Written By Warren Ellis
Art by Simone Bianchi
The X-Men have always been about third on my favorite teams. They fall right behind the Avengers and Fantastic four. However, I do like them a great deal. It is great to see Astonishing X-Men come out more than once every blue moon. For that I applaud Marvel’s decision to get Warren Ellis for this book. I know that people in the cult of Joss Whedon will scream blasphemy, but the man had no business writing a monthly comic. How frequent did this book ship? Let’s hope Ellis stays on schedule and isn’t trying to resurrect Firefly.
The Book
Astonishing X-Men is Marvel’s premier X book and has always been a fun read. See I have no problems with Joss Whedon. What I like about this book is that Warren Ellis is writing a great superhero book. A lot of indie writers seem to shake a stick at superheroes and want to make them over the top or cliché, but Warren Ellis can write a darn good story filled with tights and fights.
This issue is full of great dialogue between characters. Look for a return of Storm, queen of Wakanda. Warren writes great back and forth between Emma Frost and Scott Summers in here as well. This is a great jumping on point for new readers wondering what’s going on with their favorite muties.
One of my favorite characters is the young mutant Hisako. Throughout the issue she is trying to figure out a new name and being well, a teenager. She is really relatable and serves as a contrast to the mainstay characters.
Overall this is a well-written story that Marvel fans will love. Let’s hope it stays that way. I really can’t recommend the writing in this book enough. Warren Ellis is really a talent that you have to experience for yourself.
9/10
The Artwork
Here comes the problem with this book. I really can’t see why this artist is on a superhero book. While the art is interesting, I hate it for the X-Men. The previous artist, John Cassaday did a phenomenal job and he is missed with this issue. Even the cover doesn’t fit. Both Wolverine and Beast look like the Cowardly Lion. The only highpoints are Biance’s rendition of Emma Frost. With that said, the artwork is really washed and looks almost black and white.
I’m not criticizing the art as much as I’m saying it doesn’t fit here. The artwork really brings down the story. That is rare for me, but I can’t stand how it looks.
5/10
Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10
The Review
The Story 9/10
The Artwork 5/10
Overall (Not an Average) 7/10