ResurreXion: Astonishing X-Men

So I have already discussed the other titles coming out of this ResurreXion event, but now they just fully released another title called Astonishing X-Men.

Marvel had been releasing images of the team slowly, at first. So this is the final image of the team and the title of the book. So let’s take a look at the roster we have, because over all this looks like a pretty solid team.

• Old Man Logan: By the looks of it, Old Man Logan will probably be the leader of this team (even though he’s busy in another ResurreXion book – so it looks like Logan still has the mutant ability to appear in multiple books at once. I admit, I am not a fan of Old Man Logan. But if you have listened to just about any of our podcasts, I dislike time displaced characters, where an existing version of them already exists. Granted, 616 Wolverine is “dead” but to me Old Man Logan is a knock off, and I’d much rather have my 616 Wolverine back.

• Fantomex: I have yet to understand the appeal to this character. I mean, I dig all the little nods that make up Fantomex’s character (Fantomex resembles an Italian comic book Diabolik; his name Jean-Phillipe, is a reference to actor John Phillip Law, the star of Danger: Diabolik and that his Weapon X designation (Weapon XIII) is a reference to the protagonist of the Franco-Belgian comic XIII), but there’s been nothing about this character that has ever captured my attention and made me say, “I want to read more stories with this character!” And yet, somehow, he keeps popping up. So maybe I just have some skewed vision of why this character is so lame.

• Psylocke: Now we’re talking! I have always enjoyed Psylocke, both as her British version and the revamped version that became extremely popular. My favorite era of her was when Claremont and Lee were doing the X-Men book back in the day. They really got a hold of what made her a really cool character to have in a book.

• Mystique: I admit, I am surprised to see her on a team book. Her recent encounter within the pages of Uncanny X-Men and Psylocke, would make it seem like she would want nothing to do with the X-Men, and especially Psylocke. So she may be on there for that dynamic of the one who might betray them at any moment. I’ve always been a huge fan of Mystique, and while I enjoyed her back in the day on X-Factor, my favorite version of her has always been when she was leading the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

• Bishop: Yes! Yes! Yes! So happy to see Bishop back in action. And to see that he’s returned to his classic costume, grown out his hair again. I would literally pick up the book, for no other reason, than just to read up on what Bishop is up to! Very happy to see Bishop back!

• Archangel: When they were slowly doing the reveals, I was not the least bit surprised that Psylocke was on the team, with Archangel already revealed. Bunn has been doing some amazing things between Psylocke and Archangel in the pages of Uncanny X-Men, so I am hoping to see that quality carry on.

• Rogue: It’s nice to see Rogue back in her costume, because the last I remember of Rogue, before giving up on all the X-Men books (until Bunn’s run on Uncanny X-Men), was that she had absorbed everyone’s power, and essentially her power was so completely out of control that she’d also absorb people’s life force completely (as in killing them). So I am not even sure where Rogue currently stands, but I am hoping we can get her restored back to her former glory.

• Gambit: I am not the least bit surprised that Gambit is finally back on an X-Men team. And the fact that Rogue is in the book; I don’t know where their relationship status stands (since Gambit has appeared on such teams as X-Factor, without so much as a mention of Rogue). But Gambit has always been a character I really enjoyed (and I am sure my partner in crime, Maico, will be happy to know that Gambit is being used!)

• Tawmis