Astonishing X-Men

[AdInfinitum]

This is the only comic I've ever really been tempted to get into, mainly because it's Whedon writing it. Is it worth getting into?

[Foeofthelance]

If you're local comic shop carries back issues then yes, otherwise, wait a month or two. He's in th middle of trying to resolve several different plot lines at once, and since it's Whedon it is working, but it also took 15 issues to get everything in place.

[tape_measure]

Foe has it nailed, pretty much. Damn fine comic visually and a great read.

[menkent]

there are two trades out already and the third should be released pretty soon, or if you'd like a better binding (some of my ultimage x-men trades have been coming apart at the spine) there's a hardcover that collects the first two trades. check amazon if you can't find them locally.

[littleisthenewbig]

this is one of my favorite comics

[M.A.T.E.S5]

I dearly love Astonishing. Tis a most excellent comic. Why you ask?

"Because I'm the best at what I do. And what I do....
is so pretty!"

[BrvSirRobin]

It definitely re-invigorated my interest in the X-Men. I had stopped reading them once I became overwhelmed with the number of X titles back in the 90s. I have to admit that I came back only because of Whedon and am glad I did.

[Jack_Banzai]

Whedon's good, but not infallible. The return of Colossus still burns me.

[Foeofthelance]

Mixed emotions. Had he simply returned, it would have been one thing. But Whedon handled it in a rather talented manner. Colussus was the one character no one expected to return, and it showed even for the characters.

Jean Grey could have walked in, and I doubt Wolverine would have done much more then look up from his morning beer and nod hello. Colussus shows up, and they were all dumb-struck.

Besides: "Don't tell me that blasted dragon is behind me!"

[AdInfinitum]

I actually picked up the first trade from my library. I love my library. And I loved this too.

You can really tell it's Whedon writing this. From making fun of the X-Men cliches ("Jean Grey is dead." "Yeah, that'll last.") to the banter and the sense of humor...it's great stuff.

And even though the constant death/resurrection/cloning is what drove me from the X-Men in the first place, the way he brought back Collosus was perfect. The three panels with the shocked Kitty Pride are really well done, and the scene that gave rise to that dragon line was perfect.

[ray53208]

astonishing x men is the only one of four comics i subscribe to through my vendor. only one other is super hero related (powers by bendis). kodt and pvp round off the top four.

occasionally ill read (but not necessarily buy) other comics.

i have to say that i havent enjoyed an x men comic like this one since the heydays of claremont/byrne/romita jr. a lot of that is whedon. he just knows what my nerdish little heart loves and he delivers.

ray
8)

[sealemon]

I find it very enjoyable. It's just too bad that once again Marvel ignores continuity though: Every other appearance of the White Queen in the other X Titles, as well as Wolverine, Avengers, ect. still shows her as a hero, thus spoiling the effect of her being a villain in Astonishing.

[Foeofthelance]

Considering the average comic book adventure takes anywhere between 5 hours to 3 days, and none of them have dates, it's not too far fetched. Besides, if you haven't noticed, there are now two white queens running around.

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

I have always wondered why X-men never had mutations which where like a extra leg through their head or something.... They always seemed to be fairly "good", for want of a better word, mutations. Some where not wanted, but none where truly horrendous.

I read an X-men book, it was well written, but I am not sure if it was the one you are talking about...

[The Demented One]

I have always wondered why X-men never had mutations which where like a extra leg through their head or something.... They always seemed to be fairly "good", for want of a better word, mutations. Some where not wanted, but none where truly horrendous.

I read an X-men book, it was well written, but I am not sure if it was the one you are talking about...
Uh, Morlocks much?

[Logos7]

I find astonishing X-men is worth the read, Great Writing and Great Looking

Other Comics i Like: Wolverine Titles( Talent seems to gravitate to this one)

Action Philosophers, American Splendor , Dorks, and otthers like that (Horror short commic collections but i cannot recall name)

But as far as i can tell Astonishing is at the top of the X, and near the top of anything else

The only one i would really put beside it ( As far as super hero comics go) is the one with Hardliner ( Villians ) Great Look and Writting again

Logos

[ray53208]

other comics i like: y the last man, the walking dead, snake woman, wormwood gentleman corpse, kodt, pvp, powers, astro city, sandman, villains, hellboy, bprd, artesia, perhapanauts...

just a few.

[twerk_face]

I actually like ultimate x-men better.




please don't kill me

[Jerthanis]

I read the first two trades of Astonishing X-men, and while it's good from a writing and visuals point of view, I must admit that I wasn't too big a fan of either of the big plots that got revealed. I hated the third X-men movie, and because of that, the "cure" plotline, which seemed to be repeating a lot of that movie, didn't appeal much to me, and despite the very cool cerebralness of the Danger Room stuff, I also couldn't help thinking "Their villain is a sentient piece of alien technology... what?" and then the terrible anti-climax with the giant sentinel was kinda a dissappointment.

I do like it for the good Cyclops depiction though, who is, and always has been, my favorite X-man.

One thing I don't know is whether it takes place before, after or completely disreguarding House of M, and if it's before, what's going to change after House of M concludes.

Overall, I give it a 7/10, mostly for great art and clever dialogue, but I'd give it a 4/10 for plot.

EDIT: and I like Ultimate X-men better as well... although the current Cable storyline is pissing me off.

[Noneoyabizzness]

well wedon made Me like cyclops, now keep in mind I grew up hating cyke, and gleeful that a powerless storm beat him out of his leadership spot. he is whiney, overinflated in importance, and has been too much a boyscout.

now he can stop being weak and pissy. thank you joss.

and I liked the "danger" plot. a highly advanced technology that learns and adapts having some degree of sentience isn't surprising, and given everything learned from issues back in the claremont days, then the lobdell era with the onslaught arc, you see chuck isn't a perfect saint he put himself as. so the idea he ignored the dangerroom as being a tool for the greater good and not being something for him to sit and coddle struck Me as right for charles xavier.

as far as emma being a villian, the last issue of astonishing sheds a sliver of light onto that predicament.

other comics I like: xfactor, walking dead, invincible, ps238, daredevil, powers

[Eldpollard]

Yes read it. It is excellent.

[Faramir]

I have mixed feelings. I love some of what he's done (especially the conversations between Kitty and Emma) but the Danger Room plotline just reminded me of all the horrible holodeck episodes of Star Trek TNG. And the Shi-ar never bothered to mention, "Oh, by the way. If this sentient technology rebels and tries to kill you it isn't covered under warranty."?

[Jerthanis]

well wedon made Me like cyclops, now keep in mind I grew up hating cyke, and gleeful that a powerless storm beat him out of his leadership spot. he is whiney, overinflated in importance, and has been too much a boyscout.

now he can stop being weak and pissy. thank you joss.


I agree that Joss depicts Cyclops as extremely effective and cool, but I do think that good writers have always been able to make Cyclops a great leader and an effective combatant. The powerless Storm beat him essentially by cheating and exploiting Cyclops' good nature, lack of self-trust, and his mutant weakness, which is fair enough when competing for who leads, since you must assume your enemy will strike you how you're weakest. However, Storm did a pretty terrible job of leadership during several of her stints in charge, and several times it seemed like Cyclops practically up and took over again, like during the Dark Phoenix Saga...

However, some depictions of Cyclops are just trash, like the Movie Cyclops. (I walked into X3 saying "Man, I hope Cyclops plays a bigger role in this one...") Which is wierd, because Richard White was more awesome than Superman in Superman Returns (Richard White was played by James Marsden, who played the wooden Cyclops model in Wolverine & Friends 1 through 3)

[Noneoyabizzness]

wedon made scott summers a worthwhile character finally.

it's a great series to pick up the trades on.

of the comics to pick up, I will suggest astonishing, x factor (the best on time book marvel has), invincible, and walking dead.

if you can get geek comics, kodt nodwick and ps238 are worthwhile grabs