Joss Whedon

Agent Brand and the X-Men have a tea party whilst eluding space gazeboes. It’s almost as if Grant Morrison never left. More tea Powerlord Kruun?

Writer: Joss Whedon - Artist: John Cassaday - Colorist: Laura Martin - Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos - Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan - Editor: Axel Alonso - Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada - Publisher: Dan Buckley - Published by: Marvel Comics

Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, but Astonishing X-men seems to have been able to maintain a slightly quicker release schedule of late. Perhaps it’s simply anticipation for the end of this sparsely plotted epic. I don’t think much of hype, but I’m hoping for an ending in keeping with the level of talent displayed by this creative staff.

This issue sees our actors reach the Breakworld and get their bearings, but not much else. Sadly this is endemic of the pacing in this comic, although not entirely disappointing. I get the impression that Whedon is trying to make every little bit as exciting as possible, and just not always succeeding. There’s little to be said about the plot, and thus, little to be remembered. Were it not for Whedon’s redeeming use of dramatic tools and solid dialogue, there’d be little to applaud.

Our villains today are one-note, though very well festooned. (Powerlord Kruun?) As keeping as that is with the locale, I wonder if Whedon isn’t taking his world of over-glorified ogres as seriously as it appeared he was in the previous issue’s most solemn scenes...) I also must admit that I wasn’t impressed by Whedon’s fleshing out of his other creations. I mean, gee, is Wolverine really going to bond with that young Asian girl? It’s so unlikely... Maybe if we’re lucky, he’s got some kind satirical or subversive twist planned for that. At least the discourse between the two is above par.

As for Brand, I must say I am surprised that she’s had all this time to show how gung-ho and derivative she is of any authoritative military adjunct, (Like her predecessor often could be) and yet no one has broached the question: why all the bright green? At the very least there could be a stronger element of discord between her and her charges. If not necessary reasonable under the circumstances, I would argue that it would be provide some dramatic purpose to her continued meddling.

Cassaday’s artwork maintains its usual detailed measure, but I daresay there’s not much going for it beyond that. Action in this issue is too easily interspersed with dialogue, preventing the creation of imagery that is more interesting. The script just seems to overpower any influence Cassaday has; the most memorable visuals see Whedon making use of humorous cuts and contrasts between characters and events. Even the intimate moments, like Katherine’s hand-holding are clearly highlighted by the script and layout rather than by any artistic ingenuity. This reliance on explicit script driven subtlety, (Yes, I see the contradiction) may be part of the reason why the book is so slowly paced.

I don’t see much flair in Cassaday’s sci-fi designs, and I’m sorry to say that the strange name of the Breakworld planet and its colorful sounding locales are betrayed by a similarly lackluster design. Though we aren’t given many chances by the script to view the majesties of this world, it’s just as well, as the background offers little to fire the imagination in this issue. There are some exceptions to these disappointments, including Colossus’ landing and the final overwrought wall tableau, but I think Cassaday’s creative work has to be somewhat disappointing when compared to his technical expertise.

Astonishing X-Men #20 (variant)Colors and inks in Astonishing X-Men are stronger than most I’ve seen elsewhere, but this venue doesn’t give them much of an opportunity to shine. When the most memorable arrangement of colors is a flat red light scheme, (one we’ve seen before) spiced up by using Photoshop, (or equivalent) to induce vibration, I wonder if this otherwise highly talented team has hit the limits of their interpretive skill. It doesn’t help that a Lee and Isanove preview of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series temporarily overshadows the art efforts of Astonishing.

To be fair though, Cassaday and Martin have undeniable chemistry, and given the opportunity they can showcase great detail, depth, and subtlety in their panels. It’s just that in this issue, the money-shots just don’t deliver too well, and there’s precious little time for Cassaday and Martin to otherwise touch on things that may be more their style.

On paper Astonishing X-Men could be the strongest of the X-men books, and there was a time when that was true. But by now this slow moving story has arguably been left behind by the other rejuvenated X-men titles. Whedon’s early attempts to change the face of the mutant world were undercut, and this has left his plot lacking in any illustrious political or sociological questions. I wonder if the extension of his run was in part an attempt to regain a greater purpose in his story. (Although maybe the timing doesn’t work out for that theory)

With impending schedules and one area of his opening storyline out of limits by Marvel’s change-by-decree universe, I am sure that Whedon has been feeling his way forward through this plot while putting most of his efforts on the smaller matters like characters and dialogue. For however his storyline may not inspire yet, his efforts in those other matters are certainly appreciated. I think Astonishing X-Men’s saving grace may be found in this intellectual examination of dramatic and emotional roles between the mutants and the intimacy of the cast; something that distinguishes itself from the other superhero and X-Men books.

Astonishing X-Men isn’t high-concept nor does it rely upon unending villainous turns and returns. Of course, that doesn’t leave much driving the plot. Perhaps the book could take a more romantic turn? I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan, but this is the only X-Men book I feel like reading simply because I feel it’s the only one which has the potential to tell the kinds of stories that I’d like to read. Whether it delivers much of that though remains to be seen. As of yet, Astonishing X-men merely been treading water on that front. If nothing else, Astonishing X-Men catches the X-men at a fairly unusual time and provides a fairly unique voice, which may be enough to give this story a good shelf life.