Astonishing X-Men #20

The “Unstoppable” arc continues in this issue with the X-Men and their S.W.O.R.D. buddies making it to the Breakworld but not in one piece.  They are scattered all over the place after their ships (and there are a ton of ships to keep track of) get blown out of the sky. The X-Men are now cut off from each other searching for more evidence to prove that Colossus is the destroyer of this world.

Whedon is at his best in space as this issue is truly his best in a line of good but not nearly great issues. This issue moves at a brisk pace but never lose the characters along the way. The scattering of characters has formed new groups made up of Wolverine and Armor (Hisako’s new codename), Colossus and Kitty, and Agent Brand, Cyclops, Emma, and Beast. The dynamic between Hisako and Wolverine really is the highlight of the issue for me. Their banter back and forth just reinforce Whedon’s ear for dialogue. Maybe why I liked it so well is that I always liked the stories where Wolverine takes a young lady under his wing ala Jubilee or Kitty. Though, I never understood how a hard ass like Logan kept such odd company.

Cassaday continues do deliver in the looks department. He draws hands down the most kick ass Cyclops ever. He is truly a draftsman as every panel is precise down to the last detail. But part of me wants Cassaday to really push the limits and evolve as an artist. Sometimes his faces start to look the same and I know he can draw some good emotional faces. There is one panel in particular in which all of the X-Men have the same “I just stepped in crap” scowl on their faces. Also the “cliffhanger” page looks a little cartoony to me and not as ominous as it should be. Overall the issue is very solid and I can’t help to wonder where it goes from here.