Thanos Rising #1 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (Writer), Simone Bianchi (Artist), Simone Peruzzi (Colorist)

The Story: Thanos reminds himself of his youth as we are told the circumstances of his birth and his early years.

The Review: Who doesn’t love Thanos? Most comic’s fan, when asked that question, would probably have no idea just who could truly dislike this character, citing Infinity Gauntlet, Annihilation, The Thanos Imperative amongst classic stories involving the genocidal psychopath in love with Death. With such a pedigree behind the character, we always knew that when that character shows up, the stakes were high and that we would see some truly memorable things happen.

However, what exactly do we know about Thanos, beside the obvious? With a big appearance of about five seconds in the post-credit scene of The Avengers, a lot of new readers might be curious as to who that big ominous character was, which is most assuredly one of the main reason this series was created in the first place. Still, is there enough here to satisfy both new readers and old fans alike?

Astonishing X-Men # 30 – Review

By Warren Ellis (writer) Simone Bianchi (pencils) Simone Bianchi and Andrea Silvestri (inks) Simone Bianchi, Morry Hollowell, and Simone Peruzzi (colors)

The Story: Good ‘ol death legs, a.k.a. Forge, makes his final move against the Astonishing X-Men as Ellis’s and Bianchi’s Ghost Boxes arc comes to an end. After tracking Forge down to Wundagore Mountain, the X-men learn what his plans are to fight an inter-dimensional war using his “new mutants” and the X-men themselves as fodder. However, with a little help from above in the form of Agent Brand, the X-Men, as expected, escape but leave terrible consequences in their wake.

What’s Good: Well, if you’re a fan of the way Ellis had been telling this story, as I am, then this issue is a total winner as all the things that have made his tenure so far excellent are in play, to the max, here. I’m not going to lie: the way this series is so far paced reminds so much of Planetary and this is a good thing, despite the formulaic approach.  It’s not just the sci-fi vistas that Ellis takes the reader to, but also the pacing, and the sweeping character moments like Beast has at the end of this issue where everything is spelled out and left open at the same time.

I also have to applaud Ellis for going deep into X-Men past mythos with Forge and Wundagore Mountain, while bringing in Brand and elements from the current X-history. The whole package just works and I hope that his series stays isolated from Dark Reign.

I’ll get to Bianchi’s work below, but regardless of my criticisms, this book looks like nothing else on the stands and when he gets it right, his work is exceptional. The problem is that….

What’s Not So Good: is that he gets a lot wrong. For example, characters do not look consistent. Not only that, but his designs look nothing like what we’ve been sold these characters are supposed to look like. Check out Wolverine on page number…..oh wait comics don’t have page numbers anymore….whatever….towards the end of the book. It’s a profile of Wolvie and he looks like a 60 year old man. It seems like Bianchi decided for some reason or another to use a model for that one shot and it comes from nowhere and looks like no Wolverine we’ve seen before.

As far as the story itself, I would have liked to see more of the threat that the X-Men were facing from the other dimension. Although, the giant hand was very cool, I would’ve liked to see more of that kinda thing.

Conclusion: I hate slamming artists because I respect them so much and there is no way I could do even one line that they draw so effortlessly. That being said, the art near cripples this issue, which I would give an A if it looked differently. I will sat that Bianchi has an insane amount of talent, but it just comes out strange and distracting, most of the time in this series (kinda like another artist on the other X-Men series. I’m talking to you Greg Land). However, word is that Phil Jimenez is taking on art duties next arc and I look forward to seeing all that go down. Kudos to Ellis for re-establishing Astonishing X-Men as “the” X book on the stands. Now, just get the book out on time, will you?

Grade: B

-Rob G

Astonishing X-Men #29 – Review

By Warren Ellis (Writer), Simone Bianchi (Pencils & Inks), Andrea Silvestri (Inks), and Simone Peruzzi, Christina Strain, & Laura Martin (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Astonishing X-Men should be better than it has been, especially considering both the talent involved and how long the wait is between issues. The biting humor and high-concept storyline work quite well. The muddy, (sometimes ridiculous) artwork and fairly plodding pace, however, does not.

The Story: The penultimate chapter of “Ghost Boxes” reveals more of the details behind both the ghost boxes and the artificial mutants. In addition, the X-Men learn about Forge’s involvement in a secret war between alternate realities. The information comes mostly from some brutal interrogation techniques used by the team.

What’s Good: I know it sounds terribly simplistic, but the good stuff about the current form of Astonishing X-Men keeps being good in Astonishing #29. Warren Ellis does a great job writing some of the characters (especially Emma Frost) and his storyline continues to be dense and intriguing, but not overwhelming (though it still feels like the plot’s moving a bit slow). The interrogation scenes are particularly amusing, given that they are written with an edge rarely seen in an “X” book that isn’t called X-Force.

What’s Not So Good: Just as the good stuff remains good, the bad stuff remains bad. The artwork is a mess of highs and lows that is incredibly frustrating to look at. For every panel (or page) that looks damn near fantastic, there are a handful that can be described as (feel free to pick more than one) inconsistent, muddy, unclear, or just downright silly looking. Wolverine is shown with a hilariously flat face on two occasions. Cyclops seems to have some relation to Angelina Jolie. Storm is actually lacking facial features in one panel. I could go on, but I assume you get my point. I know how good Simone Bianchi’s work can look. That’s why I have to come down so hard on the art in Astonishing.

Conclusion: The good outweighs the bad in Astonishing X-Men #29, but not by as much as I’d like. The writing rocks for the most part, but the book as a whole is weighed down by the art and the pacing.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Astonishing X-Men #27 – Review

By Warren Ellis (Writer), Simone Bianchi (Pencils & Ink Washes), Andrea Silvestri (Ink Washes), and Simone Peruzzi (Colorist)

The Story: The mystery surrounding the now deceased Subject X and the strange electronic box grows deeper as the X-Men work to unlock whatever secrets may be held. The investigation winds up involving Agent Abigail Brand from S.W.O.R.D. and a five mile chunk of land in China that’s considered to be an intelligence dead zone.

What’s Good: Warren Ellis is slowly, but surely, unraveling one hell of a science fiction story with his first Astonishing arc. By allowing the reader to learn things only as the team does, Ellis ensures that each issue leaves you wanting more. It works extremely well, and makes for a fairly dense read. This is why it helps to have so much character work and entertaining (sometimes hilarious) dialogue throughout the book. The story could easily become overwhelming without the witty exchanges helping make everything a bit more digestible for those new to Warren Ellis’ style of science fiction.

What’s Not So Good: The artwork and, in a minor way, the pacing. I honestly can’t think of another series that hits such artistic highs and lows within the same issue. For every gorgeous or cool looking scene, there are others that look far too muddy. For every great character shot, there are facial expressions that are absolutely ridiculous or totally inappropriate (for the given scene). It’s the very definition of hit or miss and, quite frankly, this story deserves better.

As for the pacing, I only mention it because all the fun character work does little to actually advance the plot. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother mentioning it because I happen to enjoy Ellis’ banter quite a bit, but some may find the story already moving slow enough without all the added team moments.

Conclusion: An extremely entertaining chapter in what is quickly becoming a fantastic sci-fi story. The only thing holding this one back is the inconsistent artwork, but what damage it does is far from critical. This one’s worth it for the story alone.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Astonishing X-Men #26 – Review

Warren Ellis (Writer), Simone Bianchi (Pencils & Ink Washes), Andrea Silvestri (Ink Washes), and Simone Peruzzi (Colorist)

The second chapter of the Ellis/Bianchi run on Astonishing X-Men is all about deepening the mystery surrounding “Subject X,” the suspect in the bizarre murder that kicked off the storyline. While enjoyable to read, not a whole lot actually happens that can be readily understood due to the nature of the plot. The team investigates Chaparanga, a spaceship graveyard constantly being scavenged for parts, and (far too quickly) locates and confronts the suspect. That’s pretty much it.

I think I like what Warren Ellis is attempting to do with his first Astonishing arc, but too much is left up in the air at the end of this issue for me to be completely certain. Things could really go anywhere from this point on because Ellis piles on the questions without offering anything resembling an answer. That said, his writing is effective and entertaining. The team interaction is well done (if a bit heavy on the clever quips) and he does an excellent job building the sense of mystery surrounding Chaparanga, Subject X, and whatever the hell else is going on. Ellis has me hooked, but I hope that he offers a few explanations for what’s going on next month.

While Simone Bianchi can produce some truly spectacular looking work, the visuals in this book are ridiculously inconsistent. For every great looking scene (the spread of Chaparanga) or character shot (Subject X and Wolverine have a few), there are a few things that bother me. The action is poorly choreographed, the panel layout is occasionally annoying, and worst of all, the characters’ faces seemed to change throughout the book (Emma’s face looks to be made of putty at times). It is almost as if Bianchi just can’t keep up with the story Ellis is trying to tell. I was shocked to see that this book made it out on time, but I would be more than willing to wait longer if it meant the visuals would improve.

Astonishing X-Men #26 is tough to grade because so much rests on what comes next. The groundwork is in place for a compelling story, but I have no idea what story might wind up being. For the time being I am willing to give Ellis the benefit of the doubt and grant him one issue to do nothing but raise questions without penalty. That said, I can’t possibly let Bianchi off the hook quite so easily. The inconsistent visuals are honestly weighing the series down. I give Ellis a B+, but the book gets a…(Grade C+)

-Kyle Posluszny

Astonishing X-Men #25 – Review

Warren Ellis, (Writer) Simone Bianchi, (Artist) and Simone Peruzzi (Colorist)

Not to take anything away from the excellent run by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, but this issue of Astonishing X-Men begins what might be my most anticipated creative run of the year. Warren Ellis became one of my favorite writers with his incredible work on the Thunderbolts, while Simone Bianchi’s preview art for this series left me wanting much more. Needless to say, I came into this issue with high expectations. Suffice to say, I think many will think this issue suffers a bit because it has to establish the new status quo. Personally, I wasn’t disappointed.

Astonishing X-Men #25 kicks off with the team already relocated to San Francisco – an event that will be taking place in Uncanny X-Men #500. Armor mulls a new code name, Beast is his usual amusing self, Storm drops in to rejoin the team in order to gain information for the Black Panther, Wolverine is fighting a hangover, Emma Frost is being, well, Emma Frost, and Cyclops is just happy the team has regrouped. Things are pretty calm at the start of this arc as Ellis takes his time reintroducing everyone with some great character moments. Soon though, a call comes in from the San Francisco P.D. and the team is off to do some consulting work regarding a mysterious, possibly mutant, death. Overall, this is a smooth transition to the new creative team and while I wish things moved forward a little bit more in this issue, a solid storytelling foundation is now in place.

I expected Ellis to do some awesome things with these characters and, sure enough, everyone gets a chance to shine. The banter throughout the book is a lot of fun to read and I am happy to report that none of the charm of Whedon’s run has been lost during the creative switch. The storyline already feels like a classic Warren Ellis tale and I look forward to his more scientific approach to the intricacies of mutation. I wish there was a bit more of the new main storyline in this issue, but things are off to a compelling start nonetheless.

Simone Bianchi’s artwork is a treat to look at throughout the issue, but a part of me wishes the entire book could have been done without coloring. The pencil work loses something with the coloring as parts of the book look muddy and it feels as though some detail was lost here and there. A little more vibrant color palette would have been welcome as well, as everything feels rather…dim. Despite my criticisms, this is still a good looking book all around and I look forward to seeing what Bianchi has in store for us as the series goes on.

Astonishing X-Men is a good start for the new creative team. The character moments are spot on, the artwork is excellent and, at times, stunning. This arc looks to have a lot of storytelling possibilities. If you liked Whedon’s run, be sure to give Ellis a chance. (Grade B+)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

The first few pages of this book bored me out of my mind. I had all but written it off when things finally took a more interesting turn. I love the fact that the team is welcomed by the San Francisco community and law enforcement. I also like how Warren Ellis attempts to get away from the costumes (like Grant Morrison did), even if for just a little while. There’s nothing like a nice little mystery mixed with some good science fiction to get things started. I have no doubt Ellis’ run here will be full of fun, entertaining concepts.

Simone Bianchi’s art is beautiful as expected, and his panel work very interesting. But drawing pretty pictures doesn’t mean you’re a good storyteller, and this is something Bianchi’s going to have to work on. In a way, his work reminds me of Chris Bachalo’s body of work. It’s always great on the eyes, but awful in execution. There’s also a lot of inconsistencies, especially when it comes to Storm. Sometimes she looks like this beautiful goddess while other times she looks like Jay Leno’s African cousin.

As much as the reintroduction of the team roster bored me, I absolutely loved the maturity and camaraderie shown between Cyclops and Wolverine. It’s never been easy between these two, but this issue finally shows that there’s been some growth over the years and it’s just written brilliantly. Please, let’s keep this forward momentum going. The X-Men is all about evolution and after undoing nearly everything Grant Morrison did, maybe – just maybe –  Marvel editorial will be smart enough to let things stick this time. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes