Mock's Reviews > Astonishing X-Men: Exalted

Astonishing X-Men: Exalted by Greg Pak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I collect comic books. I trace my love of reading today back to my early exposure to comics. As I write this, I am less than twelve hours removed from my THIRD viewing of "The Avengers" in the theater on opening day.

I love the individual comic book. I like the format, the built-in cliff hanger aspect, and the monthly visit to the comic book store.

This book collects 5 recent X-Men issues, four of which have been on my "Want List" for months. I had read a review on a comic site that indicated it was a fun little romp, however, I could never find all four at once.

I saw that the hardcover collection was due. I was torn. NEVER have I bought a collection like this of stories I hadn't yet read. It seemed like...like a betrayal of the tenets of comic book collecting. The whole idea of "Trade Waiting" and of the padding of stories by authors who "write for the trade" was an anathema to me.

Once I saw the price for the HARDCOVER on Amazon was cheaper than I had EVER seen for the individual issues, I took the plunge.

And I was glad I did. This story is a decent "alternate world" type of adventure. Characters who are familiar to the reader aren't quite who they seem. While most of their motivations make sense, the basic idea of alternate realities throws a wild card into the mix.

This is not necessarily a book for the novice. Heck, even as a comic fan, I had strayed from this group of characters in recent years, so I met one or two characters who I did not know and little to no explanation was given as to who they were....why I needed to care about them.

But that is my only issue and it is a minor quibble at that. If you like comics and like the X-Men, this is a collection for you.

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