Directors: Joss Whedon
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Run Time: 280 minutes
Series: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
If you are not aware “The Avengers” was not Joss Whedon first go-round with superheroes. The first run of the 2004 comic series “Astonishing X-Men” was written by Joss Whedon and art provided by John Cassaday. The four issues, “Gifted”, “Dangerous”, “Torn” & “Unstoppable” that he wrote are all present on this release and brought to life as a motion comic. I am usually not a fan of motion comic but since Joss Whedon know owns all superhero fans, I am a drawn to this like a horse with a carrot in front of his mouth. Plus if you are a fan of “X-Men”, then this is easily one of the most important X-Men stories of all-time and Joss Whedon is the one person that can do this up right. This Blu-ray features over 5 hours of non-stop animated action and is a must have for all fans of anything to do with superheros.
“Gifted”: When Dr. Kavita Rao develops a controversial mutant cure, the X-Men once again find themselves battling against science, prejudice and a mysterious new alien foe! “Dangerous”: The tragic death of a student at the Xavier Institute reveals that a powerful enemy is working from inside the mansion to destroy the X-Men: an enemy who knows all of their weaknesses and can predict their every move. “Torn”: Emma Frost’s erratic behavior has the X-Men spinning in a nonstop downward spiral. Will an unlikely union be the final straw? Plus: The X-Man destined to destroy the Breakworld stands revealed! “Unstoppable”: The X-Men are off to protect the Earth from its destruction at the hands of the Breakworld. And when it’s all over, nothing will ever be the same!
This release looks sharp in The special features are pretty decent. There is a interesting interview included with Joe Quesada and Neal Adams. I wish it was longer but it definitely should satisify any fan of the series. Where is the interview with Joss Whedon though? I really enjoyed the Behind-The-Scenes Look At Marvel Knights™ Animation, which also included visual history of the characters. There is also a artists gallery for the man behind this series John Cassady. There is an original Music Video for the song “Rise Up”. Lastly also included is an all-new cover art illustration by John Cassaday.