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quinnster's review
4.0
Creepy, creepy! Danger reminded me of a female Predator.
But we find out things maybe we didn't know before. Again though, because I don't know X-Men history, or really Marvel history, I had no idea what Genosha was. But the tension building up into the non-fight was good and I laughed at the last page that looked like it came straight out of a Buffy flashback.
But we find out things maybe we didn't know before. Again though, because I don't know X-Men history, or really Marvel history, I had no idea what Genosha was. But the tension building up into the non-fight was good and I laughed at the last page that looked like it came straight out of a Buffy flashback.
saskiac's review
4.0
????????? what the heck
"good that they are shaken. but summers learns yet again to trust no one. emma needs to work him very carefully now. if he learns her true loyalty.... bad"
i feel like xavier is dumbledore
"good that they are shaken. but summers learns yet again to trust no one. emma needs to work him very carefully now. if he learns her true loyalty.... bad"
i feel like xavier is dumbledore
dr_matthew_lloyd's review
4.0
I really misremembered the story in this volume of Astonishing X-Men. In part, I think that is because Joss Whedon was determined to ground his story in the history of the X-Men and so it contains references to many past stories about which I know little or nothing. But coupled with that is the sense that the depth of this story is dependent on understanding a little of that past, which at the time when I originally read it I did not. Furthermore, I think that I had not fully appreciated how this story progresses, part by part, and the message it carries. Unlike many of Whedon's metaphors it is quite subtle, or at least relies on information, particularly about the Danger Room, that is part of the longer history of the X-Men rather than being contained in this story in particular. I think that this is good, but for someone who came to this story on the basis of Joss Whedon, rather than having read a lot of X-Men stories, the necessity of context ensured that I did not remember this volume favourably when it is, in fact, very good.
Fundamentally, this is a story about the consequences of violence. The X-Men have been training in the Danger Room for decades; more recently, it was upgraded with the technology of the Shi'ar people - all of which, we are told, is intelligent. As the Danger Room becomes, well, dangerous, all it knows how to be is violent. But it is not just the X-Men's violence that comes back to them, and this story includes a powerful resolution for one of its newly intelligent machines. But there are also questions about how we treat intelligent beings - or at least, beings that we know are intelligent. About our values and how and when we express them. Neither of these threads is fully developed, but it is certainly more interesting than I had realised. And, tied into this, is a little (post-)teen melodrama between Kitty and Peter, because it just wouldn't be a Joss Whedon crisis without some of that.
My only real problem with Dangerous is that in relying so heavily on X-Men past it is quite difficult to access the very good storylines that are going on here. I appreciate long-form storytelling well-told, but I also find decades-long comic book continuity pretty inaccessible, and telling a story this good, with a writer likely to draw in his own fan base can hardly avoid frustrating a few people. I know more about the X-Men now than I did when I first read this book and thus still enjoyed it more, but I still has to look up Genosha. As far as a review is concerned, I suppose the message is: look up a few things about X-Men past before reading this one!
Review of part one, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 1: Gifted.
Review of part three, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 3: Torn.
Review of part four, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 4: Unstoppable.
"This being has power we can't fathom... and the only thing it has ever known is violence." - Emma Frost
Fundamentally, this is a story about the consequences of violence. The X-Men have been training in the Danger Room for decades; more recently, it was upgraded with the technology of the Shi'ar people - all of which, we are told, is intelligent. As the Danger Room becomes, well, dangerous, all it knows how to be is violent. But it is not just the X-Men's violence that comes back to them, and this story includes a powerful resolution for one of its newly intelligent machines. But there are also questions about how we treat intelligent beings - or at least, beings that we know are intelligent. About our values and how and when we express them. Neither of these threads is fully developed, but it is certainly more interesting than I had realised. And, tied into this, is a little (post-)teen melodrama between Kitty and Peter, because it just wouldn't be a Joss Whedon crisis without some of that.
My only real problem with Dangerous is that in relying so heavily on X-Men past it is quite difficult to access the very good storylines that are going on here. I appreciate long-form storytelling well-told, but I also find decades-long comic book continuity pretty inaccessible, and telling a story this good, with a writer likely to draw in his own fan base can hardly avoid frustrating a few people. I know more about the X-Men now than I did when I first read this book and thus still enjoyed it more, but I still has to look up Genosha. As far as a review is concerned, I suppose the message is: look up a few things about X-Men past before reading this one!
Review of part one, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 1: Gifted.
Review of part three, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 3: Torn.
Review of part four, Astonishing X-Men, Volume 4: Unstoppable.
nancyotoole's review
4.0
Astonishing X-men takes a break from the mutant cure storyline when the Danger Room develops sentience in a violent way. The X-men are determined to destroy her before she takes down the school, but how can they take down a being that has been programmed to kill them?
To be honest, I didn't find the artwork to be quite as consistent this time around, but Dangerous has a lot of really interesting elements to it. The action sequences are slowed down a bit to give us a glimpse into the Danger Room's thought process, and the result is that you get to see them each move in a nice amount of detail. There's also a lot of dark and creepy imagery this time around that I found very satisfying. Surprisingly, another thing that really pulled me into this volume was the romance. There's some great tension going on between our protagonist, Kitty Pryde, and Colossus, recently freed from his years of imprisonment. I am curious to see how this will end up developing.
Volume Two of Astonishing X-men is a little more action driven than the first, but the result is still very satisfying. If you enjoyed Gifted, I would recommend picking up Dangerous as well.
To be honest, I didn't find the artwork to be quite as consistent this time around, but Dangerous has a lot of really interesting elements to it. The action sequences are slowed down a bit to give us a glimpse into the Danger Room's thought process, and the result is that you get to see them each move in a nice amount of detail. There's also a lot of dark and creepy imagery this time around that I found very satisfying. Surprisingly, another thing that really pulled me into this volume was the romance. There's some great tension going on between our protagonist, Kitty Pryde, and Colossus, recently freed from his years of imprisonment. I am curious to see how this will end up developing.
Volume Two of Astonishing X-men is a little more action driven than the first, but the result is still very satisfying. If you enjoyed Gifted, I would recommend picking up Dangerous as well.
jose_sus_'s review
4.0
4,5/5
A la altura del primer volumen e incluso un poco mejor para mi gusto. La historia se está tornando de lo más curiosa y complicada.
A la altura del primer volumen e incluso un poco mejor para mi gusto. La historia se está tornando de lo más curiosa y complicada.
daisymoon's review
4.0
I love the idea of the Danger Room but always felt a little icky about it : it kinda had to be sentient to be that good. So obviously I love that comics. I also love it when heroes are shown to actually be morally ambigous and Professor Xavier is basically as bad as any villain in this one. Great comics.
fablesandwren's review
4.0
This was me...
When the Fantastic Four...
Made a cross-over appearance in this comic. I was beside myself. Like for goodness sakes, all I needed was for Logan/Wolverine to make a move (or was I the only one that felt that connection with Miss Invisible?).
Really, this comic was amazing.
I love the idea of something that trains you to be your best while protecting you from yourself turning against you. Like how are you suppose to fight something that has watch, studied, and contacted against all your moves? Something that has trained you to be how you are? Something that knows your instincts and how you move?
It's insane. Of course Whedon wrote this. King of my heart.
When the Fantastic Four...
Made a cross-over appearance in this comic. I was beside myself. Like for goodness sakes, all I needed was for Logan/Wolverine to make a move (or was I the only one that felt that connection with Miss Invisible?).
Really, this comic was amazing.
I love the idea of something that trains you to be your best while protecting you from yourself turning against you. Like how are you suppose to fight something that has watch, studied, and contacted against all your moves? Something that has trained you to be how you are? Something that knows your instincts and how you move?
It's insane. Of course Whedon wrote this. King of my heart.
the_graylien's review
5.0
So...
Volume two of what is the series that picked up where Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" left off...
And what an astounding volume it is...
Whedon continues to work very well at making these characters human. He also works the plot on many levels as he goes a step further to personify The Danger Room, a training facility that the X-Men have used for years, but now IT WANTS TO KILL THEM!!! That might sound a bit cheesy just reading it here, but the depth of story and dialogue in this chapter of "Astonishing X-Men" were just that: astonishing.
This series continues to press towards making this title the flagship X-Men title despite its having been around for the shortest time.
A worthy read and perhaps better than Volume One...
Volume two of what is the series that picked up where Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" left off...
And what an astounding volume it is...
Whedon continues to work very well at making these characters human. He also works the plot on many levels as he goes a step further to personify The Danger Room, a training facility that the X-Men have used for years, but now IT WANTS TO KILL THEM!!! That might sound a bit cheesy just reading it here, but the depth of story and dialogue in this chapter of "Astonishing X-Men" were just that: astonishing.
This series continues to press towards making this title the flagship X-Men title despite its having been around for the shortest time.
A worthy read and perhaps better than Volume One...