The Torn arc - an Astonishing X-Men essay.
The author argues that Joss' comic book is "is the emotional continuation of Firefly. Not of Serenity; of Firefly". It's a well written, thoughtful piece. Fans might also want to check out "Her Story", an examination of how Joss handled the character of Emma Frost in the first 18 issues of Astonishing X-Men.
There are some incredibly good essays on Astonishing X-Men out there, the two linked above are just a small sample.
November 18 2006
This thread has been closed for new comments.
You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.
Lioness | November 18, 10:11 CET
I especially liked that paragraph because that can apply to most of the Jossverse, not just Firefly.
Thanks for the link. I enjoyed reading that, even if I don't read the X-men.
menomegirl | November 18, 11:00 CET
Oh, and point of coincidence: Not while I was writing, but just in the last few days my wife and I have been listening, for the first time in years, to Tunnel of Love. Someone please tell LikeaDeuce that I, of course, am the fat man on the little stool. And proud to be.
Bye-ee! -j.
[ edited by joss on 2006-11-18 19:16 ]
joss | November 18, 11:47 CET
dreamlogic | November 18, 12:31 CET
MindEclipse | November 18, 13:39 CET
k8cre8 | November 18, 14:32 CET
Also, click it here for lyrics to the song. I haven't read the essay in it's entirety (although I too own a copy of Tunnel of Love, the album...on vinyl), but I hope the linkage helps!
gorramit | November 18, 14:33 CET
theyarescientists | November 18, 14:36 CET
stuart | November 18, 15:39 CET
dreamlogic | November 18, 16:07 CET
alixtii | November 18, 16:47 CET
k8cre8 | November 18, 16:49 CET
dottikin | November 18, 17:02 CET
Simon | November 18, 17:56 CET
This by Resolute, was just smashing:
"Superhero comics can be, when they are working right and the writer is good and the artist sings and the air is clear and pure and clean, comics can be the future. The map. The road of possibility toward what you hope to be. You can be greater than yourself. You can be more than what you have done, more than what you meant and failed, more than what you tried and succeeded, more than what you avoided and fled and quailed before. You can be your future. Because no matter your past, redemption is possible. You can strive within the limitations of your past, the self-imposed limitations of your fear. Or you can look your fear in the eye and walk through it. You can walk past it to tomorrow."
joss: "As an artist, you want to be understood."
Yup, and like most human-type persons, too. So gratifying when that happens.
theyarescientists: " ... And likeadeuce is a guy who posted under the first essay that simon posted."
Just for the record, Selena ("Her Story") and likeadeuce ("i broke all the rules, strafed my old high school") and Resolute ("On Astonishing X-Men, "Torn") are females. *grin*
(And BTW Simon, it was very cool of you to post the whedonesque link on Resolute's lj page so she could read what Joss wrote. Here is what she replied:
"Um. Gosh.
I wasn't expecting that.
I am not a whedonesque member and can't reply there -- but, thank you for linking to me, and thank you for the kind remarks.
And a profound thank you to Joss Whedon for writing the story in the first place."
QuoterGal | November 18, 18:08 CET
Quick question: does being understood as an artist necessarily imply good story? Im not sure it does actually...
Stop talking? Yeah ok!
jerryst3161 | November 18, 20:11 CET
I need to immerse, then write, immerse then write.
Although,
that is shit hot!!!! The J man is such an inspiration!
I will say, its only been since Joss got involved in X Men that I became interested, and realised the wealth of kool previously hidden to me.
nixygirl | November 18, 21:47 CET
Yes, I can see that a writer can create a very simple plot, girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl meets new boy and lives happily ever after and it will be easily understood but may not be great literature but I think it will nevertheless be a good story.
Astonishing X-Men is a good story. And yes, it may well be art as well.
Lioness | November 18, 22:54 CET
jerryst3161 | November 19, 00:10 CET
nixygirl | November 19, 00:43 CET
Imlimply?
When you're writing popular fiction rather than trying to be an "artiste", then I would say that being understood is the baseline for writing a good story. It is not sufficient in and of itself, but if it isn't understood then it can't be a good story.
"Isnt it possible that I can completely understand and 'get' a bad story?"
Yes.
[ edited by rkayn on 2006-11-19 07:59 ]
rkayn | November 19, 00:53 CET
*waves white flag*
This essay has convinced me that I must do and catch up as soon as possible. But where to start? I know little of X-men backstory.
The Do That Girl | November 19, 05:10 CET
nixy said: that is shit hot!!!! The J man is such an inspiration!
From LikeaDeuce on Nov 14th:
(my emphasis)
So he kind of 'made' Likeadeuce with his evil comics shenanigans ;). Everything she (for tis indeed a she - witness her Nov 15th post about being clumsily hit on by a teenage boy) thinks, says and does from now on will be informed by his words (and the other J-man's pictures). Now that's inspiration. No pressure though Joss ;-).
(FWIW, I hadn't bought a monthly comic in 14 years before reading the 'Gifted' trade, now i'm way past my original
addictionlevel and getting 15-20 a month including minis but PLUS trades. Yeesh. On a completely unrelated topic, BTW, where would a person send an invoice to a particular comics writer/director/composer/lyricist/dancer of joy ? ;)jerry said: does being understood as an artist necessarily imply good story?
As rkayn says it's necessary but not sufficient. And you're a contrary bugger jerryst3161, keep it up ;).
Saje | November 19, 05:13 CET
I second that! I am reading X-Men and Spike Asylum. I have read all the other Spike comics - loved Spike vs. Dracula (except for the inconsistent artwork), Serenity, and other various Angel and Buffy comics.
I have my own folder at the comic store- where they pull copies of anything that has Jossie goodness. For me it started last year when I read Fray. So many addictions so little time :)
Passion | November 19, 07:09 CET
Well, speaking as somebody who has a small amount of X-Men knowledge at his disposal (I started reading the books a short time before the Fall of the Mutants event so something along the lines of twenty years or so ago) I'd have to say that you have managed to do the impossible and replace Chris Claremont as the writer that I believe really knows these characters inside and out. Amazing stuff, considering the relatively small amount of issues you have actually written, at least compared to Chris.
Of course, Brubaker is writing some damn good stuff so you might have some competition... ;)
WhedonTrivia | November 19, 07:10 CET
I've been getting more and more into comics, catching up on Runaways, and really looking forward to all the fun Joss has planned in 2007 (with Buffy, Serenity and his version of Runaways)!
embers | November 19, 17:51 CET
I don't know of any. I can't speak for all of the obsessive hard-core X-Men fans, but I can say there aren't that many fans complaining how Joss "f@#%ed the X-Men completely". There's no way to appease all of the fans, but most of what Joss has done has brought the characters back to what the oldtime fans love about them, and fixed many of the problems fans had (costumes, resurrecting Colossus, bringing Kitty back to the mainstream).
Now, still has six issues to prove he is an X-fan and not do something that will turn the fans against him (for example, killing off a favorite character. A lot of X-Men fans are coming to the conclusion Kitty is doomed and it's freaking them out)
The major complaint fans have about Astonishing is how infrequently it comes out, and Joss can't do anything about that, and about how the continuity is a little shaky (which really is the editors fault). And then there's the complaining about Cat-Beast and Emma/Scott, but those are things Joss inherited and aren't his fault.
Nowadays, Joss really has a lot more competition for best X-writer considering how great Brubaker and Mike Carey are doing, also Peter David on X-Factor and I absolutely love Jeff Parker's First Class. These are good times to be reading X-books.
What I think Joss' lasting legacy in the X-books is inspiring these other great writers like Bru and Carey to bring the characters back to what we the fans love about them in during the 80s Claremont glory days. But not by just retconning them, but following a natural progression and maintaining continuity.
Hopefully once Joss' run is finished, there will be some similar articles written from an X-prospective. If you look at where the characters have gone from around 2000 to now, especially Kitty, Scott and Emma, it's rather amazing and a lot of great material for scholarly types to overanalyze.
FaithFan | November 19, 18:07 CET
Cannot wait to read #18 and UNSTOPPABLE.
WilliamTheB | November 20, 22:34 CET