Astonishing X-men #49 spoilers.

[Pixie_Solanas]

You have already brought something to this board with that.

Time for the Gambit wide on.

I'm wide AND hard. #multitasking

[SovereignPrince]

I'm wide AND hard. #multitasking

My hag and I have gotten into long debates about just the subject. I for one think it makes the sort of popping sound of a microwave oven or rather the ping of something bouncing off of metal. More so the latter point in Karma's case.

[X-Caliber]

I really wanted to enjoy this title for the line up and for Liu but it just reads a such a mess. I feel like some of the pages are missing when I read the story and I just don't feel the connection or the interest in this title (or the characters in it) like I do for other X-titles (even when they use some of the same characters). I will toss this title in the pile with Gen Hope and New Mutants.

[dr.maikel]

This whole X-men have a life outside the X-men thing is interesting., but it didn't work out yet., still i give it some time.,
Its x-men go urban in a way.,

[zipppoww]

I'm out. I gave it another issue... no more. I think this might have had more merit if another writer was on it, but this was a mess.

The pacing of the story telling was really off... like really off on both the art and writing level. For example, we don’t have enough of grounding in Northstar’s dream/hallucination to make anything of the allusion she’s going for. It has been used as a poor device to loop in characters that appear in the book, but in this issue Karma comes out of nowhere! I like Karma, but her arrival with Kyle is nuts! (Why would she let that powerless idiot follow her? She a damn superhero! She would have possessed him and moved him away.) Honestly the pretense for the X-gathering was suspect to begin with. One poster put it best when he noted that this was decompressed. It was beyond belief.

The action was wacky and made no sense… What the hell was Gambit doing with the torn American flag? Who was he fighting and what happened? I didn’t see him use his power with it. Wouldn’t Warbird have killed or injured someone? Why not show the gore of Wolverine’s heart being teleported out… hell was it actually removed at all? He didn’t seem to respond if it was other than noting, “It grows back fast”…

Most importantly… the five pages dedicated to Northstar flying Kyle over NYC…. The writing was terrible and the pace was absurd! The writing was worse than her first issue of X-23 and that says a lot. Also Kyle’s shock to Northstar in action makes no sense for two reasons. 1) He’s seen him in action with Alpha Flight! Where’s the shock of the battle coming from? 2) Northstar was particularly vicious (I guess) and this was a bit out of character. I could have believed that reaction it if she did more than restrain him and break Bobby who can reform. I don’t think JP would choke out a defeated woman based on spite.

I think this book is going to get a new writer or cancelled soon. I think Liu writes good stories of a particular bent (more action romance), but this is a wiff overall. I think she would be great if she could make her own characters and start a book, but what she’s doing with this group is madness. Characterization feels like a poorly written soap opera where there is not sense of unique tone for each character. They all sound the same, but the bubbles are just coming from different drawings. Eh, I’ll see how this book does from the sidelines from now on. It just makes me mad that a book with so many diverse characters is so underwritten. I really like Northstar and Dr. Reyes so I hope this book finds its legs and it gets better but they’ve lost me with Liu at the table.

[Bookem Danno]

This was a boring issue. Insta-regenerative heart was x-tra boring. The next Warbird encounter I want to see is what happens when she meets up with Hepzibah!

[Nicoclaws]

My hag and I have gotten into long debates about just the subject. I for one think it makes the sort of popping sound of a microwave oven or rather the ping of something bouncing off of metal. More so the latter point in Karma's case.

Here you go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDGTApmVit4

[Kieran_Frost]

The scene at the end reminded me of a cheesy, paperback romance novel. And although I hate killing off gay minority characters, I hope Kyle dies soon, so Northstar can move on to Bobby. I'm thinking they'll be much less cringe-worthy to read about. :|

Ditto. Liu should out Iceman when he tries to "console" Northstar at Bobby's funeral... maybe the wedding is Northstar and Iceman? I liked the Karma/Chimera scene, and the topic of "violation". Well handled... but that Northstar/Kyle epic weep fest... ugh... Wiccan and Hulking are sooooooooooooooo much better. I'm honestly very sad to not be loving this arc... Liu is wonderful, but goodness... this is a second issue in a row to bore me...

[Dr. Sonic]

Good writing should be able to compensate for sub-par art. With this being Liu's first stab at a major Marvel title, it's unfair that they've saddled her with such poor illustration. The scenes between Karma and Chimera, Iceman and Warbird, and, most of all, Northstar and Kyle, could have worked had Mike Perkins any skill for capturing different facial expressions and nonverbal communications. As it stands, the characters all looked wooden and it had the effect of making the dialogue seem equally wooden. Had someone like Bradshaw, Takeshi Miyazawa, or Sana Takeda handled the pencil-work for these past two issues, I think the reader reactions would have been much different and more positive.

[Lady_Alternate]

Good writing should be able to compensate for sub-par art. With this being Liu's first stab at a major Marvel title, it's unfair that they've saddled her with such poor illustration. The scenes between Karma and Chimera, Iceman and Warbird, and, most of all, Northstar and Kyle, could have worked had Mike Perkins any skill for capturing different facial expressions and nonverbal communications. As it stands, the characters all looked wooden and it had the effect of making the dialogue seem equally wooden. Had someone like Bradshaw, Takeshi Miyazawa, or Sana Takeda handled the pencil-work for these past two issues, I think the reader reactions would have been much different and more positive.

I concur. Liu's dialogue is much better suited to artists other than Mike Perkins.

[remydat]

I can't say I am a big fan of Northstar and Kyle. Frankly the only people I care about in this is Gambit, and to a lesser extent Iceman and Warbird. But it seems to me Liu's plan is to shed some light on what makes these characters tick outside of being X-men and it just so happens that this current crisis is going focusing more on Northstar and to a lesser extent Karma. It probably was not a great idea to lead of with Northstar & Kyle being the focus but I do appreciate the fact Liu will take the time to develop them and use the villains or crisis to do so and I suspect when that focus comes to an end with the wedding, she will move on to exploring other characters in more depth. Ultimately, that is the best way to handle a team book and so I will bide my team until the team members I don't care about are no longer the focus.

[Gary Cody]

Most importantly… the five pages dedicated to Northstar flying Kyle over NYC…. The writing was terrible and the pace was absurd! The writing was worse than her first issue of X-23 and that says a lot. Also Kyle’s shock to Northstar in action makes no sense for two reasons. 1) He’s seen him in action with Alpha Flight! Where’s the shock of the battle coming from? 2) Northstar was particularly vicious (I guess) and this was a bit out of character. I could have believed that reaction it if she did more than restrain him and break Bobby who can reform. I don’t think JP would choke out a defeated woman based on spite.

I'd disagree that Northstar wanting to wring Chimera's neck is out of character. Smashing Wildchild into a wall at full speed after he attacked Aurora, being willing to let Walter go splat rather than stop to catch him in the air, bisecting the Clayface-lite that tried to smother Iceman, torturing that doctor to get information on Kyle's whereabouts -- he's had his vicious punk moments as far back as the Byrne days, especially to anyone threatening people he cares about. Chimera had just punched through Bobby's chest, Kyle was standing right where the fight could easily spill over, and she'd just got done torturing Northstar, so I can see Jean-Paul being more on edge than usual and not giving a damn if she'd stood down.

[Bad Wolf]

I'm okay with the art for the most part but the storytelling is choppy and it's driving me nuts. Warbird chucks an exploding head at the X-Men one minute, the next she's on their side. What was that all about? Whose head was it?

[Pixie_Solanas]

I'm okay with the art for the most part but the storytelling is choppy and it's driving me nuts. Warbird chucks an exploding head at the X-Men one minute, the next she's on their side. What was that all about? Whose head was it?

She wasn't MAD at the x-men when she chucked said head.

[Home made ectoplasm]

... but that Northstar/Kyle epic weep fest... ugh... Wiccan and Hulking are sooooooooooooooo much better.

Some of the harshest criticism I've seen on cbr