Amazing X-Men. Whadaya think?

random73

@SolitaireRose mentioned in another thread that we have been discussing actual comics a little less lately so I'm throwing this out here. So far I've only knocked out issue one but I enjoyed the hell (no pun intended) out of it. This was exactly the fun swashbuckling version of Kurt I wanted to see. I'm okay with spoilers so I you haven't read yet and you don't want to be spoiled come back after you read your books.

LibraryBoy

Read the first two issues so far and in terms of tone, it really feels like a throwback to 80s Claremont X-Men; it's free of a lot of the extraneous exposition and everybody constantly explaining their powers (thankfully!), but Jason Aaron is writing the characters' voices in such a way that they sound like they did back then. It feels familiar, but still different than what a lot of the other X-books are doing right now... still trying to figure out how I feel about that. I think I like it (I did come back for issue 2, after all), but I'm not 100% sure yet.

McGuinness and Vines are killing it on the art, though, no question there. And in terms of the characters, if you swapped out Northstar for Kitty this would probably be my dream X-Men line-up. Firestar is great addition, too... a familiar character, but even though she's been linked to the X-Men's corner of the world since her very beginnings (albeit as someone who was retroactively inserted into the team's history in another medium!), she's never been a very big part of it so she's an interesting choice for a POV character.

Hex

I agree with @LibraryBoy. This comic feels familiar to me. Even though the line-up is different, it feels like the X-Men that I grew up with. Aside from the imminent return of Nightcrawler to the team, the highlight is definitely Firestar. And with the stellar McGuinness artwork she has never looked hotter.

Also liking the addition of Northstar. Hope he gets more airtime.

playdohsrepublic

Hex said:

I agree with @LibraryBoy. This comic feels familiar to me. Even though the line-up is different, it feels like the X-Men that I grew up with. Aside from the imminent return of Nightcrawler to the team, the highlight is definitely Firestar. And with the stellar McGuinness artwork she has never looked hotter.

I see what you did there...

nweathington

I haven't had a chance to read them yet (I'm way behind in my reading), but I've got the first two issues in my stack, and I'm looking forward to reading them. I haven't read an X-book since X-Statix, I think, but this one looked appealing to me.

random73

nweathington said:

I haven't had a chance to read them yet (I'm way behind in my reading), but I've got the first two issues in my stack, and I'm looking forward to reading them. I haven't read an X-book since X-Statix, I think, but this one looked appealing to me.

Ooh! Exciting! I can't wait to hear what you thought. I hope you enjoy it.

SolitaireRose

I've liked the first two issues. Self-contained, well drawn and interesting with a solid plotline that has be interested. The thing I LOVE about Aaron's work on the X-Men is that he bring humor without making it silly. The one thing I don't like is stuff he really has no control over (the demonic heritage they grafted onto Nightcrawler and other stuff that just don't fit Kurt's personality). I dont' mind if there are a lot of X-Men books as long as they are fun to read.

matchkitJOHN

This sounds like a good jump on book.

CageNarleigh

As someone who hasn't read a single Marvel title since J Michael Straczynski left Thor? I'm digging it. I honestly have no special love for Nightcrawler as a character, I know everyone loves him, but my favorite X characters are Gambit and Firestar. I'm picking this up SOLELY because of Firestar and not regretting it at all.

LibraryBoy

Hex said:

Also liking the addition of Northstar. Hope he gets more airtime.

I think Northstar is important for Marvel and I'm glad he exists, but I've always felt pretty ambivalent about him as a character (admittedly, I've only ever read an issue or two of Byrne's Alpha Flight, and none of what came after that). But I'm hoping Aaron does something fun with him that'll turn me around on that.

SolitaireRose said:

I've liked the first two issues. Self-contained, well drawn and interesting with a solid plotline that has be interested. The thing I LOVE about Aaron's work on the X-Men is that he bring humor without making it silly. The one thing I don't like is stuff he really has no control over (the demonic heritage they grafted onto Nightcrawler and other stuff that just don't fit Kurt's personality). I dont' mind if there are a lot of X-Men books as long as they are fun to read.

I think you've done a good job identifying both what bugs me and what excites me about this book. I really don't give a damn (um... pun unintentional) about Azazel, so I'm not really digging his importance to the storyline (though the demon pirates thing is fun), but the book is lighter and more fun than a lot of what else is going on the X-books right now (no easy feat considering we're dealing with Heaven and Hell right now), and so far it's completely its own thing. I've been wanting an X-Men book to follow regularly for a while now, and the self-contained & funny-but-not-silly aspects are what's making this a strong contender for that right now, even if I don't like every single bit of what's going on.

It has also given me what I think is a satisfying chunk of story each month so far. While I've enjoyed the first two trades' worth of All New X-Men so far, it's Bendis... I think you kind of need to read Bendis in chunks because although I think he's a talented writer he has always spread his stories too thin between individual issues.

Elsiebub

I liked the first two issues but I don't see this series as somehow head and shoulders above other X-titles of the last few years.

It IS good, though, and it reminds me of Jason Aaron's Wolverine & The X-Men series at its best. Anyone picking up and liking Amazing X-Men who hasn't read W&tXM should pick up the first few collections of that series. It's great stuff and has a fairly similar vibe to what we've gotten in Amazing X-Men so far. I DO think that W&tXM sort of lost its way a bit as a series went on --it got a little too silly at times, and the enemies got kind of lame in places-- but it has picked up lately and will make for a great Omnibus next year.

I feel I should mention that I'm still digging Bendis's X-books. I think I like Uncanny X-Men more, but All-New X-Men was better when it started. All-New has hit kind of a lull lately (sorry, but whenever you're reduced to having the X-Men fight generic militia men who quote Bible verses, you are spinning your wheels) but probably the quick crossover with Guardians of the Galaxy will spice things up again. I think the novelty of All-New kinda wears off whenever Immonen isn't doing an issue. On the other hand, whenever Bachalo does an issue of Uncanny, the whole damn thing seems more innovative and cutting edge than it actually is. Overall, I am still happy with both series.

Brian Wood's X-Men title remains pretty good as well. I like that Dodson's on art for the current 6-parter featuring Lady Deathstrike and a new "Sisterhood" that includes Typhoid Mary.

Lastly, just to throw it out there: If it counts as an X-Title, Uncanny Avengers is the best X-title. Hands down. This is a series in which every single issue feels really important.

nweathington

Elsiebub said:

It IS good, though, and it reminds me of Jason Aaron's Wolverine & The X-Men series at its best. Anyone picking up and liking Amazing X-Men who hasn't read W&tXM should pick up the first few collections of that series. It's great stuff and has a fairly similar vibe to what we've gotten in Amazing X-Men so far. I DO think that W&tXM sort of lost its way a bit as a series went on --it got a little too silly at times, and the enemies got kind of lame in places-- but it has picked up lately and will make for a great Omnibus next year.

Considering my favorite X-titles are Claremont and Davis’ Excalibur, X-Statix, and Peter David’s X-Factor, the “got a little too silly at times” part of your assessment is actually a ringing endorsement for me. I came close to picking up that title several times, but never did. If I find the trades cheap, I’ll probably give it a try.

random73

Elsiebub said:

I liked the first two issues but I don't see this series as somehow head and shoulders above other X-titles of the last few years.

It IS good, though, and it reminds me of Jason Aaron's Wolverine & The X-Men series at its best. Anyone picking up and liking Amazing X-Men who hasn't read W&tXM should pick up the first few collections of that series. It's great stuff and has a fairly similar vibe to what we've gotten in Amazing X-Men so far. I DO think that W&tXM sort of lost its way a bit as a series went on --it got a little too silly at times, and the enemies got kind of lame in places-- but it has picked up lately and will make for a great Omnibus next year.

I feel I should mention that I'm still digging Bendis's X-books. I think I like Uncanny X-Men more, but All-New X-Men was better when it started. All-New has hit kind of a lull lately (sorry, but whenever you're reduced to having the X-Men fight generic militia men who quote Bible verses, you are spinning your wheels) but probably the quick crossover with Guardians of the Galaxy will spice things up again. I think the novelty of All-New kinda wears off whenever Immonen isn't doing an issue. On the other hand, whenever Bachalo does an issue of Uncanny, the whole damn thing seems more innovative and cutting edge than it actually is. Overall, I am still happy with both series.

Brian Wood's X-Men title remains pretty good as well. I like that Dodson's on art for the current 6-parter featuring Lady Deathstrike and a new "Sisterhood" that includes Typhoid Mary.

Lastly, just to throw it out there: If it counts as an X-Title, Uncanny Avengers is the best X-title. Hands down. This is a series in which every single issue feels really important.

I think the x-men recieved the greatest benefit from the MarvelNow! shake up. All the x-titles have been good-great. Better than theyve been in decades, IMHO.

Hex

random73 said:

I think the x-men recieved the greatest benefit from the MarvelNow! shake up. All the x-titles have been good-great. Better than theyve been in decades, IMHO.

Couldn't agree more. My pull list has more X titles on it now than in the last 7 or 8 years.
I don't want to add more to my monthly haul, but when they are so enjoyable, how can I say no?

random73

Hex said:

random73 said:

I think the x-men recieved the greatest benefit from the MarvelNow! shake up. All the x-titles have been good-great. Better than theyve been in decades, IMHO.

Couldn't agree more. My pull list has more X titles on it now than in the last 7 or 8 years.
I don't want to add more to my monthly haul, but when they are so enjoyable, how can I say no?

Yeah i havn't collected X-Men regularly since Excalibur ended and now i'm getting 3-4 monthly X-Titles and they are all top of my stack every single month. Thats a win.