Astonishing X-Men vol. 6: Exogenetic

I thought that the first volume of writer Warren Ellis’ “Astonishing X-Men” was an interesting failure.  It had a lot of good ideas, coupled with the man’s talent for razor-sharp dialogue, but it also managed the dubious trick of feeling both too slow and not long enough to allow its story to really work.  As I am an Ellis completist and X-men fan, I was still looking forward to the second volume of his run on the series, now with artist Phil Jimenez.  The good news is that this is a better volume.  Unfortunately, that’s because it’s much less ambitious.

Things start out with Agent Brand of S.W.O.R.D. having one of her usual days:  Escaping a secret asteroid lab infested by the Brood and then hurtling towards the Earth in an unresponsive escape craft.  Since she’s too awesome to die, and Beast’s girlfriend, the X-Men fly out in their latest aircraft to save her.  This is only the beginning as upon Brand’s rescue, the team comes face-to-face with one of Emma Frost’s former students — who promptly transforms in to a huge, hulking, meaty sentinel.

I will say that this volume does have better pacing than “Ghost Box.”  Where that story never felt developed or epic enough for its concept of the X-Men fighting off an invasion from a parallel universe, this one manages a consistent level of excitement and incident for its five issues.  From Agent Brand’s rescue, to the fights against the Meat Sentinel, and resurrected versions of Krakoa and Sauron, to the final showdown in the villain’s secret volcano lab, there’s enough action here to keep your average comic book fan happy.  However, there’s still plenty of talking heads for Ellis to show off his skill at crafting witty dialogue and showing his strong grasp of the characters.  The whole volume looks incredible thanks to Jimenez, as he crafts some phenomenal action scenes and makes the threats appear appropriately gruesome.

The problem is that for the level of talent involved, I was expecting more than what I ultimately got.  While the reveal of the villain is actually pretty clever and makes some interesting points about the concept and presentation of the X-Men in general, you’re left with a feeling of “That’s it?” afterwards.  Said villain only exists to make a point and has no real distinguishing characteristics as a character.  He’s also defeated pretty easily once his sanctum is breached.  The end result is that the story feels like the kind of story you’d see in a two-issue fill-in arc that were far more common in the 90’s — only with a lot more flash and style.  There’s no consequences or ramifications for any of the characters involved and you’re left with a very minor, almost skippable chapter in the X-Men’s history.

I wouldn’t say that Ellis is phoning it in here, but it feels like he put in just enough effort to make me think that.  “Nextwave:  Agents of H.A.T.E.” and “Thunderbolts” are far better examples of what he can do while working within the confines of the Marvel Universe.  This is ultimately a better showcase for the talents of Jimenez, and inker/finisher Andy Lanning since it’s impossible to tell where the penciller’s breakdowns end and Lanning’s finishes start.  It’s not bad, but unless you’re a fan of Ellis, Jimenez, or the X-Men in general, you can leave this one on the shelf.