snap judgments no, really, there are some comics you really should read

The Weight of a Neutron Star

When looking over the new comics quite a few weeks back, I was surprised to see the latest issue of Astonishing X-Men, like I'd forgotten they were even still in the middle of a story or that the book was even coming out at all. I was even more surprised to find out that I simply could not bring myself to care.

These were the X-Men, classic favorites from my childhood under a celebrated writer and a fantastic artist, so it should have been the time for excitement, joy at least. But actually reaching out to pick up the book was like going against gravity. I felt like I was flipping through the book under orders or because I owed someone a favor.

A lot of people adore this book and consider it a funny and fun take on classic characters; don't get me wrong, I really want to like the book. Due it it's lateness and slow, stylized plotting, I can find no reason to feel the same. There is no way that this story is going to change the way I feel about these characters. The plot isn't going to be necessary for anything ahead. And, to save face, I'm not going to go into my feelings about how Joss Whedon has a hard time going out of his established characterization norm.

There no reason for this bi-whatever book. All the characters are safe at home, involved in new plot that's integral to the Marvel Universe and/or being a mutant and/or the characters themselves.

Is this just some sort of after effects now embedded into my buying habits from all this mega-event crap? Am I now stuck on 'So What?' on every comic I buy because everything Marvel does these days seems somehow connected to a larger story that if we just keep reading, is going to get really really good? I vaguely remembered Iron Fist as a guest star from some book or another in my youth and now I am devouring his new series every chance I get, so I don't feel hampered by the need to have a big bar across my comics that connects it to a larger whole. Is it the lateness then? Why did even looking at Astonishing X-Men make me groan, as if to say 'Another one?'