[QUOTE]First off, let me tell you where I'm coming from with my reviews. This way you have something to base your reading of my reviews on.
I collect a gambit of comic genres; Marvel and DC mainstream stuff, Marvel's Icon, DC's Vertigo (my favorite overall), DC's Wildstorm, Image including Top Cow, IDW, Devil's Due, Zenescope, Dark Horse and several other Indys.
Here are examples of what I enjoy and think are really well done comics and would give high appraise: 'Y the Last Man, Walking Dead, 30 days of Night (first mini), Scalped, DMZ, Conan, Red Sonja, Mice Templar, Fell, Vinyl Underground, Captain America, Iron Fist, Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Proof, Grimm Fairy Tales, Star Wars: Legacy, Witchblade, The Magdalena (my favorite character of all time), Pax Romana, Sojourn, Batman. There are more, but this should give you some idea of what I'm looking for in my comics.
One reviewer's opinion will not be the same as the next, thus I've provided you with the types of reading I like and enjoy. That is what I base my reviews on. If you read the above information and do not enjoy the same things as I, then my reviews will be garbage to you. So reviews, in my opinion are all relative to the reviewer's and the reader's taste.
Second, my reviews will be the culmination of stars between 1 and 5 (5 being the best) averaged over the subjects listed below.
Now, here we go...[/QUOTE]
Title: Giant Size Astonishing X-Men
Cover: Beautiful wraparound X-Man cover. Includes other Marvel superheroes like the Fantastic 4. Most X-Man covers are well done. This is no exception. *****
Interior Art: Nice. Not my favorite style, but very well done regardless. This entire run of Whedon's has been a little too cartoony for me. ****
Story dialogue: I've heard it before and I'm a supporter, this series has been a touch overrated and perfectly advertised by Marvel and Whedon fantatics to sell #'s. The mind trip that I assume Emma put on all the heroes to make them appear to be saving the planet was for the lack of a better word poor. It didn't make any sense, nor was it ever explained why she did it. The love/hate relationship between The Beast and Brand was cute and a little funny. Colossus and Ord scenes made no sense to me and was a little less 'fleshed out' than I would have liked. Why did Spider-Man hit Ororo? WTF? There's no secret that Whedon has an illegal, jailbate type affection toward Kitty, but I have to admit he pretty much immortalized her in this run of his and created a martyr out of her. Well done. Her future is resoundingly unclear now, but I'm sure she is not gone. For me, so so overall. Some highlights and more let downs than I care for. ***
Letters and page Layout: *****
Emotions invoked: At times happy, especially seeing Collosus and Kitty together. Most of the time dissappointment, if not from the massive delays, then from the mediocrity of story telling imo. Too many things thrown out and not fully explained, or left hanging out leaving the reader confused. **
Rate: 3.6/5