That's a good finish.



With all the delays in this comic, could this final issue possibly live up to all the wait?

Of course not.

However, it is stunning to me how close it did to doing just that.

I think this, Joss Whedon's last issue on the book, was probably my favorite issue of his entire run. He really nailed every character (including all the guest stars) so well that it makes me sad to see him go.

And, of course, there was never any doubt that we'd all miss John Cassaday, as he does an amazing job on this issue, as always (although his Reed Richards occasionally seemed a bit on the old side).

There were basically four major character interactions that the issue was hung upon...

1. Colossus and Aghanne (and really, Colossus and all the folks from Breakworld)

2. Beast and Agent Brand

3. Spider-Man, Storm and all the other heroes who get together to try to stop the planet-killing bullet heading towards Earth with Kitty Pryde stuck inside

and, of course, the best of the bunch...

4. Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost - communicating via telepathy as Kitty Pryde heads towards seemingly certain death (and the possible death of Earth).

The Colossus scenes were well done - if perhaps not the best pay-off for literally a four-year storyline with Colossus and the Breakworld. Colossus was suitably notable - and that dude Ord even got a nice scene.

Agent Brand and Beast were the typical Whedon funny dialogue - their interactions were sharp and clever. Brand's ability to throw Beast off with her out of nowhere statements were handled well by Whedon.

Whedon got a chance to handle all the big Marvel heroes all at once, and he does a fine job with them, mainly Spider-Man - but Reed Richards, too. He has all their personalities down, and it was, of course, a joy to see Cassaday draw them all. He sure is good, isn't he?

Finally, though the emotional core of the issue was Kitty Pryde and her coming to acceptance that she likely is NOT going to have some miraculous last minute save that always happens in these scenarios, and that she might have to do something about it herself, even if she cannot save herself. Meanwhile, possibly her last minutes of existence are being shared with a woman that she has trained herself to hate for years, Emma Frost, who is still here to spend these last moments of life with her to aid her in any way she can. It's beautifully written, and it got me invested in a story that had dragged on for so long that I did not think it was possibly for me to become invested in it.

So a job well done by Joss Whedon - he leaves this book on a high note (and he gives Cassaday one last awesome visual to draw).

Recommended.

Can't wait to see what Ellis has planned, though!!