Astonishing X-Men (3rd Series) Volume 6: Exogenetic

More new X–titles, more new directions. Are they expanding again? Didn’t they just trim back? One couldn’t blame readers, if they were a little skeptical by this point, but the proof is in the reading. The roster of this team is Emma Frost and Cyclops (acting heads of Xavier Institute) and faculty members Beast, Wolverine, and Kitty Pryde. Even though they’re in what satiric song-writer Tom Lehrer would call “the ed biz,” circumstances provoke this team of X-Men to re-enter the game of super-heroing proper, despite Logan’s aversion to spandex.

The characters are introduced in a fashion that clues in newcomers without serving as needless exposition for regulars. Each cast member’s personality and role is quickly and clearly defined. Even Kitty, who has foresworn adventuring, has a logical role. There’s not much real action, per se. There’s a holographic fake-out and an intra-team brawl, but no real super-hero action. But that’s OK, since this issue exists primarily to set the stage for what’s to come. An X-book could have a weaker inauguration. In fact, many have.

— Jack Abramowitz
Collects Astonishing X-Men (3rd Series) #31-35 and from Astonishing X-Men/Amazing Spider-Man: The Gauntlet Sketchbook #1; ca. 2011

Uitgeverij: Marvel
Schrijver: Warren Ellis
Tekenaar: Phil Jimenez

ISBN: 9780785131694