Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why Whedon and Cassady's X-Men are Simply the Best, February 17, 2007
This review is directed primarily at those who no longer read comics or graphic novels as much as they used to. There are no spoilers in this review. Read without fear!
First, like other reviewers, I would strongly recommend that you buy vols 1 and 2 before reading this book. This volume collects issues 13-18 of Astonishing X-men, but if you haven't read 1-12 most of what happens in these pages simply won't make sense.
That said, I'm not going to cover the content of this book so much as Whedon's general approach to writing the X-Men. Like many others, I enjoyed the Claremont works in the late 1970s but found that by the 1990s the X-Men story line was so convoluted it was difficult to really follow, especially as graduate school was taking more and more of my time. Whedon has limited the number of main characters in Astonishing X-Men to 6 and this allows him to focus on the unique personalities and interactions among the group. As a result, the characters have more depth than ever before. The issue in which the new team faces (individually) their worst fears (found in this volume) is a real triumph in comic writing. Interestingly enough, this approach also removes Wolverine from center stage. By far the two most interesting characters in Astonishing X-Men are Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost, each of whom acts as a perfect foil for the other throughout the series. Indeed, the survival guilt of both Emma and Kitty feel in the wake of the mass destruction at Genosha frames this entire story arc.
Cassady's artwork meshes perfectly with Whedon's writing. Beast has a more cat-like appearance here than anywhere else and the transitions between his intellectual and feral self are simply stunning. Even the supporting cast is drawn with sensitivity and truly come alive. Agent Brand of SWORD, Blindfold, and even Lockheed all receive better portraits here than anywhere else.
So why should you read this series, especially if you, like me, thought your comic reading days were past? Simple. Whedon and Cassady remain true to the characters we grew up loving, but this is clearly the adult version of X-Men. The old X-Men were extraordinary, and very near unbeatable. They explored a variety of social issues, but always within the constraints of the "comic book format." These new X-Men, despite, or perhaps even because of, their return to traditional comic costumes, are far more human in their hopes, fears, guilt, and love than many of their predecessors. And they are far more interesting. If you want to reaquaint yourself with some long lost friends, this series is definitely for you.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joss and the X-Men: still a match made in Heaven, February 16, 2007
As Torn, the third collected storyarc in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity creator Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men begins, our favorite merry mutants are in some deep trouble. Emma Frost is back with the Hellfire Club, and their conspiracy against the X-Men begins to come full circle, as Emma helps the Club take down the X-Men one by one by having them succumb to their worst fears. Cyclops is rendered powerless, Beast is reduced to his feral nature, Wolverine is turned into a prissy boy (you have to see this to believe it), and Colossus is left a victim of his own rage. Kitty Pryde is the only one left, and it's up to her to stop Emma, Cassandra Nova, and the rest of the Hellfire Club dead in their tracks. This becomes even harder when Ord breaks out of prison with help from Danger, and it is revealed just who the X-Man is that is destined to destroy the Breakworld, and who the mole is that's been spying on the X-Men. Whedon's breakneck pacing and quick witted dialogue is about what we've come to expect from the gifted writer, as he throws twist after twist at the reader so quick you won't believe your eyes. Without revealing too many surprises, it becomes safe to say that things will never be the same again for the team, and Whedon's transformation of Cyclops is by far the most interesting twist ever put on the character. With nods to the classic X-stories of Chris Claremont and Grant Morrison, combined with the still spectacular art by John Cassaday (not to mention that we have another mouth watering cliffhanger to boot), Torn ends up being quite a treat.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great X-men Stories, June 9, 2007
While not quite as good as the first two volumes, "Astonishing X-men: Torn" continues the excellent Breakworld story line. I checked the first volume out from the local library after a good 15-20 year hiatus from reading x-men comics, and after reading it, I quickly purchased volumes two and three from Amazon, and at a price about $5 cheaper than list, it was a bargain. Good story and dialogue overall, coupled with beautiful artwork. The artwork is not like the hyper-muscular figures characteristic of comics, but it works well nonetheless. The pace, in my opinion, is a bit more sketchy/disjointed than the previous two collections, but still better than many other comic story arcs that I've read recently. I think this writing/art team is only together for one more graphic novel (6 comic issues), and I will be sorry to see them go. I could probably hang on reading if the either artwork or story was engaging, but with the Astonishing X-men, you get both. Highly recommended for X-men fans, just make sure you read the first two volumes, "Gifted" and "Dangerous" prior to this book to bring yourself up to speed on the story thus far.
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