Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon & John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men Omnibus) [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

- Ben Grimm: "Didn't they come up with a cure for your kind?"
- Wolverine: "You got a problem with mutants?"
- Ben Grimm: "I meant Canadians."

Joss Whedon's staggeringly awesome X-Men run has ended, but that doesn't stop me from going back and re-reading his stuff a bunch of times. And with the ASTONISHING X-MEN OMNIBUS finally out and published, I can finally just keep all those individual issues bagged safe and sound in my plastic nuclear holocaust-proof Mylars.

I confess that I've stopped trying to keep up with Marvel's eighty-seven thousand different X-titles sometime back in the '90s, having gotten fed up with the sheer volume and super-convoluted continuity of the thing. I also had this sense, back in the '90s, that the prevailing storytelling for all those X-titles leaned more towards a "quantity over quality" attitude. But I bow down to Joss Whedon, and so had to pick up ASTONISHING X-MEN, fully anticipating greatness. Which is exactly what Joss proceeded to give us. A hell of a ride.

Whedon brings to ASTONISHING X-MEN all the tools that made BUFFY and FIREFLY and, hell, even DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG such a memorable experience: There's his ear for sharp, spot-on dialogue and his witty forays into pop culture references. There's his ability to write emotionally hard-hitting scenes and his deft juggling of character dynamics and seamless interweaving of plot elements. Joss Whedon is the nerd god of nerds, and his minions are legion or at least can fill up the San Diego Comic Con.

Who out there currently has a better handle on the X-Men? I'd never been that partial to Scott Summers before Whedon got his mitts on him, and now... well, I'm partial. Nowadays I actually look at Cyclops and don't instantly associate him with Jean Grey. And it's fairly obvious to me that Kitty Pryde means a lot to Whedon. Rumor has it that Kitty was actually an inspiration for Buffy. Under Joss's auspices Kitty Pryde grows up, and it's beautiful to see her like this... strong, decisive, funny, and even sexual. On the other hand, there isn't much of a character arc for Logan. He remains on the edge of being primal. But Joss's take on him is frequently laugh out loud funny. And then there's the enigmatic Emma Frost, who ambiguously straddles the line between reformed villainy and potential betrayal, and all the while flaunting that delirious British snark.

ASTONISHING X-MEN OMNIBUS collects issues #1-24 and GIANT-SIZE ASTONISHING X-MEN #1, all this the sum of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's sublime run, after which the series makes way for Warren Ellis and artist Simone Bianchi. But how do you follow up on perfect? Well, okay, other than the multiple scheduling delays, how do you follow up on perfect?

The X-Men state of things as Joss Whedon begins: Jean Grey is dead. Prof. X is on sabbatical. Emma Frost is currently the co-headmistress of Xavier Academy and the de facto team co-leader. I didn't even know Colossus had sacrificed himself during the Legacy Virus story. Joss's run is broken up into four arcs. "Gifted" (issues #1-6) opens with Kitty Pryde returning to the X-Men proper, after having hung out with the Excalibur team for a few years. Kitty finds herself part of the senior staff at the rebuilt Xavier Institute and learns that the team's new mission statement is to make the X-Men more accessible and acceptable in the public's distrustful eyes. So, new attitude, new costumes. But same old dysfunctions. Kitty, chosen for her likability and for her non-threatening mutant power, harbors suspicions about the telepath Emma Frost (who I just learned can also assume the likeness of diamond), and never mind that the former White Witch has gotten real friendly with Cyclops. But the first step to gaining public trust is facing the media, although as Wolverine would later mutter: "Being hated and feared by a world that doesn't understand us beats this circus any day."

This arc revolves around the possibility of a mutant cure and the fallout to that. This especially affects the Beast, whose appearance has become even more bestial, and so he's definitely interested in this cure. But then there's that saying about something being too good to be true. In this arc Joss also introduces the Breakworld and S.W.O.R.D. and new characters Hisako Ichiki a.k.a. Armor and S.W.O.R.D. director Abigail Brand. Armor happens to be one of my new favorite characters, a cool Japanese girl able to manifest a protective armor shape around her person. Joss gives her plenty of spotlight.

A few SPOILERS now, here and there.

"Dangerous" (issues #7-12) begins with the Fantastic Four helping the X-Men play whack-a-mole on a giant monster. Then we get to the main plot as the Danger Room gains sentience and, overriding its programming, attacks the X-Men. And, to underscore just how lethal this new adversary is, Emma Frost ominously declares: "This being has power we can't fathom... and the only thing it has ever known is violence."

"Torn" (issues #13-18) proves that Kitty was right to be suspicious as things go from bad to seriously kaka, and even the really unpleasant Agent Brand observes: "Not that I entirely care - but these guys just cannot catch a break." The Hellfire Club slips into the Xavier mansion and totally, totally effs with the X-Men. This storyline takes its time getting all action packy, but it does feature some of the best and funniest character moments I've ever read on an X-Men title, particularly with what happens to Wolverine. And there's something very touching and a bit sad about seeing Hank holding on to his ball of string.

The Joss Whedon era climaxes with the explosive "Unstoppable" saga (issues #19-24 & GIANT-SIZE ASTONISHING X-MEN #1). The X-Men and several S.W.O.R.D. agents are transported to the Breakworld and set themselves on a collision course with an ancient prophecy foretelling of Breakworld's destruction at the hands of an X-Man. Not to mention, the X-Men also have to contend with yet another psychic's prediction, that one of them won't be coming back.

"Unstoppable" returns the X-Men to the epic intergalactic saga. The Breakworld is inhabited by a brutal warrior race, and the X-Men find themselves mercilessly hunted down yet again. Plenty of slam bang action, desperate derring-do, and big moments. Cyclops - never more vulnerable than now, having just lost his mutant power - shines like never before and proves, once and for all, that he's got the stones to lead this team. I've never seen Scott Summers more triumphant than in that one pumped-fist-in-the-air moment when he summons his team to him: "To me, my X-Men!" Still, both prophecies end up coming true. Don't be at all surprised if your heart breaks reading the few final pages. Me, I was gutted.

Does the ASTONISHING X-MEN OMNIBUS come at a steep price? Certainly. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Unless, of course, you already have the individual collected volumes. And I haven't even mentioned John Cassaday, whose spectacular artistic contribution cannot be overlooked. With his clean lines and realistic renderings Cassaday is one of the best comic book illustrators currently going, and, appropriately, his stuff here is... astonishing. Boy, Warren Ellis and his artists have their work cut out for them.

Joss Whedon's run on "Astonishing X-Men" was nothing short of brilliance - period. Whedon took the convoluted, tired, and continuously rehashed X-Men brand and well, re-branded -if not rejuvenating it from the brink of lifelessness- it. Given my generous ladling of praise onto Whedon thus far, it comes to no surprise that the selling point of "Astonishing" is the narrative. Whedon's storytelling is superb and deeply engaging. Story lines move with spot-on pacing and the rich, witty, humorous, and at times ridiculous (in a good way) dialogue allow for a smooth flow with few hindrances to upset the journey.

Characters also enjoy the fruits of Whedon's stellar pen. Whedon sticks to a pared down cast akin to that used by Grant Morrison during his legendary run on "New X-Men." This downsized cast allows ample room for character development and Whedon reaps a bounty in the creative expanse. Relationships are explored, conflicts (internal and external) are flushed out of the cloisters, and emotional baggage is laid out. Two personal favorites stick out for me: 1) is the developed relationship between Emma Frost and Scott Summers; and 2) the expulsion of Wolverine to the outskirts of the series. An aside, Emma Frost is probably the best thing to happen to the X-Men series bar-none. I suggest that her character (when placed in the right hands) is shouldering a significant weight of the X-Men series.

I could lavish countless more praise on Whedon's amazing work but I want to keep things short. Not since Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" has a X-Men series succeeded in fully engaging and drawing readers back into the wonder, startling reality, and simple joy that was X-Men.

Collecting the entirety of Joss Whedon's inaugural run on Astonishing X-Men, the Astonishing X-Men Omnibus is, in a word, astonishing...both through the quality of its content and through the glossy production values of the volume. The story features the re-formation of the team from Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, and Wolverine) with the addition of classic X-favorites Kitty Pryde and Colossus; in general, Whedon's issues seem quite indebted to, and respectful of, Morrison's run on the X-books (which, like it or hate it, certainly changed a lot of things forever).

Kitty Pryde arrives at Xavier's School for the Gifted as a neophyte teacher, joining her former classmates (and former enemy, in the case of Emma Frost; the friction between the two is delightful, and delightfully written). But when a cure for the mutant gene is discovered - at the same time that a violent, aggressive alien starts terrorizing people - matters rapidly become a little less academic. A new wrinkle appears when a counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D., the extraterrestrially-oriented military organization S.W.O.R.D., becomes involved, and Abigail Brand (head of S.W.O.R.D.) rapidly finds herself becoming more involved with the X-Men than perhaps originally planned. The introduction of a sentient computer, the possibility of a treacherous Emma Frost, and a prophecy that recently-revived X-Man Colossus will destroy an alien world complicate things further, and the story quickly moves from Earth to the distant Breakworld, where a final showdown threatens the Earth itself. Perhaps not even the X-Men can all make it out of this one alive...

Whedon's writing is fun and energetic; he is clearly a fan of both classic and more modern X-Men stories, and his enthusiasm for getting to write these characters and this story is infectious. He brings the wit and skill displayed in his television shows - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible - to the X-Men, which overall is an inspired move. This is not to say Whedon's writing is perfect: there is the occasional Whedonism that, while it would be fitting for one of the Buffy characters, perhaps shouldn't be coming out of Kitty Pryde's mouth. Nevertheless, the added dimension of humor and humanity given to characters like the dull-as-dishwater Cyclops make the character intriguing in a way he'd never been before. Whedon's plotting is impressive in its forethought and his writing almost universally in-character (the aforementioned odd line aside) and expressive. John Cassaday's beautiful art brings the characters to life, and I was delighted quite early on to see Cassaday's take on a few classic X-Men moments.

In short, a quality edition of a very high-quality run of issues; though compared to some of the other Marvel Omnibuses, this is a comparative lightweight, it's definitely still worth the price.