World Famous Comics: Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3: Torn (v. 3)
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3: Torn (v. 3)
By: Joss Whedon Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 152 Publication Date: February 28, 2007
Product Description: They're back! The chart-topping super-team of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday return for more Astonshing X-Men! If you thought their past efforts were full of shocks and surprises, hold onto your eyeballs - because you haven't seen anything yet, as things go from peculiar to just plain bizarre! Emma Frost's erratic behavior has the X-Men spinning in a non-stop downward spiral. Will an unlikely union be the final straw? After secretly lying in wait for months, the new Hellfire Club makes its move! Plus: The X-Man destined to destroy the Breakworld stands revealed! Who is it, and what will be their fate? Collects Astonishing X-Men #13-18.
Astonishing! LOVE IT! There so addictive, and well worth the price. Great characters, storylines, dialogue, illustrations...everything!
Confusing, Baffling, but Still Lots of Fun Whedon and Cassaday return for the third installment of The Astonishing X Men, this one focusing on more psychological threats rather than the very tangible threats of the first two installments. Nonetheless, this is a very interesting and fun trip, with lots of good action, good humor and certain members of the x team like no one's ever seen them before. This is the most trippy of the four Whedon/Cassaday X Books, but it is still well worth a look. Die hard fans, pick this bad boy up whenever. Newbies, maybe you should start with the first two.
Great Take I've been a Whedon fan for years, and am convinced that he can take any story and find a new take on it. In his X-Men stories, he takes a group of well established characters and still manages to find a few new angles on them. The dialogue is great if you're into banter. The artwork by John Cassaday is topnotch, with the action moving along like a well paced movie.
You've seen some of this before, but that's okay Old-school X-Men action as our heroes go up against the Hellfire Club. Though ultimately fairly accessible, this volume is a little more "inside baseball" than the previous two "Astonishing X-Men" collections. That is, it helps to know a little bit about the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost, and the X-Men's history with same.
Highlights include Emma Frost using truly devious psychology to incapacitate Scott (essentially shaming him into shutting down his powers, with horrible side effects) and Wolverine being converted into a turn-of-the-century effeminate dandy (and it's a hoot to see what finally breaks the spell to bring Logan back). But, yes, in the end I must say that the whole thing is a multi-chapter battle with the Hellfire Club, and though there's a twist or two, we've seen multi-chapter battles with the Hellfire Club before.
Still, with his capacity to make fun of the conventions of a particular genre while at the same time reveling in them, Joss Whedon stories are always fun. And John Cassaday's clean, striking visuals continue to be just that. So far these "Astonishing X-Men" collections are three for three.
Best X-Men run ever? Torn, the third volume in Whedon and Cassaday's stellar Astonishing X-Men run, captures the essence of both the X-Men as a brand and the characters themselves.
For those who are familiar with Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men, the Astonishing X-Men series represents the perfect continuation of the X-Men mythos. The cast of AXM is small, allowing Whedon to flesh out the characters in a way that wouldn't be possible with a large ensemble cast. The results of this are truly stellar. Who knew that Cyclops could be the most interesting and complex character in the X-Men? That the intellectual Beast could struggle with a savage side akin to the way that Chris Claremont wrote Wolverine? These are but two examples of how masterfully Whedon has written the X-Men.
If you are familiar with the X-Men, but don't know where to start, the Astonishing series is perfect. Whedon's story arc is completely self-contained and brings you right into the modern era of the team. It is, however, strongly reccomended that anyone considering buying this book read the first two volumes beforehand, as some plot details won't make sense without having read them. For those that have already read volumes one and two, have no fear; this book is just as excellent.
My only criticisms of this series are Whedon's portrayal of Wolverine, and Cassaday's inability to draw it on a monthly basis. While Wolverine stays pretty much to standard form in AXM, he is not explored quite as in-depth as the other characters, which is even understandable considering his exposure over the years compared to the rest of the cast. John Cassaday's stunningly realistic and cinematic art style apparently does not lend itself to brief production, as this series has been constantly delayed since its inception, leaving fans starving for more while waiting for the next issue.
In short, if you haven't read this series yet but are interested in the characters, buy this book along with the first two volumes and enjoy perhaps the best comic book run of the 21st century. If for some reason you have read the first two volumes but are wondering if this is just as good, don't worry. It only gets better.
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