Crescent City is where I was thinking of going, it had the best rec's from DH's coworkers. But it is about half an hour away from me. The one hayden mentioned (that I have already forgotten the name of, but wrote down the address) is maybe a mile from my house. Possibly two. I'm willing to go to the more distant one if it's really the best, though.

I suppose I'll have to visit both to gauge their relative worth...

Snacky, I learned everything I know about bittorrent (which seems to be enough to get by) here

Sadly, I also picked up Secret War. Which I like. Dammit.

Mwahahahahahahaah.

Astonishing astonished you? nsm for me. Well one part did. But it reminded me, in a good way, of my early fanfic - all the elements to make the story "right" were there. Does that make sense? You know - with any show, or comic book series, or even novel series, there are certain features that each instance (ep/ish/book) has to have. Par example, Buffy requires witty quips, Giles taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, and Willow using a computer. (I'm operating on a S1-4 thingydo here.) Sailor Moon requires that Usagi be late to school, forget her lunch and have to go back to it, transform at least once, etc. Astonishing had the things that the "old" X-Men had (I'm thinking in the 80s) that make it familiar to me despite not having read anything later than 1984 or so.

Astonishing was totally retro, and I think that the reboot needs to be. So we don't get disconnected from the franchise just because they're changing everything. Also, Joss probably hasn't read X since '84 either. Okay, maybe I made up the last bit. But if he likes the old Kitty a lot, the first half of the comic isn't at all surprising.

As for the final reveal -- yeah, I was astonished. I think it's pretty ballsy to bring up something with such a potential far-reaching effect so early on in a new title with a new writer. That has to span titles.

Secret War is so pretty.

Astonishing is mostly set-up for the first story arc. Nothing truly major happens...

spoilers ahoy!

Kitty is reintroduced, the new five person core team of Astonishing is established (Kitty, Emma, Cyclops, Beast and Wolverine), the current status quo of the Xverse is established (school is publically known, filled with students) Scott introduces core concept of the comic, that the X-men need to act as superheroes in order to have public acclaim and acceptance and the impetus of the first storyline begins, a doctor claims that mutants are a genetic disease that can be cured while a superpowered terrorist holds people hostage in building, with the possible connection between the two being a little girl.

Joss has read a little X-Men the past 2 yrs or so I think, I think in an interview I read that's what he said - that he'd been reading some Grant Morrison? so since 2001ish, according to my sources.

The final reveal was astonishing, you're right. I've been so caught up in my LJ icon-making of earlier stuff in the book from my scans that I - um- forgot. That's why I'm gonna go back and read that comic overandoverandover again.

I love old Kitty and she's the only Kitty I know, though I've seen a little about a newer more grown-upper Kitty. I lovers her this way, though, for the overidentification.

Also? [ Emma Frost ] ?

So. HOT.

Can you explain this "reboot" thing to me? Are they using some sort of Crisis/Zero-Hour reset button?

But CaBil, if she has a cure for mutancy, how can that not be major?

Sure, it's all setup, but that pokes at the structure of Marvel's cash cow. Not that I think it will play out worst case for the universe, but I hope I'm not being naïve in thinking it'll have ramifications, even if only within the franchise.

That artist drew what looked to be every. strand. of. hair. on Scott and Logan's faces.

And I just adore the reveal (the first one) in Ultimate. I had to cheer.

Pete just called me to let me know he stopped by the comic store. No, he did not pick up any Batverse stuff (because Plei has not yet gotten us *that* addicted), but DID pick up the latest Transmetropolitan TPB, and the latest issue of Dork Tower, Clanbook Mopey! (Which is going to make me want to find & re-read my copy of Clanbook Perky, but that's okay.)

Are they using some sort of Crisis/Zero-Hour reset button?

No. But they just had a major event in the universe -- Magneto's dead (or in Genosha working with Charles in Excalibur -- same diff) but not before destroying the X Mansion and killing lots of humans and they're restructuring every team in response to the trauma.

Because an announcement is not a major event in story terms. What happens as a result of the announcement, as our characters, both protangists and antagonists respond to it, that is major and propells the storyline, IMHO.

No one had a chance to respond, so if you picked up just the next issue, as the characters begin to respond, the story will still be able followed without any problems