After bashing the Uncanny X-men I figured I would check out the Astonishing X-Men. So I bought the first volume, “Gifted” and had a go at it. Not the best X-Men title to ever be produced, but not the worst either.

The art in this series is OK. This is a personal preference, so you might like it. Cassaday is no Jim Lee, but he has his own style and I like that. I just wish that everyone didn’t look as though they had gained a few pounds in the face.

The story is decent as well. Joss Whedon (who wrote for Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series) did a good job at keeping my interest. My biggest complaint is the same that I’ve had with a lot of other writers (mainly for Marvel): not enough dialog or narration. Too much of the story is told by visuals alone, as though it is a television show. I think this is a reflection of today’s non-reading society.

Overall Astonishing X-Men is a nice attempt at revitalizing the X-Men series. I plan on giving the rest of the series a try, and if you have a few extra bucks to spare, you may want to pick up a copy as well.