As a comic book geek, last week has left me with quite a mixed feeling. On one hand i am very pleased with the finale of Astonishing X-Men, i thought it was superbly done, as always, and on the other hand i was sad that the creative team of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday has left the title. The title started back in 2004, with a projected monthly issue for the next two years. And here we end up with an extra issue and an extra two years. The series undergone some major delays, which caused them to took the extra two years. However, in my opinion, the delays were always worth it.
Those of you who don't know who Joss Whedon is, he is a producer, writer, director, and show runner, most popularly known as the creator of tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin off, Angel. When Whedon was confirmed as the writer of the first issue, i got all excited. EVERYONE was excited by the prospect of having an experienced, and reliable writer. Although, the reliability is to the extent of some time constraints. Whedon's power has always been creating a major long plot that is built up through the subplots that exist within the stories he create. In addition, he is a well known wordsmith. I kinda made that one up, since i have no other words better to explain that kind of skill. I guess what i'm trying to say is that he always managed to construct a witty and smart dialogues. And most importantly, Whedon loves and understands the characters. That's the key ingredient.
His wordsmith and stories are backed up by the ever fantastic artist, John Cassaday. He is known for his work with Warren Ellis on the critically acclaimed Planetary. His ability to convert the story he's been given into a vast imagination of a stunningly beautiful sketch is the foundation of the Astonishing X-Men universe. I believe he is the one man that is perfect for the job.
Moving on to the stories, it consists of 4 story arc that interconnects with each other. What i love about this series, other than that ridiculously beautiful art by Cassaday, is that Whedon really know how to build up the momentum of each issues. Every issue is treated like an episode of a tv show. It usually started with some plot development, adding some action scenes in the middle, and ends up with a cracking cliffhanger. However, there are some problems toward the end of the series, which i think has taken too long to conclude. Still, i was patient enough to wait for each issue.
In terms of the characters, it's pleasing to see how deep Whedon has developed them. Cyclops, and Kitty Pride, in particular, are given so much things to do. While Kitty Pride has been a long-time fan favorite, Cyclops has suffered as one of the unlikable characters, despite his status as the team leader. But after this series, i couldn't see any reason why people should hate him anymore. He's tough, smart, and the team wouldn't function without him. Wolverine, who's often put as the main character in the X-books, is placed as the comic relief of this series. It's a joy reading his rants and his witty one liner.
Astonishing X-men is easily one of the best X-books ever. Along with Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips' Criminal, this was probably the best book on the shelf. People who don't usually read this kind of comic should start with this title. This title is comic book at its best. I salute the men behind the title, they have done a truly astonishing job.
