Astonishing X-Men #21

Astonishing X-Men #21
The first strike on the Breakworld, and things don't go exactly as planned. Big surprise there. Okay, I have no idea why I wrote that. This issue is solid, with some pretty good character beats - it's just that after a while I get that everyone hates Agent Brand. Whedon doesn't have to keep reminding me every five panels. I could really do with some faster forward motion here, and I'd like to know how far we've yet to go before the end of this seemingly interminable arc. I say seemingly, because it isn't really that long, it's just that there've been so many delays, it's difficult to retain the flow of events from issue to issue. I opened this issue feeling as if I'd missed a large chunk of the action. I haven't felt that way since Morrisson's JLA. Fortunately, upon rereading issue #20 and segueing directly into this issue, I felt all caught up. The art is beautiful. Scott tells Emma he loves her - what? He never told her before? Even when he was cheating with her psychically on Jean? Never? Lame-o. And then, because he loves her, Emma wants to die? Lame-o-er. Another surprising thing: apparently Kitty and Peter have never gotten it on. But now they do. What? Why? What's changed? Peter's been back for quite some time, and they never connected? They were together for years, and never connected? Why? Kitty's not religious, is she? She's never been portrayed as Jewish in anything but identity and feeling, as opposed to Nightcrawler, who really went all the way Catholic. And why doesn't Lockheed want to be around Kitty? And why can't she phase through the metal structures on the Breakworld? And how can Beast hang upside-down from a mural which apparently has no toeholds? Is he part gecko now? Why does a Breakworld resistance member "ask" Pete and Kitty to go with her, while pointing a weapon at them? I can't believe that either of them would attack unless attacked. After all, Pete didn't even kill the child who called for his death! Too many questions. Not the only Whedon book out this week like that, keep an eye out for my review of Buffy #3. I could live with it if there was some significant forward motion of the plot in this issue. I really want to love this book. I really do. But Whedon has been making it hard lately. Hey, if Buffy had been like this, I never would have watched it. Sure, he had season long arcs, but at least things happened in each episode. This book, not so much. Merely OKAY, although I'm tempted to go lower. Cassaday's art saves it from such a fate. I like the Armor cover best. Truthfully, this book hasn't been the same since the end of the first arc. This one is better than the incomprehensible and ridiculous "Danger", but not much. And I haven't gotten this issue in the mail yet. Hey, Marvel!? I pay you for this book in advance, so where is it? Why can you get that piece of CRAP Exiles to me early, and this book never comes on time?