Broken Frontier

If for some reason you aren’t reading this book, run out, buy the first trade called Gifted, read this issue and then email me a thank you.

If you already read this book, you know how amazing it is, and if you don’t read this comic, then you can now buy the recently released first trade. If for some reason all the praise isn’t incentive enough, how about this: this issue features John Cassaday drawing a two hundred foot monster attacking New York. What more could you need?

The second story-arc in this modern classic run by Whedon and Cassaday starts with a few pages detailing what has now happened to the former mutant named Wing, the successful first receiver of the cure to the mutant gene. We are then taken aboard the X-Jet where the X-men are on their way to take down a giant monster rampaging through New York and are met by a gratuitous cameo by the Fantastic Four, just in case any of us didn’t realize they have a movie coming out this summer. Good old-fashioned super heroics ensue, executed with a perfection few Marvel comics have nowadays, and then Whedon drops another bombshell, setting up the new story.

As someone who despised Joss Whedon before Astonishing X-men, I am always amazed at what truly professional and well-executed scripts he provides every issue. He avoids two of my biggest pet peeves that two very popular Marvel writers constantly utilize: needless exposition and pointless dialogue. As the X-men arrive in New York, each page has a few panels and just a few phrases to give us insight into each character. Whedon provides more individual characterization in these few pages than any other X-men comic has done in months.

I do have two minor complaints, though. First, I don’t care for Whedon’s handle on Wolverine. He writes him to be very simple and almost goofy, using him as the comic relief providing the one-liners. My other gripe is the comic is too quick of a read. It’s so good, I just wish it would take longer to get through, and at times Whedon is a little too terse with the dialogue.

Have you seen Cassaday’s art? You have? Then I really don’t need to say anything else. He operates on a level above other artists. A splash page has the X-men teaming with the Fantastic Four, each doing a specific job to bring down the giant monster; it will bring a smile to any true comic book geek’s face. The way he draws Wolverine jumping off a building, claws out, then slamming them into a giant monster’s hide; I can’t imagine any other artist in the business able to convey this the way Cassaday does. If that isn’t enough, this issue also marks what I believe is the first time we get to see his rendition of the Fantastic Four.

The most underrated aspect of the art in this comic, however, is the vibrant colors of Laura Martin. I cannot stand the dark murky colors so many superhero comics use nowadays (recently used in a certain disassembling comic book). The bright, crisp colors she employs are a large part of what makes this comic so beautiful and impressive.

I recommend this comic more for someone who hates the X-men than for an X-men fan. Most already know how good this book is, but this issue represents the chance for those few of you that haven’t been on board to run out and buy that first trade. You will then be completely caught up with this masterpiece that I feel is as good, if not better, than any X-men comic ever created.

-Glen Siegal