A review of Astonishing X-Men #23 By Neil Shyminsky (neil) November 17, 2007 Rating: 8.2 / 10

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

"Unstoppable, Part 5"

I've pointed out a number of times that Whedon's individual arcs have largely stuck to the same structure. I won't belabor the similarities that I've drawn out in other reviews, but there are some that I haven't yet mentioned that are certainly worth mentioning. For example: Cyclops' resurrection after last issue's strategic suicide marks the second time that the Breakworlders have brought an X-Man back to life; more to the point, this is the fourth time in four arcs that Cyclops has either been killed or recovered from being near death, which seems a bit excessive; as well, his break-out and bad-ass pose on the final page bears much familiarity both narratively and visually to the similar "you've taken your best shot, bub..." poses at the end of both AXM #10 (Xavier) and AXM #15 (Kitty), each of which similarly signaled the battle's turning-point. You could nearly set a watch to these things. But they work well enough, I suppose, and that's something.

Whedon also continues with his habit of borrowing tropes from old X-Men comics, though the "Cyclops actually can access his powers" swerve is less obscure than those he made in the last couple issues. On the XMB, Jason Powell notes that this particular turning-point is also featured in Uncanny X-Men #134, #150, and #272, to which I also must add also add X-Factor #39. So it's been done, too. (Though perhaps never with the dramatics that Cassaday does so well.)

Whedon does manage one repetition with a much subtler and cleverer variation to it, though. In the opening scenes of the issue, two of the rebel Breakworlders discuss the likelihood of an X-Men victory against Kruun. One expresses optimism but Aghanne, their leader, suggests that she has been driven mad by the "hope" that the X-Men have brought with them. It's an interesting - and meaningful, surely - choice of words: the mutant cure that Ord of Breakworld brought to Earth in the first arc was also nicknamed "Hope".

Discuss This Review at:
The X-Universe Message Board

Review Archives
All reviews of issues of Astonishing X-Men
All reviews by Neil Shyminsky (neil)