Joss Whedon

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Astonishing X-Men #22 - Written by Joss Whedon - Art by John Cassday - Rating: Must Have

Jesse’s Review: The only thing Astonishing about this X-Men book is the delays. With all the other X-Men books on the market, there’s simply no room for this rogue title that slips in and out of the release schedule, occasionally gracing us with a bit of decompressed drivel. Neither Joss Whedon’s hackneyed writing style nor John Cassaday’s lackluster pencils make the wait worthwhile in the least. If ever there was a book deserving of a "Burn It," Astonishing X-Men...

... isn’t it. Come on, did you really expect a bad rating for this series? Astonishing X-Men may be perpetually delayed, but it never fails to remind us of its greatness when it does finally hit the stands. Unlike The Ultimates 2, the finished art never feels rushed. Rather, John Cassaday continues to cement his reputation as one of the finest comic artists of any era. This issue has quite a few emotional wringers in it, and his elegantly simple yet detailed characters are rendered well enough that Whedon’s writing is hardly necessary.

Not to take anything away from Whedon himself. The X-Men are no strangers to conflict. Between World War Hulk and the buildup to Messiah Complex they rarely have a moment to sit down and take a breather. That aside, Whedon has placed his team in a real pickle of a humdinger, and the tension is thick enough to cut with adamantium claws. We’ve all been waiting months and months to find out if Colossus will fulfill the prophecy and destroy the Breakworld. We’ve wondered which X-Man will fail to make the return journey home. The answers may be slow in coming, but this issue carries some real gravitas, and I loved every minute of it.