We're so covered up in X-Men family comics that they all just kind of blend together into a generic mush - and I expected Astonishing X-Men to be more of the same.
Happily, I was way off the mark.
What we have here, under the guidance of writer Charles Soule and artist Jim Cheung (plus three inkers and two color artists) is an X-Men comic that - miracle of miracles - manages to be a classic X-Men comic.
It starts with a mysterious menace that threatens every mutant telepath on the planet, including the powerful Psylocke.
Stricken, she calls for help - and in response we get a terrific gathering of her former teammates, including Gambit, Rogue, the Angel, Bishop, and others not necessarily pictured on the cover.
It's a great way to deal with the required "first issue gathering of the team," and it does so with a solid understanding of each character, how they interact and what makes them interesting.
There's a lot at stake here, a major (classic) villain to oppose, and oh, that final page splash - which was the tipping point for me. I'll be back next issue.
What a treat, to have a real X-Men book on the stands again. It's about dang time.
Grade: A
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