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Underground > Comic Books >

Astonishing X-Men #6

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15:29 / 28.10.04

You might have forgotten this was coming out soon, but here's the first preview:

Clicky clicky!

16:47 / 28.10.04

Damn the book looks pretty.

I didn't like #1 at all when it came out but later read issues 2-4 in one sitting, I've since reconsidered my original opinion and am enjoying the book (despite last month issue having some bad dialogue writing).

I don't think I'll ever be as excited about an X-Men comic as I was before Morrison's run and during his first two years on it.

04:30 / 29.10.04

It's way cool and I'm a HUGE Whedonverse fanatic, but ASTONISHING is no PLANETARY (nor should it seek to be, I guess). I do hope that Joss stays on after issues twelve, but also sort of hope that Cassaday DOESN'T keep on trucking so he can draw PLANETARY faster! But then ASTONISHING would loose some of it's luster...

In my mind, there are two great post-prime-Claremont X-men writers: Whedon and Morrison. They really bring much needed freshness and edge to the franchise, and a head for intelligent characterization. And if you don't agree with me, then go and eat some lemony chips, sonny boy!

14:34 / 29.10.04

"Hyrda hair"! Nice one.

Although I saw some Cassaday preview art for like issue 8 in the Marvel Previews and the panel they showed looked kinda rushed, w/sloppy faces... and I thought his Colossus in the last issue was kinda inconsistent and looked weird at times...

15:41 / 29.10.04

The next page is up here.

Notice the repeated art from the previous page for more possible "Cassaday's getting rushed" evidence.

ONLY NICE THINGS

16:04 / 29.10.04

"I smelled him."

"I also did that."

Hee! Not much to add, I realise, but that made me laugh.

16:34 / 31.10.04

Why do people blame Cassaday for the delays in Planetary? It has to be written before he can draw it.

Astonishing is better right now anyway.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

17:45 / 31.10.04

Read it in store. The twist leading into arc the second is going to piss a lot of people off and it has a FASTBALL FUCKING SPECIAL in it. Lots of set up for future arcs and it looks like Wedon's pitching for a three year run.

10:49 / 01.11.04

did planetary not come out this week too? or last week even? the girls at newsarama seem to have read it.

if so, then the last three issues of planetary have been more regular than ever before, on a pretty good 2.5-3 months between issues. sbetter than waiting for a year between each like we used to.

11:42 / 01.11.04

Its coming out more regularly and the art is beautiful but the narrative is somewhat lacking...

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:43 / 01.11.04

The so-called "repeated art" is a technique Cassady has used before, as have many artists - it's not necessarily an indication that he's rushed at all.

23:09 / 01.11.04

"...it looks like Wedon's pitching for a three year run."

WHATWHATWHAT?????? PLS explain.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

03:49 / 02.11.04

There's a dangler set up with a three-year timespan. Figured that was him laying out how long he wants to be on board for...

05:35 / 02.11.04

Dudley you tease....

03:43 / 03.11.04

I saw this uncluttered version of Cassaday's uber-sexxxy cover to this week's Astonishing, thought the lot of you might want a look. If the mods wanna ace it, go right ahead, but I figured it was well worth posting

. Mmmmm.....

20:31 / 03.11.04

I do hope Joss and John are on board for more than a dozen issues 'cause this run gets better and better. I just hope Emma doesn't turn out to be evil again. After the whole Magneto retcon and the rest of the damage heaped onto Morrison's run, that'd be like pissing all over a mutilated corpse.

01:20 / 04.11.04

I had the impression Emma's planning a party for Kitty. Sorority rush week perhaps?

Seriousness aside, I trust that whatever Whedon has in store for Emma and Kitty, that it will be great. He was able to bring Colossus back without it sucking, and I commend him.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

14:40 / 04.11.04

Gosh, a lot did happen didn't it? Totally feels like a big season opener that leaves everything open for the big season finale. In the best way.

Haus of Mystery

15:13 / 04.11.04

Superb. Constantly impressed by Whedon's mastery of the genre, considering my previous exposure (the dissappointing 'Fray'). Loved it, especially

'I read his mind'
I matched his DNA
I smelled him
I did that too.'

and the classic Wolverine/Collossus up and under. Alongside Batman's Sci-Fi closet this has been a fanboy's wet dream of a week.

Joy!

16:07 / 04.11.04

I just hope Emma doesn't turn out to be evil again. After the whole Magneto retcon and the rest of the damage heaped onto Morrison's run, that'd be like pissing all over a mutilated corpse.

ditto. otherwise, no complaints. very solid, all around. i also like the introduction of S.W.O.R.D. as an offworld counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D. i like shady intelligence agencies with silly acronyms in my comics.

i do think it was classically, myopically X-Men-ish to weigh the (welcome) return of an X-Man about equally with the entire world falling apart around them and threats closing in on all sides. i think that kind of worldview says a lot about the franchise and its longterm appeal, actually.

11:07 / 05.11.04

Another class issue – liked the absence of the ‘two words’, that was nice.

And is that Rorschach behind Hydra-hair in the riot scene ?

Anyway: good solid, easy-to-follow story, with decent characterisation and dialogue, and art which is frequently the right side of bloomin’ great. No complaints here, though a slightly embarrassed admission that I didn’t ‘get the trick’ on the cover immediately, mis-seeing it as a standard embrace. Which made the second look a nice surprise.

13:28 / 05.11.04

You bite, I'll heal. I pop, you won't

Some of the best character writting around at the moment.

13:33 / 05.11.04

>> I just hope Emma doesn't turn out to be evil again.

I agree, and it's clear that Whedon is misdirecting us here. Whedon loved Grant Morrison's version of Emma and he won't just make her evil again. That's more something Chris Claremont would do. So don't worry, Emma is safe, I feel certain.

13:35 / 05.11.04

And I'd like to say that even though I knew the fastball special was coming, turning the page and seeing the lead-in still made me laugh with glee like a little boy in the subway as I read it for the first time.

Nice work, Joss and John.

Haus of Mystery

14:07 / 05.11.04

I was definitely left feeling satisfied but hungry for the next ish - always a good sign. Kind of like a top-notch Buffy episode...

14:37 / 05.11.04

Well, what an all round geekfest my birthday has been.

A nice new Starwars trailer, and a pile of luvverly comics, and this was one of the best. That fast ball special just about made my day. Until I read We3, that is.

17:25 / 05.11.04

I hate to say it, but damn... Joss scuttling his TV development deal makes me horny for the fact that an extended run on Astonishing is that much more realistic now. FASTBALL FUCKING SPECIAL baby! Mmmmmmm... Methinks Emma is hot for some Russian goodness, and wasn't that endcap oh so unsettling. Any takers on who's destined to eat a fucking planet? Kinda sketch on who that's gonna be but I'm a patient boy, I'll sit quietly and wait for the payoff. Excellent character work, thank you Whedon for making Colossus worth his return in 3 issues alone.

And happy birthday Bobossboy!

22:30 / 06.11.04

Happy Birthday dude.
Years ago, the best gift I gave myself for my nineteenth birthday was St. Swithin's Day.
Nobody's beaten it yet.

23:58 / 06.11.04

Thanks for posting that cover, Mike. It's excellent.

06:42 / 07.11.04

No worries bro, I saw it an' nearly creamed myself... figured I'd share the love (so to speak...).

On that note, some Marvel propoganda I actually enjoyed, from the mouth of Buckley (as of WW Texas):

"The Astonishing X-Men run is one of the best books Marvel has produced period in its history"

Little presumptious but fuck at least they believe in the book enough to hopefully encourage the creative team to stick around. Sorry, my mistake I'm sure it's the ridonkulous revenue they believe in, lol.

Oh, btw... this is a tad off topic but concerning Cassaday: I understand the Absolute Planetary HC is being released later this month, and was wondering if any of you knew how many issues of the series were included in it, as the DC site doesn't list that info (oddly enough). Just wondering, since the Absolute HC format looks to be the best way for me to get into the series (I considered just buying up the individual issues but the HC is supposedly oversized an' I ain't about to argue w/ that).

11:26 / 07.11.04

As far as I'm aware the absolute books hold 12 issues.

Matthew Fluxington

13:10 / 07.11.04

I don't think that Emma has gone supervillain on us, and I don't think that it's really misdirection either. Emma's morality is very grey, and I think that's the direction Joss is headed in. It's already been explained that Emma specifically chose Kitty to join their squad for strategic reasons. Now we're going to see what they were, exactly. The whole Kitty/Emma dynamic is about idealism vs. pragmatism, so it should be be interesting.

Matthew Fluxington

13:12 / 07.11.04

Oh, and hey, Henry didn't get "cured." I do believe I made some bets with some of you. Pay up!

13:50 / 07.11.04

Yeah, pay up

Thanks for the b-day wishes, guys.

Flux, I think the end counts as misdirection to the extent that Joss is almost certainly aware that there is a large section of the fan-base that will assume Emma has turned back to the dark side. This kind of false misdirection is a staple of television dramas, as I'm sure you're aware.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

16:13 / 07.11.04

She's going evil again, get over it. At least for a while. Sublimely.

I love it how you all presume to know what Joss Wedon thinks...

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