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The Perfect Mini-Series

In comics, a miniseries is actually a pretty difficult thing to pull off well. Sure, there are plenty successful ones out there, but it takes a little something special to go from “good” to “great.” It takes even more to be Perfect. There are three ways to pull off a miniseries. First, you can go completely Original. This style is best seen in works like Kick Ass and just about everything worth mentioning from Frank Miller and Alan Moore. The Original Miniseries gives the creator free reign to do whatever their imagination (and artist) can come up with. However, none of these are the Perfect Miniseries. In an Original Miniseries, there is a limited amount of time to introduce your characters, set up the plot and reach a conclusion. It makes for a fun, fast-paced story that can be the start of something bigger, like Hellboy, but without the time and space for deeper development, these minis fall just short of Perfect. The one that comes closest is Watchmen, which I’ve previously selected as one of the five best comic stories ever. Unfortunately, at twelve issues, it’s hardly “mini.” Next, we have the Continuity Miniseries. Minis like Crisis on Infinite Earths, Civil War or smaller, character-focused ones like the first Wolverine miniseries. Continuity Miniseries can cast aside some of the issues holding Original Miniseries back. We already know the characters, we’ve likely even seen the beginnings of the plot. Though, again, the Perfect Miniseries is not found here. The very thing helping with the development of a Continuity Miniseries is what holds it back from being Perfect. The stories just don’t stand apart on their own. Crisis could have easily been told as a Justice League story, Civil War as an Avengers story. They just don’t hold up well on their own. If you were to read one, with no knowledge of the events before or after, you would be left feeling incomplete. The character-based Continuity Miniseries stand up a little better here, but still require quite a bit of knowledge going in. The final category is the Outside Miniseries. This type takes established characters or events and tells its own story with it. Sometimes within continuity, but usually taking place in an alternate reality, changing established details to create something new, or even telling a well-known story from an alternate point of view. Marvel Zombies twists reality by turning Marvel’s greatest heroes into… zombies. It’s right there in the title. Superman: Red Son asks the question, “What would happen is Superman landed in Russia instead of America?” Marvels re-tells many of Marvel’s most famous stories from the point-of-view of a normal human, a photographer. The thing that sets an Outside Miniseries apart is creative freedom. An Outside Miniseries can tell a story that would almost never occur in the pages of the regular monthly publications. Everybody knows Superman, most comic fans know the origins of the Marvel Universe. An great Outside Miniseries takes that basic knowledge and tells a completely unique story with it. That is why an Outside Miniseries has everything it takes to be the Perfect Miniseries. A simple, self-contained story with the space to fully develop. Of course, the ability to create an Outside Miniseries at their own pace, only publishing it when its ready, enables the writers and artists to put out some of their best work. So, what do I consider the Perfect Miniseries? Kingdom Come, published by DC in 1996. Written by Mark Waid, with art by Alex Ross The first thing that sets Kingdom Come up as the Perfect Miniseries is the art. Alex Ross is the freaking man. He’s not a penciler, as is normal for comic artists. Ross is a painter. As such, each page takes longer to create, and he rarely does full art for a comic, usually sticking to covers or concept art. Kingdom Come is one of the rare occasions where he does all the art. Normally, I’m not a big fan of photorealistic art in comics, mostly because it never looks good, it just takes too much time to pull off. But, being an Outside Miniseries, DC gave Ross all the time he needed and the results are phenomenal. The art alone is only half the visual package, though. With Kingdom Come taking place in the future, Ross’s character designs are a comic nerd’s wet dream. Great art is nothing without a good story, and Waid capably backs up Ross’ vision. Set decades in the future, Earth is a frightening place. Years prior, society had begun to favor a new generation of heroes, ones whose methods were more extreme than the Justice League. Disturbed by the change, Superman retired, with many of his allies following him into seclusion. Now, that new generation of “heroes” is threatening the civilians they’re supposed to protect. When a fight gets out of hand and Kansas is destroyed, Wonder Woman talks Superman into coming back. With the old heroes coming back to set things right, conflicts with the new generation escalate. Those who don’t voluntarily join Superman’s side are forced into sharing his point of view. With no peaceful end in sight, humanity grows increasingly worried. Normal human beings, those without power, begin to wonder if Earth wouldn’t be better off without the entire superpowered community, with the familiar face of Bruce Wayne sharing the sentiment. Eventually, things reach critical mass and the United Nations decide to put an end to things with a single, decisive action. While not a happy ending, exactly, Kingdom Come does end on a hopeful note. Published in the mid-90s, a time of excess in the comic industry, Kingdom Come can be seen as a cautionary tale of the future of some of DC’s competitors at the time, as they were moving in an increasingly mature direction. That, in addition to the artistic and story aspects is what makes Kingdom Come the Perfect Miniseries. It left behind a legacy. It would see a sequel several years later in The Kingdom. Additionally, Marvel commissioned Alex Ross to give their characters a similar treatment in the Earth X trilogy. Years later, the Kingdom Come story would be a large part of the monthly Justice society of America title. Magog, the leader of the “new generation,” would appear as part of the core DC Universe, even getting his own ongoing title. The comic industry is full of copycats. Years later, writers are still trying to recreate Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns. The only person who has been able to recreate the perfection of Kingdom Come is Alex Ross himself, nobody else has even tried. Instead, DC’s stable of creators are happy to simply build on it. The Perfect Miniseries not only stands on its own as a model of perfection, but inspires future generations to live up to its legacy....

Episode 001: Comic-Con Coverage

For our first episode of Bow Down To Us: The Comic Edition podcast, we cover all of the Comic-Con worth talking about....

Scarlet Issue 1

Scarlet is the latest creator-owned series from Marvel’s big gun, Brian Michael Bendis. Say what you will about Bendis’ writing (and there’s a lot to say), but the guy is a great character writer. The best parts of New Avengers and Dark Avengers were when the teams were just sitting around talking, being themselves instead of heroes. And that’s where Scarlet really shines. We’re introduced to the heroine right away, and Bendis uses some creative storytelling techniques to give us her background. The world is messed up, even broken, power and corruption go hand-in-hand. Scarlet’s life has been miserable because of it and she’s taking a stand. Scarlet is a relatable character, everybody has a desire to fight back against authority, though not necessarily to the extent she’s taking it to. It’s handled well, with Scarlet breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the reader, or perhaps to some unseen audience. Either way, we’re along for the ride. Speaking honestly, I am not a fan of the art. Maleev’s presentation is unique, with lots of strong lines and shading, with only sparse, simple colors. The backgrounds are sketchy and undetailed. While that would normally be a criticism, the elements work well together. The characters, the only important parts of the story really pop off the page and draw your eye. However, it seems like each panel has been run through one too many PhotoShop filters, and any time shadows are present it’s just awkward. I like the style of the art, I like the concept of the art, I just don’t like the execution of the art. As a character and a story, I love Scarlet. Unfortunately, as a comic, I’m unconvinced. I want to like it, and will likely give it another issue or two, but the art may prevent me from fully enjoying what it has to offer. Scarlet Issue 1 ICON Comics (Marvel) Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: Alex Maleev...

Shadowland Issue 1 of 5

“Shadowland” is a Marvel mini-event running this summer. In recent issues of Daredevil, Matt Murdock has become the leader of The Hand, the group of ninja assassins that have long been his enemies. He has set up a fortress in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen named Shadowland and has been using them to protect the people of New York. Elements within the Hand are attempting to corrupt Murdock to further their own ends. Shadowland #1 is basically 24 pages of “Daredevil may have gone over the edge,” which I guess is fitting for an issue launching as (and even billed as) “The Battle for the Soul of New York.” The issue is told largely from the perspective of Daredevil’s longtime nemesis, Bullseye and every page with him is excellent. He was, after all, the most entertaining character in the cast of Dark Avengers. Unfortunately, the scenes without Bullseye are a bit lacking. We get an unnecessary trip to Avengers Tower, with Captain America, Iron Man and Thor telling Luke Cage and Iron Fist they need to keep an eye on their old friend. The time will come when he’ll need to relinquish his control to more official peacekeepers. Brian Michael Bendis has done so much work in New Avengers setting up Cage as a leader in his won right, the need for the others to tell him what to do here lessens his impact as an authority figure. That aside, the issue is quite a bit of fun. The action is fast-paced and well-styled. The fights are effectively brutal without becoming unnecessarily violent. We also get to see a new, black costume for Daredevil, and it’s pretty damn cool. It takes a great deal of skill to make two characters wearing black costumes stand out against each other, and the art team handles it well. “Shadowland” looks to be a very interesting event, with personal favorites like Spider-Man, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist and LUKE F’IN CAGE involved in the story. As an event, though, this may be one better left for the collected editions. Not only is there the core miniseries, but also a crossover with Thunderbolts and an entire lineup of tie-in miniseries, not to mention the actual Daredevil comics. That’s quite a few titles to purchase, even if the event turns out to be successful. Shadowland Issue 1 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Andy Diggle Art: Billy Tann (Pencils), Matt Banning (Inks), Christina Strain (Colors)...

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 1 of 9

First of all, this book SHOULD have been called YOUNG Avengers: The Children’s Crusade as that’s the team it focuses on. The actual Avengers only make small appearances, and even those are a bit awkward. There’s a disclaimer at the beginning of the book stating that there would be some continuity discrepancies due to its long production cycle. The story takes place after “Siege,” and I can deal with Iron Man wearing the wrong armor. However, having the WRONG CAPTAIN AMERICA is something that just makes the story feel awkward. Continuity issues aside, I really did enjoy this issue, though. It picks up on some plot threads that have been established over the last few years. Unfortunately, the Young Avengers haven’t been strong sellers, so many readers will just have to jump on. That said, Heinburg does a good job filling in the important parts without too much exposition. At the start, Young Avenger Wiccan goes a bit too far with his powers, which are magical in nature. The last time a magic-oriented mutant lost her powers, the Scarlet Witch was responsible for the deaths of several Avengers and later the near-genocide of the mutants. “The Children’s Crusade” refers to the Young Avengers’ quest to find the Scarlet Witch and reunite her with her lost twin sons. That’s right, it has long been hinted that brothers Wiccan and Speed were the lost sons of Scarlet Witch and Vision, if not biologically, then at least spiritually. All in all, it’s a fun issue, but is nothing more than a big set-up for the upcoming story. Thankfully, it’s a story we’ll get through rather quickly as the nine issues are being published bi-monthly. However, I have a request for Marvel. In many youth-team books, the writers feel the need to create romantic relationships between the characters. Possibly in an effort to connect with some of today’s youth, many of those relationships are gay. Now, I have no problem reading a book with a good romantic subplot, regardless of orientation. X-Factor is a recent good example. The relationships between Madrox and Siryn, as well as Shatterstar and Rictor (two males) don’t take away from the book as a whole. However, Young Avengers, much like Runaways before it, feels the need to beat the reader over the head with it. Hawkeye and Mockingbird don’t spend entire pages staring longingly into each others eyes, TALKING about kissing. It either happens or it doesn’t and the book moves on. Stop speaking down to your audience, Marvel. Accept that your readers are either mature enough to handle a homosexual relationship or not and stop treating it differently than a traditional one. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 1 of 9 Marvel Comics Story: Allan Heinberg Art: Jim Cheung (Pencils), Mark Morales (Inks), Justin Ponsor (Colors)...

X-Men Issue 1: Curse of the Mutants, Part 1

I’m a bit conflicted on the necessity of this title. To be honest, the X-Men family of books is big enough as it is. Comparing it to Marvel’s other big super-team, it’s surpassing the Avengers franchise in terms of monthly publications. However, many of the Avengers have their own solo titles for character development, leaving the team books for larger stories. With the exception of Wolverine, none of the X-Men have solo titles, so the team books have to carry the weight of both character development and overall plot advancement. The franchise has been doing well enough in recent years, with Uncanny X-Men carrying both weights, but then again the X-Men haven’t really DONE anything. So, I’d say there’s a definite role for X-Men in the lineup, but it may be one title too many to expect people to buy. Though, that’s a discussion better left for another time, once we’ve seen how well things play out. On it’s own, how does X-Men #1 stand up? Quite well. I’ve loved Victor Gischler’s work on Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, and he handles the higher profile of this title with ease. Coming out of Gischler’s Death of Dracula one-shot, “Curse of the Mutants” is a story that essentially boils down to “X-Men vs Vampires.” The story starts with the de-powered Jubilee returning to the spotlight at the center of a vampire-terrorist attack. The vampires have developed a virus and are trying to increase their ranks by infecting the people of San Francisco. The story moves from one plot point to the next quickly and seamlessly, maintaining a solid pace throughout. Paco Medina’s artwork compliments the story perfectly. His designs capture each character as they should. Even a new reader can tell from the artwork alone, before they even say a word, that Cyclpos is the confident leader and Wolverine is the sarcastic muscle. Getting that much character through just from the art is an important factor for a book that will likely feature many of them. His facial expressions, while a bit cartoony at times, even further add to this effect. If you’ve seen any of Medina’s previous work on Deadpool, you know the guy can handle action. In the end, X-Men #1 works as a single issue. It works as the start of a new storyline. It even works as the start of a new era for the X-Men franchise. However, as the first book of an entirely new title, it falls a bit short. It lacks the “wow” factor that every title launch really needs to be successful. X-Men Issue 1: Curse of the Mutants, Part 1 Marvel Comics Story: Victor Gischler Art: Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), Marte Gracia (Colors)...

The 5 Greatest Comic Storylines of All Time

Comics get a bad rap. I find it interesting that people who play video games, long considered a “kids” hobby, will discount comics as being immature. Proponents of traditional books find the medium completely without merit. That’s not how things work here at BDTU. Each work should be judged on its own merit. Personally, I’ll go anywhere for a story, and as a medium, comics can deliver a story that no other format can. In a novel, some details or events take paragraphs, even pages to describe. In a comic, you can just show it and move on. In a video game, interactivity is a concern. The gameplay has to drive the narrative, and vice versa. That’s not to say it doesn’t work in many instances, but it’s easier for the story to be the focus of a comic. As long as the art is pleasing to the eye, you can focus on the story. Movies and television are dependent on actors to deliver the performances and special effects to drive home the action. Without a prohibitive budget, many comic stories just couldn’t be done on the screen. So, now that we’ve established comics as a valuable storytelling medium, it’s time to take a look at some of the actual stories. I’ve assembled five stories that I feel are the best they have to offer. There are spoilers involved here, but for stories of this caliber, if anything, it will make you want to read them more. The Dark Phoenix Saga Uncanny X-Men 129-137 (January-September 1980) Chris Claremont & John Byrne Growing up, Uncanny X-Men was without a doubt my favorite book to read. So many heroes have a complex origin, being aliens or bitten by radioactive animals. The X-Men were just born that way. For the first time, a hero didn’t need special circumstances to be “special.” It’s a theme that really resonated with me as a kid. When it comes to the X-Men, the discussion pretty much starts and ends with Chris Claremont. Stan Lee may have created the team, but Claremont is the one that really developed the characters. Before Claremont took over, the book was failing, it had been publishing reprints for years. Look at it now, it’s one of the most popular titles in Marvel’s library. Much of that success can be attributed to the amazing success of Claremont’s first major story arc, “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” Jean Grey, one of the original X-Men, had become host of the super-powerful cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force. As Phoenix, Grey had near limitless power, but her personality was becoming increasingly fragile. This made her a target for the Hellfire Club, a corrupt group of the world’s social elite. The Inner Circle of the Club used mind control to trap Grey in a hallucination, making her believe she was their Black Queen, and allowing the Phoenix Force to grow corrupt. Enter the X-Men. They raid the Hellfire Club and are… soundly defeated. All would have been lost if not for the rise of Wolverine. You see, prior to this point, Wolverine was nowhere near the sensation he is today. In fact, the fans HATED him. The only purpose he served on the team was as an antagonist, constantly causing friction within the team. When the X-Men were defeated by the Hellfire Club, Wolverine was supposed to die. John Byrne, the artist for Uncanny, a Canadian (nobody’s perfect), refused to let the one high-profile Canadian superhero die, and asked Claremont to give Wolverine one more chance. And so, Wolverine was unleashed. Wolverine finally had his heroic moment, tearing through the Hellfire Club, unleashing the berserker rage that’s made him so famous, all in an effort to save his captured teammates. He would be too late for a total victory. During the rescue attempt, Cyclops was engaged in a psychic duel with Jean’s captor. In the psychic plane, with Jean watching, Cyclops was killed. Jean snapped, breaking the illusion and fully unleashing the Phoenix Force. Unfortunately, the completely unrestrained entity could not be controlled. Corrupted by the Hellfire Club’s influence, the Phoenix Force craved more power. It took control of Jean’s body, becoming the Dark Phoenix. And that’s only HALF the story. Out of control, the Dark Phoenix threatens all life in the universe. After multiple attempts to stop it, only a heroic sacrifice would bring the nightmare to an end. Watchmen Watchmen 1-12 (September 1986-October 1987) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons No book in the history of comics is more influential that Watchmen. Countless writers have attempted to recreate Alan Moore’s masterpiece, and none have come close. The sheer amount of planning, thought and detail that went into this book is staggering. I’ve read through it a half dozen times, and I still find hidden clues and foreshadowing that I missed previously. Moore and Gibbons meticulously plotted out every aspect of Watchmen in advance. The story is solid, following the lives of a small group of costumed heroes. Nite Owl, Silk Spectre and their compatriots have had their time, but have since been outlawed by the government. Many of them happily live out their live in retirement until an unknown enemy starts coming after them. What follows is a thrilling mystery that slowly uncovers a conspiracy to destroy the world. Or is it to save the world? Watchmen has so many well-done plot twists, it will always keep you guessing. “I did it thirty-five minutes ago,” has to be one of the best lines ever. Watchmen is so much more than a simple story, though. There are so many elements that set it apart from just about everything else. First of all, there’s the setting. Most comics from Marvel, DC and other companies claim to take place in our world, or at least one much like it. However, Watchmen is the first to actually feel like a REAL world. How would normal people react when faced with a being of unimaginable power? Would they cheer him on, or live in fear? What exactly causes someone to dress up in a funny outfit and fight crime in the first place? In the end, did these people cause more harm than good? These are all subjects that Watchmen explores. Of course, there’s the aforementioned attention to detail. Upon a second reading, knowing the secret identity of Rorshach, it’s enlightening to see him working behind the scenes. Seemingly insignificant panels of the story suddenly gain new meaning. Once you know who’s behind the conspiracy, it’s truly fun to see just how far-reaching their influence is in every aspect of the story. Then, there’s the seemingly impossible. Issue 5 is titled “Fearful Symmetry,” and it’s not just a name. The entire issue really is symmetrical. Open the book to the center spread and you’re treated to a near-mirror image. Each page and panel from there outwards is a mirror image to its counterpart, if not visually then at least thematically. One often overlooked feature is the “Black Freighter.” Two minor characters, a newsstand owner and his friend serve as the audience’s tie to the fantasy world of Watchmen. The offer commentary on the events from a normal person’s perspective. One of the characters is reading a comic book called Tales of the Black Freighter. In a world where superheroes actually exist, pirates are the stars of their comics. Parts of Black Freighter are actually intertwined with Watchmen, and the story of its main character parallels the story of one of the main heroes in the larger plot. All these reasons and more are why Watchmen is held in such high regard. The actual story itself may be merely “good,” but the way it’s told, with all these elements coming together are what makes it “great.” Kraven’s Last Hunt Web of Spider-Man 31 & 32, Amazing Spider-Man 293 & 294, Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man 131 & 132 (October-November 1987) J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Zeck Throughout his history, Spider-Man has always been a fun character. Over the years, many attempts have been made to tell more mature stories and many of them have failed. “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is one of the few that got it right. Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven the Hunter, was one of Spidey’s oldest villains, though not one of his more successful ones. Unconcerned with robbing banks or any of the usual mundane supervillain fair, Kraven only wanted one thing: to hunt and kill the greatest prey, Spider-Man. Defeated time and again, Kraven formulates a plan for one last hunt. With his powers and his sanity waning, Kraven catches Spidey by surprise by using a new tactic: a gun. Always claiming to be a true hunter, using only his hands and a knife, the fact that Kraven would resort to a rifle, casting aside his own ideals, shows just how far gone the villain truly is. Thinking Spider-Man dead, he buries the body. Then, things get very interesting. While the surface story is plenty good in its own right, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” takes things even deeper. It delves into the psyche of Kraven. Kraven doesn’t fear Spider-Man, but he does fear “The Spider,” the ideals that Spider-Man represents to him. He fears the fall of his homeland, Russia, and American dominance in the global stage. He fears that he’s a relic of a bygone era in a modern world. Defeating Spider-Man himself wouldn’t be enough. Kraven had to defeat the IDEA of Spider-Man, so he starts wearing Spidey’s costume, out to ruin his reputation. Thankfully not dead, Spider-Man returns to stop Kraven. Kraven, finally content that he has conquered “The Spider,” takes his own life. The remainder of the story involves Spider-Man facing his own fears, his fear of mortality, his fear of leaving those he loves behind. Thankfully, Spidey has something in his life that Kraven did not: a reason to keep living, a reason to keep fighting, a reason to not be afraid. Though now called “Kraven’s Last Hunt” this story was originally titled “Fearful Symmetry,” as it showed just how much Spider-Man and Kraven have in common, and how easy it would be for the former to follow the latter down the dark path. The title was likely changed to avoid confusion with the recent Watchmen issue by the same name. The Killing Joke Batman: The Killing Joke Graphic Novel (March 1988) Alan Moore & Brian Bolland Yep, Alan Moore is on this list twice. Frank Miller’s recent hit, “Batman: Year One” was a re-telling of the origins of Batman. “The Killing Joke” was Moore’s attempt at telling the Joker’s origin story. Though, it’s told from the memory of the madman himself, and the truth is questionable. As Joker himself states in reference to his story, “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another… if I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!” The flashbacks do serve an important purpose. Way back when, Joker was just an ordinary guy. He fell on some hard times and found himself indebted to a group of criminals. He is forced to help them break into the chemical storage facility he works at, and things go horribly awry. The point that Joker makes is that a normal person, under extraordinary circumstances can become “evil” because of one bad day. The Joker chooses a test subject, Commisioner Gordon, and does everything in his power to give Gordon his “one bad day.” He shows up at his house and shoots the Commisioner’s daughter, Barbara, the former Batgirl. While his henchmen take care of the Comissioner, Joker focuses on the helpless Barbara. Later, Gordon wakes up in an amusement park, naked and tied to a roller coaster. The ride starts and Gordon is shown pictures of his daughter, bleeding and paralyzed, at the mercy of Joker. It’s never stated what happens in those pictures, but the implications are horrible enough. Before Gordon can completely break, Batman shows up, but it’s a close call. He chases Joker and the villain has a revelation. Batman, himself, had “one bad day.” Why else would he do what he does? Even Batman comes to realize just how similar he is to his nemesis. Gifted & Unstoppable “Gifted:” Astonishing X-Men 1-6 (July-December 2004) “Unstoppable:” Astonishing X-Men 19-24 & Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men 1 (February 2007-March 2008) Joss Whedon & John Cassady These are technically two separate story arcs, but they tie together into one amazing story. Joss Whedon’s award-winning run on Astonishing X-Men starts with “Gifted.” It starts with two seemingly unconnected events: the arrival of a hostile alien and the invention of a mutant “cure.” The X-Men soon find the connection between the two. The alien, Ord, came to Earth to put an end to mutants, as a prophecy declares that one of them will destroy his planet. He has been abducting mutants to perform tests, trying to find a way to stop this from happening. One of the mutants he’s holding prisoner is quite a surprise. Several years after his emotional death, Colossus finally returns to the X-Men, in one of the biggest “HELL YEAH” moments I’ve ever read. Whedon finishes his run with “Unstoppable,” which manages to be even better than “Gifted.” The reason Colossus was chosen as one of the test subjects by Ord is he’s the mutant specifically referenced in the prophecy. So, a branch of the government that deals with extraterrestrial threats takes the X-Men to Ord’s planet, Breakworld, to fulfill that prophecy. Vastly outnumbered, the X-Men keep fighting, looking for a way out of their predestined fates. When the story reaches its conclusion, the X-Men have come to accept their lots in life. De-powered, Cyclops finally develops into the leader he’s be trained to be his whole life. Beast finally comes to terms with his appearance, finding someone willing to accept him for who he is. Wolverine regains a bit of his humanity through his interactions with a new protege. Best of all, Colossus and Kitty finally reach the culmination of their on-again-off-again romance spanning decades of comics. This is what separates Astonishing X-Men from other books. The story is good, the story is important, but never more important than the characters involved in it. Whedon is more than happy to stop the overall plot development, even if only for a panel or two, to give the X-Men these series of great moments. That’s what I will always remember Astonishing for, those moments when the characters I’ve loved nearly my entire life fulfill every aspect of their personalities. Reading the last pages of the Giant-Size special, a grown man, reading a freaking COMIC BOOK, I got a little choked up at a heartbreaking moment. I was emotionally invested in the story, I can give no book higher praise than that....

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