A Time Machine Review By Joe Read And Joe Innes, Or ‘The Joe Team’
Joe Read
After collecting every part of the twenty-five-issue run of Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassady I decided that it was possibly the greatest run of any creative team in the history of the X-Men.
Let me qualify that. The true function of the X-Men has never been very clear to me. One minute they seem to be super-powered aid workers, the next they’re mutant rights activists and sometimes it’s like watching an episode of Teachers with less swearing and more explosions. As Cyclops puts it, ‘We’ve been taking it on the chin so long, just trying to keep from being wiped out, I think we’ve forgotten that we have a purpose.’ Whedon gave this purpose back to the X-Men. From the first issue they launch themselves as a team of superheroes and that is what they remain in spite of a great many obstacles. Each member of this team gets their moment in the spotlight but there is just as much emphasis placed on showing the full force of their powers combined. In this way we’re reminded how their experiences have shaped and earned them their place among other heroes. We also see relationships within the team develop rather than being kept on a loop for convenience. This results in uncomfortable, moving and sometimes hilarious exchanges.
The versatility of John Cassady’s artwork is incredible. Each story arc presents a fresh threat for the X-Men and his style adapts perfectly to each one. Panels are at once bold, energetic and filled with subtlety. As the series begins in clinical, stark surroundings and gradually builds into a gigantic space opera, Cassady never fails to impress with the consistent high quality brought to every issue.
I don’t mean to disrespect any previous interpretations of the X-Men through my praise. A crucial part of Whedon’s success in this run is the sense of nostalgia he creates. There are countless nods made to the early work of Chris Claremont in particular, from the impending intergalactic threat to the climactic sacrifice of a teammate. Respect is paid in full through bright costumes and elements of romance but kept grounded by snappy dialogue and contemporary themes.
I can’t praise this run highly enough and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone.
Joe Innes
I, unlike the other Joe, did not hunt down every issue to this run. Instead I just purchased the hardcover omnibus, it looks fantastic on my shelf.
I’ve been a fan of Joss Whedon, like most people, since Buffy The Vampire Slayer. His writing was sharp, snappy and full of pop culture references, it’s always been a cup of my tea. In Astonishing, those writing skills breathe new life into some ageing archetypes. You know the guy was having fun writing it, and you know he did his homework for it, and you know he was thinking “I can’t believe I’m writing X-Men, I have the best job in the whole Fing world”.
The characters in Astonishing are incredibly well fleshed out. Whedon spends time with seemingly insignificant ‘newbie’ characters to brilliant effect, when they’re struck with tragedy or given a chance to stand their ground you really feel for them just as much as you would for Beast or Wolverine. The classic characters are familiar, but Whedon plays with them enough to shed light on personality traits that haven’t fully been explored. Beast cracks at least two Star Wars jokes, showing him to have an awesome sense of geek humour, and Kitty Pryde is made into a fantastic female role model, incredibly strong willed and with a hilarious distaste for Emma Frost’s wardrobe. He handles stuff like love and evil with a very grey brush, which is always good to see, and sex is well portrayed without being smutty or exploitative or anything.
The stories are incredibly compelling. My favourite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation were always set in the holo-deck. I think Whedon gets that because he takes the idea of a sentient danger room and just runs all the way with it. The arcs are perfectly planned, with smaller stories all coming together to make a big picture. The set-up is subtle, the problem is big and the solution makes sense, all fitting together like a big awesome puzzle. The stuff Joss Whedon brings to the table is still echoing through Uncanny X-Men right now, which is a testament to how good his ideas are.
So yeah, Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men is awesome, one of the best runs of its kind. Now I need to read Grant Morrison’s run… I love my life.
Jokes we couldn’t fit into this article: The front cover of Giant Size Astonishing #1 looks like X-Men Lemmings. Teenage Mutant Suicide (Don’t Do It).
X-Men Lemmings
