Joss Whedon

First Look: Joss Whedon is Well on His Way Toward Putting Together One of the Better “X-Men” Runs

xWednesdays have been an absolute joy for me over the past eight years. On those Wednesdays, I’ve made many friends of people because of one simple thing: the comic book. Nothing brings out the extrovert in the mousy like a good (or very bad) comic. Ask tried and true Spider-Man fans about the infamous “Clone Saga” and watch the heated debate this story will bring about. From debates like this, I’ve been able to decide who to embrace and who to keep at arm’s length. Over the past six months, I’ve been embracing many a reader, new and old, with Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men run. For many, it’s the greatest thing since...well, Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s run on Uncanny X-Men. For myself, it reminds me of the spark these characters have if creators treat them as something more than another assignment. This Wednesday, Whedon and Cassaday bring you Astonishing X-Men # 7, confirming my belief that 22 pages of words and art, pound for pound, is still some of the best entertainment around.

A statement needs to be made. A big, loud statement. With resident strongman, Colossus, surfing atop The Blackbird, The Astonishing X-Men fly into Manhattanto battle a very Kirby-esque flame-tailed monster. As Cyclops calls the shots, Colossus leaps from a Beast-helmed Blackbird to ride the creature’s nostrils. Kitty is sent on search and rescue while Emma is literally put on crowd control and Wolverine...he really wants a beer. What could make this comic book better? An honest-to-goodness team-up, my friend. Pages later, Manhattanis safe again, the monster is vanquished, the world seeing The X-Men standing side-by-side with the stars of “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine.” Meanwhile, the events of the previous six issues are due to come back to haunt The X-Men in the form of Special Agent Brand. One of The X-men is due to destroy her planet, The Breakworld. She will not let this happen. As The X-Men return home, there will be no public recognition, as the media decides to “overlook” their battle in Manhattan, further cementing the fact that the Marvel Universe won’t ever be ready for the idea of “the mutant-as-hero,” because the general public won’t be allowed exposure to it. Meanwhile, The X-Men, while trying to curry favor amongst “the normals,” loses one of their young charges to a war they couldn’t have possibly seen coming.

Writer Joss (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Whedon’s run on Astonishing X-Men has been nothing but a love letter to The X-Men’s mid-Seventies/early Eighties glory days. Whedon’s X-Men are portrayed as friends, allies and enemies, everything thirty years of interaction should bring. It is a joy to read this man’s words, as not one is ever wasted. There’re no red herrings to obstruct from the sheer power of seeing these characters working together to astonish, thirty years on. On page 9, with four simple words, he lets us get as close to Logan as we ever should get to him and I for one loved the economy.

Brilliant writing is coupled with John (Captain America) Cassaday’s stunning artwork. From the beautiful shot of Colossus elegantly surfing atop The Blackbird to the horrors of the twisted remains of a “lost” young man, you find nothing but beauty in every panel. Cassaday’s beautiful artwork proves, month in, month out, that he is in a class reserved for comics’ greatest draftsmen, the likes of Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and Eduardo Risso.

Astonishing X-Men # 7 simply reaffirms my love for comics. It’s a comic that I want to pass on to friends. If someone asks me why I love comics, besides 100 Bullets, Astonishing X-Men is the comic that will speak for me. This is the type of comic that makes Wednesdays worthwhile. Astonishing X-Men # 7 is highly recommended.