Back in the day, but I was a huge X-Men fan. There was a period of about four years or so, where following the exploits of the X-Men on a monthly basis was a fresh and exciting experience every time. Great artists, great stories - the whole thing. At some point, however, the stories just started becoming more and more derivative. I was buying out of habit, not because I was getting that "wow factor" from what I was reading. So, I stopped collecting comics. I figured it was just part of the natural progression of growing up.
And then for a long time, nothing happened.
And then, I found out that Joss Whedon was going to be writing a new X-book, Astonishing X-Men. Sense I am a total Joss whore, I just had to start reading this book. And it has definitely been worth it. So far, I think that I have liked issue #7 the best. Joss has been doing a great job handling the X-Men. Not to wordy, good action, and a fantastic dash of comedy. The man certainly knows how to infuse emotion into his characters, which is what really draws me and as a reader. So, I have been all about Joss' writing from the start. John Cassaday's art, on the other hand, has taken me a bit longer to appreciate. However, issue No. 7 really impressed me. Page five, where he drew the giant stereotypical monster of the day? Great. How he drew Kitty rescuing bystanders caught in the crossfire on page seven? Awesome. Wolverine on page eight? Amazing. Cassaday's art and Joss' jokes are really beginning to flow together seamlessly. It seems like these days, writers are struggling with the iconic comic book characters. So many stories have been told, that things have gone repetitive and stale. So there has been a lot of constructing, redefining, and breaking down going on. What I like best about astonishing X-Men is that Joss isn't doing any of this crap. He is simply telling fun and exciting Super Hero stories. No more, no less. And I am totally hooked.
-Andy.