Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday
Publishing: Marvel Comics
Scott Summers is all about control. He leads the X-Men, for goodness sake. This man has to be in control of everything around him. And when uncontrollable pieces like Wolverine and Emma Frost are thrown into the mix of Cyclops's life then control is something he begins to lose. Control started at a young age for Scott Summers, and Emma Frost spends this entire issue finding out about that particular moment when control became Scott's life. What happens after that moment will leave readers guessing until the next issue.
I hate Joss Whedon. I don't hate him to the point I'm going to punch him out, but I hate him to the point I think he's sitting back laughing at all of us. Every two months, Whedon sits at home and chuckles to himself knowing we're all reading Astonishing X-Men and scratching our heads wondering what the heck is going on. I hate being laughed at, but it's true. I scratch my head every time wondering what I missed and wondering if I just got dumber since the last time I read the last issue. I know I'm not losing my mind. I also know that Whedon's unique ability to keep readers guessing is something many readers want from their comics these days. They don't want to see "what's coming" before they get there. They want to stay on their toes and they want to guess and second-guess as they're reading their comics. Whedon can do this and do it well each and every issue.
Now, this issue doesn't just focus on Scott and Emma, but they do take center stage. A few little moments with the rest of the cast are good to see. The moment with Kitty and Peter is just great. Logan's comment at breakfast is priceless! It's just one more nod to the humor that Whedon has brought to these characters. The main story involving Scott and Emma is very serious and very in depth, but Whedon breaks it up very nicely with these scenes.
Whedon allows the most shocking moments to come at the end of this issue and doesn't take the lead with a lot of writing and dialogue. He allows the amazing art provided by John Cassaday to really set the stage and emotion of each of the two cliffhangers. While the last page is probably the one everyone will pay the most attention to, the preceding page with Beast just took my breath away. While nothing happens, it's the anticipation of what's to come.
There's a method to Whedon's writing that has been explained to me by friends who have watch Whedon's Buffy and Angel television shows. While that may or may not be true, Whedon keeps readers entertained and captivated. There's a level of intelligence to this issue and to this series in general because of Whedon's ability to tell a compelling story. This issue shows that you don't need non-stop action and adventure to tell a good story. Sometimes a good story comes from inside the characters and I think that even on a bad day, Whedon understands that and excels where many writers in the industry fail. Astonishing X-Men is probably the best developed and executed book Marvel, or any other company, publishes today.
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