ASTONISHING X-MEN MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION: GIFTED

Joss Whedon and John Cassaday put the astonishing in X-Men!

A blockbuster era for Marvel’s mutants! Cyclops and Emma Frost re-form the X-Men as the world’s greatest super team, with Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and Beast completing the initial roster. They plan to astonish the world — but when unexpected news about the mutant gene hits the airwaves, will it derail their dreams? As demand for the “mutant cure” reaches near-riot levels, the X-Men go head-to-head with the enigmatic Ord — but a startling surprise awaits them in the heart of their enemy’s stronghold! Then, a tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected. Reunited with Professor X, the team will face this dangerous new foe in the ruins of Genosha…but secrets from the past might derail the team’s future! Plus: The debut of S.W.O.R.D.!

COLLECTING: Astonishing X-Men (2004) 1-12

Writer/producer/director Joss Whedon is a veteran of film, television and comics renowned for his witty dialogue and genre-blending sensibilities. An Emmy-nominated, third-generation talent whose father and grandfather both wrote for television, Whedon got his start as a writer on the Roseanne sitcom in 1989 and soon moved into film where his writing credits included Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alien: Resurrection and the Oscar-nominated Toy Story. Whedon moved back to television, where he converted 1992’s lackluster Buffy film into the critically acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series (1997-2003) and its vampire-hero spin-off series, Angel (1999-2004). Whedon’s sci-fi Western series Firefly (2002) was short-lived, but its popularity on DVD led to Whedon writing and directing a Universal feature film based on its characters, Serenity (2005). Whedon returned to television in 2009 with Dollhouse and explores terror in the 2010 feature film Cabin in the Woods. A lifelong comics fan, he entered the business with the 2001 Dark Horse mini-series Fray, featuring the Slayer of a dystopian future. He later co-wrote a Serenity mini-series for Dark Horse (with sequels to follow), helped plot IDW Publishing’s Angel: After the Fall series picking up where the Angel TV show left off, and serves as co-writer and “executive producer” of Dark Horse’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight series, a canonical continuation of the TV heroine’s adventures. At Marvel, Whedon is best known for teaming with John Cassaday on a popular Astonishing X-Men run (2004-2008) and taking over Runaways after series creator Brian K. Vaughan left the book. Whedon’s other Marvel credits include Giant-Size X-Men #3 (2005) and Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man #1 (2006).

Artist John Cassaday’s collaboration with writer Joss Whedon on Astonishing X-Men further enhanced the artist’s already impressive resume. Lauded as “an illustration god” by Warren Ellis and “an opalescent talent” by legendary author Alan Moore, Cassaday continues to be an impressive force in the industry. Cassaday’s work on Astonishing X-Men and WildStorm’s Planetary garnered him an unprecedented three consecutive Eisner Awards for Best Artist; Astonishing also won for Best Continuing Series. In addition to his work with Whedon, Cassaday has contributed to the Marvel Knights Captain America series and the Captain America: Fallen Son miniseries, as well as providing covers and design work for the revamped Lone Ranger series published by Dynamite Entertainment. Cassaday has participated in a cross-Atlantic project, illustrating I Am Legion for the French publisher Humanoids, available in America through Devil’s Due. Already a legend in the comic-book industry, Cassaday’s work was spotlighted in 2008 in the pages of Conde Nast’s prestigious Portfolio.com online magazine, showcasing his impressive artistic achievements to a worldwide audience. Aside from his comic projects, Cassaday has created works for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and Levi’s blue jeans, as well as design work on the Watchmen film. Cassaday’s work has been exhibited in Hong Kong and New York City, and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.