos, Polaris, Rondador, Rachel Grey, Sendero de Guerra y Darwin como integrantes, Brubaker desarrolla su historia como una Space Opera en la que la Patrulla persigue a Vulcano, teniendo que hacer frente no sólo a la destrucción causada por el mutante, sino a la situación en la que las relaciones entre la Patrulla y los Shi'ar habían quedado después de que durante la etapa de Grant Morrison en X-Men Casandra Nova, haciéndose pasar por Xavier, había vuelto loca a la emperatriz Shi'ar.
En Ascenso y Caída del Imperio Shi'ar, Bru devolvía a la Patrulla-X a un cariz cósmico que parecían haber abandonado desde los tiempos de Chris Claremont y Jim Lee, dándoles en esta colección un trasfondo épico y de aventura alejado del que se había vuelto predominante después de Dinastía de M, el tono de pesimismo y perdición que había provocado la desaparición de la mayor parte de los mutantes de la Tierra.
Una aventura cósmica llena de personajes clásicos, como la Guardia Imperial Shi'ar, los Saqueadores Estelares, Ave de Muerte o el propio cristal M' Kraan, que se convierte en el punto culminante de algunas tramas, pero que deja abiertas muchas otras que darían lugar a nuevas aventuras y sagas que integrarían a los X-Men en grandes aventuras cósmicas, como la futura Guerra de Reyes.
En Ascenso y Caída del Imperio Shi'ar, Bru devolvía a la Patrulla-X a un cariz cósmico que parecían haber abandonado desde los tiempos de Chris Claremont y Jim Lee, dándoles en esta colección un trasfondo épico y de aventura alejado del que se había vuelto predominante después de Dinastía de M, el tono de pesimismo y perdición que había provocado la desaparición de la mayor parte de los mutantes de la Tierra.
Una aventura cósmica llena de personajes clásicos, como la Guardia Imperial Shi'ar, los Saqueadores Estelares, Ave de Muerte o el propio cristal M' Kraan, que se convierte en el punto culminante de algunas tramas, pero que deja abiertas muchas otras que darían lugar a nuevas aventuras y sagas que integrarían a los X-Men en grandes aventuras cósmicas, como la futura Guerra de Reyes.
August 11, 2015
There are lots of reviews out there to give you detailed reasons why this book is not great, so I won't go to great lengths about it.
Suffice it to say this is a throwback to the space opera X-Men of yore, but unfortunately to all the worst aspects of it. It's clunky, stupidly exposition-heavy and the characters are thinner than the paper they're drawn on.
What's especially weird is that Brubaker over-explains so many tiny things but leaves large story items and background information completely untouched. he mentions stuff about these "apocalypse people" but never goes further on what that's about.
This also suffers from Star Wars Syndrome -- everything in the universe comes down to the failed relationships of a half-dozen people, most of whom are from the same family. That sort of thing really undercuts any epic feeling one might get from a galaxy-spanning tale. You could have just as easily told this story during a family reunion in Indiana.
The plot is bare bones but the thing that constantly irked me was that characters would literally find it impossible to proceed with their planned activity (whether that be revenge, justice or ordering dinner) if some random nobody didn't give them explicit details on how things work and why their plan will fail unless they do A, B and C in a specific order.
This is the lamest type of video game writing there is. In a comic book.
Comic books of my youth were ridiculous. No question. But they have managed to survive that and some of them are truly impressive examples of storytelling. This book is not one of those.
Suffice it to say this is a throwback to the space opera X-Men of yore, but unfortunately to all the worst aspects of it. It's clunky, stupidly exposition-heavy and the characters are thinner than the paper they're drawn on.
What's especially weird is that Brubaker over-explains so many tiny things but leaves large story items and background information completely untouched. he mentions stuff about these "apocalypse people" but never goes further on what that's about.
This also suffers from Star Wars Syndrome -- everything in the universe comes down to the failed relationships of a half-dozen people, most of whom are from the same family. That sort of thing really undercuts any epic feeling one might get from a galaxy-spanning tale. You could have just as easily told this story during a family reunion in Indiana.
The plot is bare bones but the thing that constantly irked me was that characters would literally find it impossible to proceed with their planned activity (whether that be revenge, justice or ordering dinner) if some random nobody didn't give them explicit details on how things work and why their plan will fail unless they do A, B and C in a specific order.
This is the lamest type of video game writing there is. In a comic book.
Comic books of my youth were ridiculous. No question. But they have managed to survive that and some of them are truly impressive examples of storytelling. This book is not one of those.
February 7, 2017
¿Cómo llegó Vulcan a convertirse emperador del vasto imperio Shi'ar?
Con conceptos tontos y personajes unidimensionales presentados por Brubaker sin duda alguna.
Fuera de esto, es un inicio decente-bueno a la odisea en el espacio de los xmen que traerá múltiples consecuencias una vez que llegue a su parte final: War of Kings.
El arte... Eh.
3.7/5
Con conceptos tontos y personajes unidimensionales presentados por Brubaker sin duda alguna.
Fuera de esto, es un inicio decente-bueno a la odisea en el espacio de los xmen que traerá múltiples consecuencias una vez que llegue a su parte final: War of Kings.
El arte... Eh.
3.7/5
June 7, 2012
Hasta ahora, lo más pedorro que leí de Brubaker, lejos. Sé que la intención era hacer una space-opera en la línea de las viejas historias claremontianas de los 80s, pero lo que logró fue aburrirme durante la mayoría del trayecto. Los dibujantes que se dividen el laburo no son malos pero tampoco le aportan mucha gracia que digamos. Y en cuánto a la expectativa de cómo se resolverá el conflicto real en el espacio, nunca la tuve, ya que sabía de antemano que a este tomo lo sucedía otro llamado "Emperor Vulcan", así que intriga cero. Necesito leer Incógnito #2 cuanto antes así me amigo con el buen Bru.
February 16, 2008
Pure and simple, Ed Brubaker is one of my top comic writers, but in this book he's simply too hampered by continuity to really stretch his muscle. Also, Brubaker's a humanist, a writer who works best when he can concentrate on the emotional side of being a superhero, and in this book he's dealing with about seventy-four thousand different characters, meaning he has no time to really develop the personal themes he's so good at.
Was nice to see artwork from Clayton Henry, though, a genuinely nice guy I worked with on an issue of What If. Go Clayton!
Was nice to see artwork from Clayton Henry, though, a genuinely nice guy I worked with on an issue of What If. Go Clayton!
September 22, 2013
what? an X-Men book without any sign of Wolverine? that alone gave it the extra 3rd star.
So, the X-Men decide to go all Star-Wars on us and they don`t even mix it up with the Guardian of the Galaxy (hey, I know it is a pretty big Galaxy, but that never stopped a good team-up from happening before).
Decent enough story, pretty epic-sized smash-ups. Decent enough art, just way to much dependence on computer-generated sh*t-uff.
Another giveaway book from Goodreads friend Martin - Thanks Martin
So, the X-Men decide to go all Star-Wars on us and they don`t even mix it up with the Guardian of the Galaxy (hey, I know it is a pretty big Galaxy, but that never stopped a good team-up from happening before).
Decent enough story, pretty epic-sized smash-ups. Decent enough art, just way to much dependence on computer-generated sh*t-uff.
Another giveaway book from Goodreads friend Martin - Thanks Martin
October 26, 2016
This was a pretty stellar X-Men story. It was nice to see some of the characters you don't see in the standard X-Men stories.
February 3, 2023
A giant space opera epic! Outer space, space warfare, heroic romance, futuristic civilizations, advanced technology, and galactic empires with alien races; this comic book has it all! Wow, I'm so glad I started on this journey of reading everything that happened after HoM. The story moves like a sci-fi movie with political drama, space-faring civilizations, and interstellar conflict. It's so enjoyable and I would definitely read it again!
*Spoilers* Don't read after this as this is a summary for me because I have a short memory and tend to forget comics I've read!
In the aftermath of Deadly Genesis, Vulcan vowed fiery revenge against the Shi'ar for murdering his mother and ruining his childhood. In this story, we get to see his path of destruction in all its glory. Professor X is not so keen on the idea of an Earth-born mutant going to rile up a powerful space empire so he and Havok, Polaris, Rachel Grey, Warpath, Nightcrawler, and Darwin venture into space to try and stop Vulcan. The X-Men follow the trail of death Vulcan left on his journey into Shi'ar territory but find themselves unable to get there any faster due to Vulcan destroying the jump gates.
I like that Vulcan's viewpoint is also portrayed and powerful rage is fleshed out and not just one-dimensional because he actually has valid reasons to go after the Shi'ar. It almost makes you root for him because he's been wronged his entire life. Anyways, he soon learns that D'Ken is no longer the Emperor but Lilandra who is supposedly Charles's old flame. His mission doesn't change and he also learns of her sister, Deathbird who can prove a valuable ally if he can find her. There's a pretty awesome battle where Vulcan confronts the Imperial Guard and manages to hold his own against these powerful warriors all by himself. He manages to kill several of them but Gladiator brutally maims and defeats him. Meanwhile, the X-Men are stranded in space with two Shi'ar on board. The two kidnap Xavier and vow to take him to the Throneworld. At this point in the story, the X-Men are desperate and ally themselves with the Starjammers, a group of freedom fighters fighting against the Shi'ar Imperium. This is when the story really heats up and the action becomes nonstop! Vulcan forms a fiery romance with Deathbird who convinces him to revive D'Ken. Vulcan has ulterior motives for doing this as he plans to kill him later in front of everyone. Vulcan, Deathbird, and D'Ken attempt a coup on Empress Lilandra and succeed, dethroning her and also vowing to execute Xavier. However, Vulcan destroys D'Ken in an awesome display of power, much to the shock of Deathbird. He then declares himself Emperor of the Shi'ar. A fierce battle ensues with explosions and death everywhere, the Shi'ar on one side and the Starjammers/X-Men on the other. In his rage, Vulcan pushed Xavier into the M'kraan Crystal believing it would kill him. Instead, he emerges with his telepathy restored. The battle is lost, however, and Vulcan remains as Emperor. Havok, Polaris, and Marvel Girl are stranded in space with the remaining Starjammers and so decide to join them to resist the empire.
*Spoilers* Don't read after this as this is a summary for me because I have a short memory and tend to forget comics I've read!
In the aftermath of Deadly Genesis, Vulcan vowed fiery revenge against the Shi'ar for murdering his mother and ruining his childhood. In this story, we get to see his path of destruction in all its glory. Professor X is not so keen on the idea of an Earth-born mutant going to rile up a powerful space empire so he and Havok, Polaris, Rachel Grey, Warpath, Nightcrawler, and Darwin venture into space to try and stop Vulcan. The X-Men follow the trail of death Vulcan left on his journey into Shi'ar territory but find themselves unable to get there any faster due to Vulcan destroying the jump gates.
I like that Vulcan's viewpoint is also portrayed and powerful rage is fleshed out and not just one-dimensional because he actually has valid reasons to go after the Shi'ar. It almost makes you root for him because he's been wronged his entire life. Anyways, he soon learns that D'Ken is no longer the Emperor but Lilandra who is supposedly Charles's old flame. His mission doesn't change and he also learns of her sister, Deathbird who can prove a valuable ally if he can find her. There's a pretty awesome battle where Vulcan confronts the Imperial Guard and manages to hold his own against these powerful warriors all by himself. He manages to kill several of them but Gladiator brutally maims and defeats him. Meanwhile, the X-Men are stranded in space with two Shi'ar on board. The two kidnap Xavier and vow to take him to the Throneworld. At this point in the story, the X-Men are desperate and ally themselves with the Starjammers, a group of freedom fighters fighting against the Shi'ar Imperium. This is when the story really heats up and the action becomes nonstop! Vulcan forms a fiery romance with Deathbird who convinces him to revive D'Ken. Vulcan has ulterior motives for doing this as he plans to kill him later in front of everyone. Vulcan, Deathbird, and D'Ken attempt a coup on Empress Lilandra and succeed, dethroning her and also vowing to execute Xavier. However, Vulcan destroys D'Ken in an awesome display of power, much to the shock of Deathbird. He then declares himself Emperor of the Shi'ar. A fierce battle ensues with explosions and death everywhere, the Shi'ar on one side and the Starjammers/X-Men on the other. In his rage, Vulcan pushed Xavier into the M'kraan Crystal believing it would kill him. Instead, he emerges with his telepathy restored. The battle is lost, however, and Vulcan remains as Emperor. Havok, Polaris, and Marvel Girl are stranded in space with the remaining Starjammers and so decide to join them to resist the empire.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2025
Vulcan is angry. He is heading for the Shi'ar empire to punish the ones responsible for killing his mother. Though depowered, Xavier builds a team to follow Vulcan and prevent a tragedy. The team is made up of some powerful members like Polaris, Havok and Warpath, but also of less experienced X-Men like Darwin.
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