This is the last issue of a story arc involving the X-Men's adventure with the star-spanning Shi'Ar Empire. It is also the first issue of the Chris Claremont and John Byrne run.
John takes over from the equally legendary Dave Cockrum. In fact, this dedication appears at the end :
I love the "I'm not dead" note from Dave. And he's not uninvolved either, Dave Cockrum will still be doing a lot of the covers going forward.
It's evidently a wrap-up issue. Byrne's art is still a bit rough - it will become absolutely gorgeous during the next few issues. Not much catches my eye. There is the part when Wolverine gets punched so hard he reaches escape velocity and nearly goes into orbit. And then there's this:
As I went through the pages I began to realize that he X-Men had a cosmic level player in the Phoenix. Her power levels seem to be on par with the Silver Surfer or Adam Warlock.
From the writing and art point of view, this issue is unexceptional but it makes Comics Recommended because of sheer importance - this is the start of the Claremont-Byrne run in Uncanny X-Men. That's not a good run - it's a great one.
Posted by Pete Albano - November 28, 2011
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The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 2 (Marvel Masterworks)
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Other UNCANNY X-MEN Stories by CLAREMONT & BYRNE
109, 120-121, 139-140 : Alpha Flight
135-137 : The Dark Phoenix Saga