Astonishing X-men

[keeen]

Is anyone reading this series? I really like the idea of having a different artist on each issue, and the artists that have been on it appeal to me, but I didn't really like the team roster and am not entirely sold on Soule, so I am not sure if I want to go back and read it from the beginning to catch up. Has the series good?

EDIT: Whoopsee, daisy, I just saw the robust poll and discussion of issue ten on the second page of the forum. Seems like opinions are...mixed.

[Weather]

I LOVED the first arc (until #6) and I like the way Soule writes. My only problem are the last 2 issues, that felt decompressed to me. I loved the first arc because it brought a lot of amazing consequences. But since we don't see the repercussions of those, it gives the impression it affects nothing. I only hope issue #13 will show the consequences in the general X-line, somehow. Other characters need to know about this. I want to see they arguing between them about how they can trust X, not a fight with boring Proteus, that I never cared.

It is also hard to have a story that happens in about 2 days being published along a year. With the changing artists, it would get easy to make it faster. But I guess Gold and Blue coming twice a month sucks all the air in the franchise, so Astonishing and Red are under the bus in that regard. I guess Astonsihing will read a lot better in a trade, when completed.

[Xelossik]

I LOVED the first arc (until #6) and I like the way Soule writes. My only problem are the last 2 issues, that felt decompressed to me. I loved the first arc because it brought a lot of amazing consequences. But since we don't see the repercussions of those, it gives the impression it affects nothing. I only hope issue #13 will show the consequences in the general X-line, somehow. Other characters need to know about this. I want to see they arguing between them about how they can trust X, not a fight with boring Proteus, that I never cared.

It is also hard to have a story that happens in about 2 days being published along a year. With the changing artists, it would get easy to make it faster. But I guess Gold and Blue coming twice a month sucks all the air in the franchise, so Astonishing and Red are under the bus in that regard. I guess Astonsihing will read a lot better in a trade, when completed.

I think that Astonishing will be worse in trade.

for example:

Why X can fight after being stabbed if he doesn't have regeneration?
When You will read this story then You will find many details like this because events in this book doesn't have consequences even in this book.

[Weather]

I think that Astonishing will be worse in trade.

for example:

Why X can fight after being stabbed if he doesn't have regeneration?
When You will read this story then You will find many details like this because events in this book doesn't have consequences even in this book.

The stabbing was more like a gag then something to being take seriously. He was in the "autodoc" and got better. Considering the tecnology that exists in comics, it is something believable.

[Xelossik]

The stabbing was more like a gag then something to being take seriously. He was in the "autodoc" and got better. Considering the tecnology that exists in comics, it is something believable.

Everything in this book is more like a gag then something to being take seriously. Villains,death, wounds, time.
and X-men can't lose because even if they will die... that won't be the end right?

[R0d]

The general idea of the book was quite interesting at first but the execution, bad treatment of the huge cast and decompression in the writing were a dealbreaker for me.
This story could have been told in 8 issues and with at least 3 less characters. The fact that it was a monthly title didn't help it either.

[Omegarogue]

Is anyone reading this series? I really like the idea of having a different artist on each issue, and the artists that have been on it appeal to me, but I didn't really like the team roster and am not entirely sold on Soule, so I am not sure if I want to go back and read it from the beginning to catch up. Has the series good?

EDIT: Whoopsee, daisy, I just saw the robust poll and discussion of issue ten on the second page of the forum. Seems like opinions are...mixed.

It is a terrible series, if you do not like the character of "X" you hate the book, by far it is the worst Xbook of all, if even worse than GOLD, seeing the B team that has been quite good, the problem of Gugs is that is not writing well a team book, because with the B he has done well, his problem is that he wants to do the Kitty Show, and when she is on stage the others for one reason or another look like incompetents.

I think if Kitty is removed from the cast, Gugs can make a good team book.

On the other hand Soul can not make a good team book, AXM is "X" and many characters that look like the characters that are there, but they are dolls without personality.

[MythicalChicken]

It is a terrible series, if you do not like the character of "X" you hate the book, by far it is the worst Xbook of all, if even worse than GOLD, seeing the B team that has been quite good, the problem of Gugs is that is not writing well a team book, because with the B he has done well, his problem is that he wants to do the Kitty Show, and when she is on stage the others for one reason or another look like incompetents.

I think if Kitty is removed from the cast, Gugs can make a good team book.

On the other hand Soul can not make a good team book, AXM is "X" and many characters that look like the characters that are there, but they are dolls without personality.

I respectfully disagree. The past two issues were a little write-for-tradish (the art was lovely but all the double-page spread didn't justify what was a very quick read), but I don't think it deserves toxic fandom vitriol, either.

It's been both a good meta commentary on contemporary x-comics at points, some nice character moments and everyone's been used for plot device points moreso than characterization. X is secondary to this combination of characters and how the variety of artists actually helped, in my mind. I'd be very surprised if X lives past this series.

Expectations factor in too -- after IvX I was TERRIFIED of this series because I loved Soule up until that damn crossover. I've been pleasantly surprised-to-wow'd consistently.

[keeen]

Thanks for all the feedback. It was the ACO issue that drew my attention, so I think I'll just buy that and see if anything about the characters compels me to check out the rest.

[nx01a]

I respectfully disagree. The past two issues were a little write-for-tradish (the art was lovely but all the double-page spread didn't justify what was a very quick read), but I don't think it deserves toxic fandom vitriol, either.

It's been both a good meta commentary on contemporary x-comics at points, some nice character moments and everyone's been used for plot device points moreso than characterization. X is secondary to this combination of characters and how the variety of artists actually helped, in my mind. I'd be very surprised if X lives past this series.

Expectations factor in too -- after IvX I was TERRIFIED of this series because I loved Soule up until that damn crossover. I've been pleasantly surprised-to-wow'd consistently.

I completely agree.
The only things I'd do differently: make it twice monthly and keep the same artist.
I'm hoping each of the large cast has a pivotal role to play in defeating Proteus in the final two issues.

[jalsrix]

The only positive thing this series has done

1. Return of X
2. Giving Archangel control over his other self
3. Rekindle love between Archangel and Betsy
4. Telling of the origin of Proteus and why he behaved like that decades ago.

all these can be told in fast-paced 5 issues. It's too long drawn and slow-moving

[PenUltimateInkmaster]

I agree with jalsrix. Astonishing was dragged WAY out. In the old days, this story would be half as much issues, if not less. Most of the characters were poorly written too.

[Tazpocalapse]

I'm still reading the series. I was hoping for a little more from characters that are not in current books, like Bishop and Warren. Did we really need a single issue of OML on the astral plane, since he had no interaction with Prof X of our timeline.

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

I like it: it's not great, but it's not offensively mediocre like Gold. It's got really neat concepts, but the execution is kinda lacking.

X is clearly the primary character here, and the others are primarily backup, though there have been a couple good character moments for them. Proteus is neat to see again, even if Mike Carey used him to greater effect back in his Necrosha tie-in.

Overall, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but there's more to like than there is to dislike. Curious to see if it goes beyond 12 issues.

[xhx23x]

The beginning is kinda endgaging but Soule has very odd choices for characterization and dialogue so I got bored 3 issues in and dropped it. Keeping up with comments about it here cement that I made the right choice. Waste of a good cast, really.