Comics: 1-23-08

ASTONISHING X-MEN v.3 #24
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo
Associate Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

And so it ends. Actually, the story isn't ending; the uncalled for Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 is the actual end. But for Joss Whedon and John Cassaday on Astonishing X-Men, this is it. So much promise that led to so little. As a series, Astonishing X-Men has been both consistently great and consistently horrifyingly frustrating. To have two giant talents, maybe the best creative team the x-books have seen in decades, waste their time telling what is essentially four stories over a period of four years is despicable.

The first issues of this series that came out when I was still working at a movie theater (a.k.a. my FIRST JOB EVER, to let you know how long this has taken) got a lot of genuine emotion out of me by referencing and feeling like the simpler days of Chris Claremont's run. Comparing the two was absolutely the wrong thing to do. At the time (2004, remember, that last presidential election?), stories always took 6 issues to tell since the trade paperback fad had just started. This was fine back then, although tedious. It was fine because most of these issues came out monthly. A monthly schedule was never even possible with Astonishing (a book that should have published 45 issues on a monthly schedule). Just look at Chris Claremont and Paul Smith's classic run on Uncanny X-Men in 1983, a run that is referenced on the first page of this series. In 11 issues the X-Men fight the Brood in outer space, the Morlocks in the sewers, Silver Samurai in Japan, and the "resurrection" of the Phoenix herself. In 11 issues. Oh, and there were two single issue stories to boot.

So okay, six issue storylines with glacial storytelling was fine in 2004. But something happened during the four years it took for this story to be told. Comics shifted back the other way. The pace of Marvel quickened so much that the other x-books basically left Astonishing in the dust, reincorporating the books characters into other pages. Great. Astonishing X-Men, a truly great and potentially classic book, is completely outdated by the time it ends. And we do not, by any means, need a giant-sized finish, especially since it takes the creators months on end to finish a normal sized issue. Disappointing.

But on to the issue at hand. I find it hard to review this title every month because it takes forever for an issue to come out. I've forgotten the motivations and happenings of months previous. But this issue is fine. Really great art, nice dialogue, it's all enjoyable. The wit and old school thrills this book usually supplies (and uses to almost make up for the dreadful delays) are absent this month, so I'd actually say this is the weakest issue of the series.

Such high hopes, ending with such a whimper. Time will be kind to this series, since it will forever be read in one sitting in a hardback bound edition. However, I'll forever be one of the thousands that remember what a long four years it has been.

MY SCORE: 8.3/10


THE ORDER #7
"7: Namor --or--The Desperate Hour"
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciler: Barry Kitson
Inker: Jon Sibal & Barry Kitson
Colorist: Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic, Soto & Studio F's Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Artmonkeys Studios
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Warren Simons
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

I love The Order. In seven issues, this series has given us seven well rounded individuals all with fresh takes on being super heroes. It's rare that a series comes along and is this solid from the get go. So, of course, The Order is canceled as of issue #10.

This is another solid installment in the series and I love that the framing device for the first six issues (interview sessions) becomes the main event in this one, as Anthem squares off against Namor. The pacing is brilliant, the flash back splashes done by Kitson are great and tie in wonderfully to the conversation, and the characterization of Namor is the best I've ever read. For a star making event, this one sure does the trick for Anthem and The Order. The art is not so good, which illustrates just how much difference an inker makes. Regular inker Mark Morales is replaced by Jon Sibal and Kitson himself, and neither of them come close to making the pencils look decent. The book has a weird Image feel to it, while also being vaguely recognizable as the strong penciler Kitson is. It's odd.

Another well above average issue. With Marvel producing no other all-new team books right now, they should be proud that The Order has done such a phenomenal job of introducing viable and worthy new additions to their universe. Instead they're being canned until a writer with my opinion resurrects them in a couple years time.

MY SCORE: 8.7/10


SHE-HULK v.2 #25
"The Whole Hero Thing 1"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Shawn Moll
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colorist: Avalon's Rob Ro
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Production: Rich Ginter
Assistant Editor: Thomas Brennan
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

"Beasts of the Field"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Adriana Melo
Inker: Mariah Benes
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

"What the Hell is Going On With Her Comic Book?"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Val Seimeiks
Inker: Dave Meikis
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan
Editor: Stephen Wacker
The Reason We Did This: Joe Quesada & Dan Buckley

25th issue, 3 stories. The main story starts David's second arc on the title and, finally, we're starting to get a glimpse of the type of She-Hulk stories he wants to tell. Jazinda is becoming multi-dimensional and setting her up as the moral opposite of She-Hulk is quite fascinating, considering they've both basically swapped their ideals. I totally believe that She-Hulk would want to ignore a gamma irradiated alien looking for help, and I think it's a very strong character choice. The issue has some low points (the wink-wink humor of the couple striking down their camp after being attacked by an alien) that really make me miss Dan Slott, but overall David is not ignoring the previous setup and is making his work.

The art is getting worse, though. This issue featured She-Hulk's thong straps sticking out from her low-cut velvet (?) bell bottom pants. No. No no no. There is nothing more gratuitous, unnecessary, and degrading as thong straps sticking out from low-cut velvet (?) bell bottom pants. It's a horrible reminder of super hero comics' disgusting tendency towards idiotic T&A and I hate that it is now in She-Hulk. There was something charming about her old one-piece bathing suit and sneakers outfit, I miss it. I really miss it now that She-Hulk looks like a WWE hooker.

The back-up strips aren't important, the second one being the type of thing I hate at Marvel. I don't know if it's the cynicism of comic book fans nowadays, but I hate all Marvel staff in jokes. It's odd since I think stuff like this done in the 60s (the Merry Marvel Marching Society, Bullpen Bulletins, etc.) was awesome. I guess I hold Stan Lee & co. in much higher regards than Joe Quesada and "what the heck does he do" Dan Buckley.

She-Hulk is getting more interesting. A change in wardrobe would be nice.

MY SCORE: 8.6/10


X-MEN v.2 #207
"Messiah Complex 13 of 13"
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Chris Bachalo
Inkers: Tim Townsend with Victor Olazaba, Jon Sibal and Al Vey
Colorist: Brian Reber with Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo
Editor: Nick Lowe
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

And so it ends. I am so glad that it was Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo that finished this story out. They've been putting out the most consistent x-book since they started their run back in late 2006. I feel that this issue actually wraps up a lot more than just "Messiah Complex." The students now seem to be close to full-fledged X-Men, Cyclops was finally able to overcome the guilt he's felt about what he did by leaving Cable in the future by giving Cable the baby, and Rogue's insane power levels have been brought back down to normal. Oh, and there's a new mutant birth. It's not made clear where the baby came from, if it is or isn't Phoenix (it is a girl with red hair and green eyes, ugh), and whether or not more mutant births will happen. I don't know, in a way I'm okay with those issues not being resolved. This crossover was about the baby and the baby is now safe. And as far as endings go, it doesn't get more definitive than murdering Professor X. For real. This is the first time he's been dead (not in space, in jail, missing, or depowered) since the 60s, unless I'm missing something. The art is great, but I'm a big Bachalo fan so that's to be expected from me.

There are some negatives. While I do believe that Emma Frost would be okay with her students using their powers with deadly accuracy, I don't believe that they would be so eager to go along with it. Yeah, Dust displays some discomfort at seemingly murdering Exodus, if he can even die, but I would think she would straight up disobey that order. The same goes for Pixie who has been portrayed as extremely juvenile and scared, now she's murdering the Malice-possessed Karima (poor Karima by the way, guess no one told Pixie she was an X-Man). I'm also a little bit distraught at what's become of poor Bishop. He went crazy. He lost an arm. He killed Professor X. Bishop has been a fairly important X-Man since he first appeared around 16 years ago and to see this happen to him, it's sad. I'd almost rather him get the embarrassing "eaten by Predator-X" death I thought had befallen him at the beginning of the issue.

As an issue, on the whole, this one is okay. There are some great moments and some solid art, even though a lot of it clearly feels like chess pieces being moved into place. Even though that manipulation feels bad, I do like that all of the solicits in the back of the issue genuinely spring from this event; we're not getting another "Decimation" esque brush off. I like that the x-books finally have a cohesive world to exist in again.

And also, can anyone else explain where Professor X's dead body goes on the next to last page? The last panel shows the X-Men mourning him, but his body has totally disappeared. Bachalo messed up? Isn't that a pretty big mess up?

MY SCORE: 8.7/10