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March 6, 2005
review: "Astonishing X-Men #8"
Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men is so refreshing that I almost don't know what to say other than "superb." Here's why you read comic books. This is especially remarkable in a market where X-books are so overproduced that the entire franchise is beginning to feel like a parody of itself. How many more books can Wolverine be in before Marvel has to reveal that he's actually 7 or 8 clones? This book is the exception: if you can only read on X-book it better be this one.
Whedon's story so far has been straightforward. There has only been one complete arc, basically reintroducing us to the team lead by Scott Summers. At this point Scott is fully involved with Emma Frost, Wolverine still doesn't like him, Beast is unhappily turning more inhuman, and so on and so on... But Whedon's also bringing back some of the most loved X-characters: Kitty and Colossus. This old meets new and the tension it creates drama inside the team as they try to care for students and present a better face of mutants to humanity.
Issue 8 introduces a second, more devious story arc that promises to be exciting and horrible--horrible in a good way. It is Whedon's ability to mesh fast, humerous dialogue with fast, nail-biting action that set him apart in the Buffy shows, and it works for him here too. I have no doubts that when it's called for he'll off a hero, bring a villian back from the dead, or make people switch sides so fast that the reader will have to put the book down for a moment.
Add to this the beautiful artwork of John Cassaday and you've got one of the best books out there. Whedon knows why people read the X-men, and he's happy to give it to them.
(Very highly recommended.)
(review by Sean Ferrell)
Posted by sferrell at March 6, 2005 10:04 PM
