I recently sold off my set of Astonishing X-Men, and for just the reason you highlight -- it's not worth re-reading, and after a couple dozen issues, not even worth reading once. I had high, high hopes for the book, but like the Cassaday-illustrated Captain America, it's a lot of pretty pictures and nothing much worth reading.
Luckily Whedon's Buffy Season 8 is far, far better and I imagine his Serenity comics will be as well. It's clear his heart is with his own characters. That's okay, though; mine is too.
I read the first Serenity miniseries, and I can't remember a thing about it, so not so much. And the first few issues of the current Buffy run seem to have some of the same problems as his X-Men does: too many in-jokes for existing customers, not enough strength for the plot through-line. In my opinion. My, I'm grumpy.
My view on Astonishing X-Men:
At first I was like Whoa! and my boys were like Whoa! Then after a while I was like Huh? And my boys were like still Whoa! I kept reading and was like still Huh? and they were still Whoa!
But then they liked House of M too. I was like WTF? And they were like Whoa!
But back to Astonishing, read the 3rd arc and I was still Huh? And my boys were like Whoa! I gave up.
The moral of the story, my boys like pretty pictures, I need like more. That and I like carrot sticks.
I like your story! Very evocative.
Johanna,
I understand the desire for the comics to stand on their own, but I guess I am willing to make allowances for tie-ins to TV shows and movies I enjoy as much as Firefly, Serenity and Buffy.
The first Serenity comic was a direct prequel to the movie, so reading it and then watching the film -- or even watching the film and then reading the comic -- makes for a better reading experience than simply reading the comics by themselves. Again, I know, far from ideal, but with Whedonverse stuff I kind of think it's in for a penny, in for a pound. At least for me...
I'm not much of a Whedon guy, so I can't participate in the current discussion. I did want to comment quickly on Iron Fist. I think you may be right, it is a bit of a boys' comic. The whole martial arts tournament and the father quest stuff are things you may need a Y chromosome to get geeked over. But it is an awesome, awesome book.
When I read Iron Fist, I'm like Whoa!
Kenny: And nothing wrong with that, just an explanation why it's not working for me. (Quest for father = most overused superhero comic theme, tho.)
I like Dennis' simplification of critical response to superheros, although in addition to Whoa! and Hunh? I think you need something like a Blech!
I'll work that in! Example I read House of M and I was like Blech!, and my boys were like Whoa!, and i was like WTF?, and there were like Huh? And then I was like Whatev, and now they're not my boys anymore.
BUt I still enjoy carrot sticks!
Dennis, I'm like whoa, and you can have all the carrot sticks you want.
Johanna, re: IRON FIST. Is this the same chromosomal issue that requires me to explain why Reservoir Dogs is a great [expletive deleted] flick to chicks who oughtta know because they dig on the Kill Bill and the True Romance?
Could be. Since I don't like any of those, I can't be sure.
Kill Bill was like WTF? True Romance was like Whoa! Reservoir Dogs was like Huh?
See, already your system is becoming crufted with complexity. What is the difference between Huh? and WTF?
I think Kill Bill was like YEAH! and Reservoir Dogs was WOW! and True Romance was HUH!, but that's just me.
Well said ADD! I'm glad we can have these discussions.
True Romance - Smooth.
Reservoir Dogs - Huh?
Pulp Fiction - Right on!
Jackie Brown - Aw, Yeah!
Kill Bill v.1 - Smooth.
Kill Bill v.2 - Whoo hoo!
Death Proof - Huh?
Immortal Iron Fist - Whoo hoo!
Hope that clears things up.
Will
YEAH!
Ok, I gotta chime in here...
True Romance - Whoa
Reservoir Dogs - Huh?
Pulp Fiction - Right on!
Jackie Brown - Whoa
Kill Bill v.1 - WTF?
Kill Bill v.2 - WTF x 2?
Death Proof - WTF? and Huh?
Oh, and Johanna...
"What is the difference between Huh? and WTF?"
A Huh? is like what did i just read? and WTF? is like OMG I paid for this $#!+
And I forgot...
Carrot Sticks WHOA!
And does anybody else think that ADD, Will, and myself should start The Whoa Critics? We might have to steal Johanna tho...
OK, I all ready got started! Check it out! Is is it Whoa! or WTF?
http://whoacritic.blogspot.com/
You guys are crazy. Deathproof was clearly like WHOA!
Duuuuuuude, there is no way Death Proof is a WHOA. I'm still trying to find whatever substance QT was on when he made this.
If the quality of the movie itself is reflective of the drug consumed, I'm guessing QT has huffing Jenkem the entire time Grindhouse was being made.
Thanks Dave, I'm off to make some of that stuff!
"With glue, I just hear voices in my head. But with Jenkem, I see visions. I see my mother who is dead and I forget about the problems in my life."
You know it's gotta be good. Like Whoa good.
I'm in if the ratings are WTF?!?, YEAH! and WHOA!
But I am really loaded at the moment, so my decision may change. 
Also, Death Proof is the best damn thing QT ever did; all the humanism of Jackie Brown and all the WOW! of Pulp Fiction. I've seen it at least five times now and I never get tired of it. It makes me want to watch other movies, it makes me want to watch it itself, it is AWESOME.
"But I am really loaded at the moment, so my decision may change."
Dude, I understand completely. I am currently loaded on home made Jenkem.
And here is the official Whoa Critics rating scale. "WHOA!", "Whoa", "Yeah!", "Huh?", and "WTF?"
I like Immortal Iron Fist.
A lot.
Because I'm a boy.
Also, Death Proof is absolutely the best thing QT ever did. !#$&ing amazing. ADD knows what's up.
Man, I'm not trying to be argumentative, but where does the love for Death Proof come from? It's a failed attempt to evoke the feel of movies that generally were not very good any way. (And this is from someone who digs Grindhouse flicks)
Planet Terror made a lot of the same mistakes, but at least it kept moving like a good Grindhouse movie should.
I just find it weirdly fascinating, how the two halves of it comment on one another and reflect one another; or the fact that there are two halves-- how that defies the traditional slasher formula but then sort of takes horrible advantage of it; all of his movies are kind of big "I love movies" statements on some level but this one... is different somehow. And even past that commentary stuff, I just think that ending's a crowdpleaser.
The dialogue goes on forever, and it might not be believable that these particular girls are having those particular conversations but-- I like most of the characters, especially the girls in the first half.
And sure, I like how he indulges his fetishes. I love that it's all unabashedly feet and ass and cheerleaders. I don't have a thing for feet but I like that he's letting it all hang loose.
Plus there's that moment after Rose Macgowan gets into the car when Kurt Russell gives a little look and breaks the fourth wall. I just think that moment's completely f-ing great.
Yeah the ending did work, but i felt it wasn't worth sitting through the movie we got to get there.
I don't think QT was making much effort to imitate or "quote" grindhouse movies at all; DP was just his Tarantinoverse take on them.
I preferred the women in the second half by far: those young'uns were too full of themselves.
Are you kidding me. Iron Fist right now is the only thing really worth reading at Marvel at the moment.
You know, I just realized that between all the goofing and discussing Death Proof, I never did say what I thought of AXM. Overall eh, but man the inner fan boys in LOVED that last page.
So overall Huh?, but the last page WHOA!
I'm just- well, ASTONISHED- that something in the damn book actually HAPPENED and it wasn't the last issue of the arc.
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