I tarted up the link title a bit 'cos I thought it was worth highlighting that the reviewer really really liked the book:

"Finally, someone who gets the X-Men the way they should be got."

"The X-men is a truly great read again, boys and girls, and I am thrilled."

"And boy does Whedon know how to write!"

So I have no doubt said reviewer will be denounced as a plant in the time-honored way . . . :)

SoddingNancyTribe | June 29, 08:13 CET

Thanks SNT, looks much better, but I think the reviewer goes by the name of "superhero."

delirium_haze | June 29, 08:29 CET

I STILL haven't read 15. I have it but have not read it.

YellowBear | June 29, 09:04 CET

Absolutely correct, d_h - I was looking at the strapline at the top of the page. Duly revised.

SoddingNancyTribe | June 29, 09:16 CET

I'm still waiting for anyplace up here to get #15. Bah, small towns!

kishi | June 29, 09:16 CET

What is it about Mr. Whedon that inspires so many people to use the phrase, "Done the impossible"? ;-)

billz | June 29, 09:20 CET

This issue got the most buzz about it since issue 4. It is a great read.

Simon | June 29, 10:15 CET

The Impossible ? Again ? Jeez, get a new schtick Whedon. What about just trying the mind-blisteringly unlikely ? Maybe a contravention of the second law of thermodynamics or finding Jimmy Hoffa or something ? It'd make a change and it leaves the rest of us feeling slightly less totally inadequate.

Very cool issue (especially the mentioned Wolverine and last page bits) which is setting up the 'inevitable' kick ass X-Men response (scare quotes cos with Joss you just never know ;). Reckon Emma's playing her own game too so it'll be cool to see how that turns out.

Saje | June 29, 13:44 CET

For all those who haven't read much X-Men beyond Astonishing and are wondering what all the talk about the last page is all about--here's the original John Byrne image that's referenced, from the original Hellfire Club story even:

Linky goodness

If anyone is feeling ambitious, go make a page with all the Cassaday homages and the originals side by side.

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2006-06-29 15:49 ]

Niels | June 29, 15:27 CET

It wasn't until I finished the ending of #15 that I became swamped with the most intense nostalgia for Joss Whedon on my TV. I'm not used to reading comics in single issues -- I'm much more used to trades collecting 6-7 issues in one book, and this once a month schedule is killing me. It takes me but a flash to get through an issue, and then I have to wait a whole month for the payoff and more Joss! It's torturous. I don't know how kids do it; I'm an adult, and I'm chafing here!

The prime heyday of BtVS and AtS -- or FF -- where I'd get 22 hourlong episodes of Whedon-y goodness every year are deeply missed. It's too depressing to think of how long I'm going to have to wait for either of his movies to make it to the screen (neither have even begun filming yet!) with only the comics to sustain me. It's actually quite depressing.

dottikin | June 29, 15:55 CET

Telltale, there are too many. That might take a while. I re-read this issue last night, and I liked it better than the first time. My only complaints were "why is Logan a Brittish schoolboy?" Hilarious for Joss to write, but not fitting with the character. And "Kitty sinks? I thought she could walk on air!?"

CaptainB | June 29, 16:18 CET

He's actually a 19th Century Canadian schoolboy. (Much like Spike was once a bloody awful poet.) And Kitty's sinking because the purple goth girl put the whammy on her powers, which pointed her down rather than just making her intangible.

Craig Oxbrow | June 29, 16:58 CET

CaptainB, I haven't read Origin in a while, but I believe this actually fits pretty well with certain things there. I shall so no more, for the sake of the unspoiled.

About Kitty sinking--The only thing we really no about Negasonic Teenage Warhead (aside from her awesome mutant name, which she made up herself) is that she was in Emma's telepathy class before the destruction of Genosha. She's clearly doing something telepathic to Kitty, so that would explain it. I'd say it was either a simple compulsion to sink, or maybe making Kitty forget how *not* to sink.

Dottikin, I feel the same pain--and this whole only one movie in a couple of years' time isn't working for me. J.M. Stracynski left TV for comics and is now doing four or five ongoings at the same time. Imagine--if Joss did that, scheduling permitting, we could have new Joss every week, all year round. Mmmmmm...

Niels | June 29, 17:06 CET

Those three little words at the end of this issue send shivers down my spine. I know it's because I'm thinking back to what happened last time Joss used them *evilgrin*

MobileHQ | June 29, 17:49 CET

A theory on the whole Hellfire plot, by the way, invisibilised for those who just want to wait until Joss either confirms or denies this in the book:

Anyone else have the idea that the Hellfire Club is all in Emma's head somehow?

Negasonic Teenage Warhead is supposed to be dead--another in a long string of young mutants who didn't survive being Emma's students, and she's shown in the past that that deeply has affected her.

Sebastian Shaw has been one of the most powerful influences on Emma's life, and may symbolise the Old Hellfire Club and Emma's dark side.

Cassandra Nova may be the actual thing, I'm not sure--she could be manipulating Emma's mind, making the Club members actually appear and making Emma basically act out her mental issues.

Subconsciously, Emma felt all of this coming, which is why she got Kitty to the school, like she said at the very beginning.

Oh, and Perfection? If that isn't Emma herself hidden under that hood, I'll eat my hat. My Jayne-hat.

Niels | June 29, 20:11 CET

I love this comic as well. I had pretty much written off X-Men titles until I picked up #1 of Astonishing (although I do love Bendis' take on the budding romance between Kitty Pryde and Petter Parker!) Great stuff. I would definitely like to see Joss author a longer, slower paced X-Men graphic novel. Of course, when you are the man, certain efforts may not be *big* enough for you.

Let's hear it for Wonder Boy!!!

JoAnnP38 | June 29, 20:26 CET

Now the challenge is to keep Wolverine's 'fresh angle' going on as long as possible. Year would be nice. :) Or at least as long as Spiderman's unmasked status.

futile | June 29, 20:47 CET

Yes, this book is THAT great. I am from that late '70s/early '80s X-Men reading generation this reviewer waxes nostalgic about. My friends were into Daredevil (with good reason... Frank Miller was doing his thing on that title at the time), Spidey, the F4, the Avengers... every Marvel title other than the Uncanny X-Men which was my absolute favorite. I felt that world and those characters were mine and mine alone. Somehow they were my kin. I used to pretend my bedroom was the Danger Room (okay, yes, I was NINE alright!) and every 30 days everything else happening in my world would stop because I had the newest issue of X-Men in my hand. Yes, that's right. We only received one mutant fix a month in those days! Claremont knew what he was doing and had fantastic artists collaborating with him. The stories were captivating and often the cover art alone would be enough to send my heartrate racing. We didn't get cover previews in those days... the first time you'd see the cover was when you held the new issue in your hand.

Whedon and Cassady do indeed re-capture that buzz for me with their work on Astonishing X-Men (though, I don't pretend my bedroom is the Danger Room anymore... Joss has ruined that for me). I hope they stay on the title longer than they are presently planning to. A mini-series here or there... a full on straight to graphic novel... whatever it is however it's delivered, I'll be there ready to buy it. Just think, Joss has written dialogue for only 5% of the X-Verse characters. I'd love for him to work with some of my other favorite X-People: Storm, Rogue and Nightcrawler just to name a few. It would be a shame for him to leave this world after a mere two year run. But I know he's a busy and in-demand guy these days, so I will forgive him in advance.

Hjermsted | June 30, 00:01 CET

Somebody asked the question about where this current run of AXM fits in with Marvel continuity. Now according to Joe Quesada:

Simon | June 30, 01:58 CET

Weird.

He does appear to be talking about from 'Torn' on, though--Professor X was still telepathic in 'Danger,' so it was pre-Decimation.

Let's hope that with all the guest appearances Joss has planned for the end of the run, Joey Q and the rest of the guys at Marvel make sure he's filled in on the details of the Marvel U post Civil War.

Niels | June 30, 03:40 CET

This issue really got my heart racing. But the wait for the next one is just way tooooooooooo long. That Josh guy better pick up the pace or I'll have a nervous breakdown soon. I want more, now!

Kid Congo Powers | June 30, 05:04 CET

Somebody has to put a spoiler tag on this thread. I had to scroll down really fast to make it past them all.

But yeah. That's joss for you, he doesn't just make his own verses, he saves others.

Resolute | June 30, 08:10 CET