Customer Reviews

Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 1 (v. 1)

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Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly/Serenity, as well as script-doctor par excellence on Speed and Toy Story to name but a few, enjoys the type of celebrity usually reserved for actors or pro-athletes and almost unheard of for those behind the scenes--and deservedly so.

Whedon exudes story. Although best known, perhaps, for witty pop-culture references and intriguing linguistic twists, Whedon is a veritable treasure of modern mythology from gothic horror to science fiction space-fare and, more to the point here, comic books.

Not since the Claremont/Byrne days have the X-Men been so much themselves, and so much more.

The first of the two arcs presented here in glorious large-size hardcover format, Gifted, introduces a new villain, Ord of the Breakworld, re-introduces an old and very dear friend, and threatens both the physical and, in classic Whedon-style, the emotional world of all involved with one small, four-letter word--cure.

The second arc, Dangerous, turns around, from the future and the stars, to the immediate heart of the X-Men world, their long-time training room, their loyalties, and the nature of intelligent life and oppressor vs. oppressed.

Keeping pace in spectacular fashion with Whedon's deadly-accurate dialog and plotting are John Cassaday's (Planetary) art complemented by Laura Martin's colors. From the grippingly casual to the bullet-time explosive, Cassaday captures every emotion, subtle nuance, and jarring physical impact, and Martin lights it up and washes it with every shade and mood imaginable.

No idea-splatter, no super-decompression, no endless splash-pages or pose-downs, just the most enjoyable comic experience I've had in ages. I already have the soft-covers and I'm still getting this.

Let me get some technicalities about this release out of the way:

This hardcover collects the first two story arcs of Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run ("Gifted" and "Dangerous"). It costs the same as buying those softcover graphic novels separately; if you're planning on reading the series, this particular volume is definitely worth it.

If you're unsure about whether to invest so much in a comic (maybe you've seen the X-Men movies, or maybe you're a Buffy fan, and you're curious), I have to go ahead and recommend this work. You may be interested to know that Whedon's won an Eisner award (the Comic industry's Oscar) for writing, the artist (Cassaday) has won for best art and the series has won for best series... so... it's a fairly good comic to take a chance on.

The initial plot concerns the X-Men coming together to instruct a new class at Xavier's Academy for the Gifted while world-changing events take place around them. Specifically, a prominent scientist has announced that she's discovered a "cure" for mutancy--the thing that sets the X-Men apart (you may notice that they ripped this idea off for the third X-Men movie, it's such a good idea, though the execution here is better than in that film). To say much more would constitute a spoiler, though you can expect that all of the in-fighting and love-triangling that the X-Men are famous for, is well-represented here.

Whedon writes for comics well (his Fray was very good) though he's not my favorite comic writer (Neil Gaiman sits atop that mountain); his style is surprisingly sparse, allowing the visuals to tell a lot of the story, and not quite as witty as you might expect from the pen of Buffy, Angel and Firefly. That said, he captures the voices of our X-Men regulars perfectly; it rather shows his discipline that he writes differently for different media. It is clear that Whedon is a long-standing fan of the X-Men--his lines are fully of sympathy for the characters. The action is non-stop and there are twists and turns aplenty. He manages to pack a lot of story into these pages, and I look forward to his continuation of the book (supposedly only another 12 issues and then no more).

To sum up, this is a very good comic. X-Men fans, and Whedon fans, should not be disappointed by this release--one of the best collections of the last 10 years.

This hardcover trade features Joss Whedon's first twelve issues of Astonishing X-Men.

Story lines included:
Gifted (issues 1-6)
Dangerous (issues 7-12)

Also includes an introduction by Brian K. Vaughan (of Y: The Last Man and Runaways fame), a cover gallery (featuring the regular covers and the variants), character sketches, Joss Whedon's planning e-mails, and the Marvel Spotlight interview with John Cassaday

Astonishing X-Men was even better than I had hoped. I've read a lot of X-Men and this was by far the most entertaining and attention grabbing of them all. The writing is witty and filled with twists and turns. The artwork is beyond gorgeous. It truly feels like you're watching an epic-sized motion picture of a book. Highly recommended.

First, a word of clarification since this volume could be a bit misleading. Although Amazon lists it as ASTONISHING X-MEN, VOL. 1, it in fact collects both Vol. 1, GIFTED, and Vol. 2, DANGEROUS. These are available separately as well.

The joy of the X-Men has been their capacity for endless recreation. Even before the trend for reimaginings of comic book heroes in the eighties, the X-Men had been presented in a variety of story arcs, all varying slightly from one another. We've now seen numerous first rate versions in comic form, in television form, and in film. These two additions to the X-Men saga take place after the destruction and recreation of Xavier's school, with Xavier largely absent, Jean dead, and none of the traditional bad guys on hand. For his version Joss Whedon has opted for a much smaller group of X-Men than most. The Astonishing X-Men begin with the return of Kitty Pryde to the school as a teacher, joining Scott, his new girlfriend Emma Frost, Hank, and Wolverine. They are joined towards the end of the first volume by Colossus. The amazing thing is that without Xavier, Storm, Rogue, Jean, Magneto, or any of a large number of other prominent characters, Whedon has managed to craft one of the most memorable chapters in the entire run of the X-Men story.

When it was first announced that Joss Whedon had signed on to do the X-Men, a number of comic book fans greeted the news with extreme scepticism. And even a few of the early individual issues were negatively reviewed by some traditionalists. But for the most part, that initial negative reaction was overcome by the sheer brilliance of the stories. Many who early on were baldly stating that Whedon was just an overrated TV writer (usually stated by people who never discovered the genius of BUFFY, ANGEL, and FIREFLY), were later retracting and acknowledging Whedon's gifts as a creative artist. Although the narrative makes these brilliant, John Cassaday's artwork really brings it to life and makes it memorable. The two make a truly great team. I have to admit to being somewhat torn about the future. As much as I delight in Whedon's great work in comics (he is now engaged in writing the stories for the comics THE RUNAWAYS and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Season 8), my first choice would be to see him do movies and TV series. So I both hope that he continues with X-Men past TORN (Vol. 3) and hope that he doesn't.

GIFTED has strong parallels with the third of the X-MEN movies. A scientist develops a "cure" for the mutant gene and there is pressure to make it mandatory for all mutants. It is a strong story with many of the unexpected twists that we have come to associate with Whedon. DANGEROUS deals with possibly the most unusual Big Bad in the entire history of the X-Men universe: the Situation Room, which becomes self-aware and embodied in robotic form. I can't imagine any fan of the X-Men being disappointed in the stories.

I also would strongly encourage anyone who is primarily a Joss Whedon fan giving these stories a try. They contain many of the touches we associate with him. For instance, the stories never go quite where you expect them. There are a number of very funny moments. And, of course, there is a super empowered young female. As one of pop culture's leading feminists (and quite open about the fact), Whedon here employs Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat as the hero we most empathize with. Kitty has always been one of my favorite X-Men, largely because her powers are more strategic than offensive (though her "pet" mini-dragon Lockheed definitely provides some offensive support). It is hard to imagine Whedon agreeing to do the X-Men and not including her in it.

So, regardless of your interest in this volume, whether as a fan of the X-Men, of comics in general, or Joss Whedon or John Cassaday in particular, this is as close to a must-get as you are going to get in the field. I strongly recommend it.

The Astonishing X-Men volume 1 hardcover collects the first 12 issues of the acclaimed series by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and John Cassaday (Planetary).

After more than a decade of lackluster X-Men comics, I was ready to throw in the towel. I could remember when Uncanny X-Men was the best of the best, but aside from a few glimmers of hope, the X-Men family of titles was just not holding my interest. Then, out of nowhere, come three separate events that brought me back to the fold - the Ultimate X-Men series, Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men, and the Astonishing X-Men.

With Astonishing X-Men, Joss Whedon builds on the major events of Morrison's now legendary run (such as Beast's secondary mutation, Emma Frost becoming an A-list character, and the Emma/Cyclops relationship), and adds his own unique brand of energy and clever dialogue. It's obvious Whedon is a long -time X-Men fan, since he demonstrates both an appreciation for the book's history as well as a great sense of what makes the characters tick. And while I won't give away any of the major surprises, I will say that Whedon has accomplished more in 12 issues than any other writer (save Grant Morrison) has done in years.

As good as Whedon's writing is; John Cassady's artwork is the icing on the cake. I've been a fan since his work on Desperadoes and Planetary, and enjoy seeing him apply his unique style to a traditional superhero book. His artwork is the perfect fit for Whedon's storytelling style, especially in the non-action sequences where facial expressions convey so much.

My only complaint is the return of the spandex. Outfitting the team in black leather was so much cooler, and I wish that didn't have to change. I don't know if this is a result of Cassaday's particular style, but Wolverine's yellow suit has never seemed so ridiculous.

All told, Astonishing X-Men is one of the best X-Men series in a long time, coming in at a close second to Grant Morrison's groundbreaking New X-Men run.

That's Josh Whedons response when he realized the immense task that lays before him in writing Astonishing X-men.I wasn't hip on Josh Whedons history, I was never a big fan of Buffy and I stopped reading any X-men title after the whole age of Apocalypse fiasco and never really got pulled back into it(Not including Morrison's run on New Xmen ).The primary reason I picked up the Astonishing X-Men was for John Cassadays art. I loved his work on planetary and almost went died of joy when I read he would be penciling such a monumental and nostalgic title.

I've read a lot of reviews on here that bring up classic story lines by Chris Claremont and I agree It's been a while since I've read anything that compares to Claremonts writing and I'm sure that anybody ever will. But If your the type that of person who is still trying to relive those glory days and refuses to accept Claremont not coming back,then maybe you should stop reading comics all together.

Now if you can look past all the comparison's and pigeon holing, and are a true fan of the X-MEN I recommend reading this title. It's not shocking or life altering but Whedons writing instill a more realistic view of the X-men. His writing enable the readers to actually feel the emotions and inner turmoil this team is facing. I especially liked watching Beast whose is at his peak in strength & intelligence simultaneously trying to balance saving innocent lives as well as himself (morally and emotionally speaking). There is definitely more then meets the eye in Whedons story and character development which further leads me to believe that there is a method to his madness. And the Art is not to be outdone. John Cassaday is MAGNIFICENT and to me alone worth the money I paid. He has a way of making the unfathomable seem all together realistic and believable. His lines are clean,uncluttered and add elegance to this book. In my opinion he's one of the best artist around today.

That being said I recommend the book yes,......but unless your a hardcore fan of the book maybe you should hold out on the hard cover and read the paperback or back issues before investing in this edition. I as a comic enthusiast collected the issues in their entirety and purchased the Hard cover variant only because I wanted the convenience of re-reading the story with out digging through my collection. The extra goodies are also a bonus for fans who crave more. These are the extra material-( variant covers gallery,Joss Whedon planning emails, which definitely explain a lot of the pressures and idea's he had to deal with while writing this title, An a candid tell all interview with Cassaday chronicling his drafting onto the creative team of Astonishing X-men) but for those of you who are using this as a starting off point maybe you should start with the paper back first.

After Grant Morrison's prolific run, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly/Serenity creator Joss Whedon and Planetary artist John Cassaday launched Astonishing X-Men, which finds Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Shadowcat, and Beast donning the colorful spandex again. Unlike what a previous reviewer stated, this isn't so much a throwback to the 90's-era X-Men comics because Astonishing X-Men has a plot and makes you care about the characters like you haven't since Claremont's glory days. Oh yeah, the resurrection of beloved X-Man Colossus is possibly the best "back from the dead" scenario in comics in recent memory, and the two storylines that this hardcover collects, "Gifted" and "Dangerous", feature plenty of eye popping visuals and Whedon's trademark snappy dialogue. Not to mention that by the time you reach the final page you'll be salivating for more, as Whedon has promised he has more up his sleeve. Besides Morrison's monumental New X-Men run, Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men is one of the most refreshing and stylized X-Men stories in years, and for those who missed out on the best selling single issues, this hardcover collection is a must own.

I had never picked up a comic book before I happened upon this item in a bookstore while killing some time. I had watched some few episodes of the X-Men animated series when I was a kid, and I saw the movies in the theatre. But Joss Whedon's name underneath the X-MEN logo leaped out at me and I decided to take a closer look - a friend had taken me to see Serenity in the theatre, and I'd loved it. I ended up sitting down and reading the entire thing in the book store.

The writing and the storyling are superb. I had no idea who Kitty Pryde/Shadocat was, but her character instantly grabbed me. There is nothing so poignant as coming home. I had only a vague idea of who Emma Frost was, but seeing Scott Summers in her arms made me frown and think that Logan had the right of it. My heart ached for Beast's plight - knowing that everything that makes you human is slowly fading must be terrifying.

In addition to the wonderful storytelling, the art is nothing short of stunning. I don't know much about form and function as far as art goes, but I know that I had to wipe away tears at the look on Kitty's face when she saw Peter standing there in the hallway. That set of panels as the bullets shot through her while she stares, shock-still, at Peter were heart-wrenching.

After reading the first volume, I could not find the second, so I had to order it. In the time it took to arrive, I did some heavy reading up on Wikipedia about the various X-Men and all the convoluted plots. It's incredibly complex, and there are multiple timelines - keeping them all seperate will be tough. I intend to pick up as many of the series as I can find. I am glad I started here, with this book, though. You can tell from the first page that the history is rich, the characters are deep and much lies beneath the surface. But it also stands alone and I had the chance to fall in love with the characters and who they are currently. Now, I begin the task of finding out who they've been. It should be interesting.

Joss Whedon takes on the X-men. I know this is heresy for most fans, but I'm not big on Joss Whedon. With the Astonishing X-Men, he's put together an ok series with some strong points and some weak elements. The storyline is fairly stripped down, with a limited cast of characters. This is a good book for someone not familiar with the X-Men, as you do get a good sense of the characters without having to deal with their complicated histories.

I know many enjoy Joss Whedon for his clever, witty dialog. At times it is clever, but my issue is that most of the time I can feel him trying to be clever. I find it distracting, particularly in the early issues of this run. I can tell it's Joss Whedon instead of feeling like it is the characters. In trying to be clever, the characters talk around and are aware of the cliches they're flirting with. For character he wants to be witty though, they end up all smearing together with similar sorts of self-aware wit. That weakens the characters and takes me out of the story.

That being said, the story picks up after the first few issues and once things get moving, it was fairly entertaining and I was drawn in more. He poses some interesting ideas with the artificial intelligence that becomes physically mobile. Xavier makes a cool appearance, but then I was disappointed to see his character compromised. It felt like a cheapening just at to provide some inter-team conflict and moral tension that probably wasn't necessary.

Other good points...You're going to get some good claw-ripping, laconic Wolverine. Kitty Pryde and Colossus have an interesting storyline that was the most enjoyable part of the book for me. Emma Frost is mysteriously traitorous and Beast is appealing wild and intellectual.

If you're a fan of Joss Whedon, this is probably going to be a really enjoyable book. If you just want an intro to the X-Men, this is also a good choice. I think there are better comics stories and dialog out there, but nevertheless it's a pretty fun read.