Review: X-23 #3

“I’m not killing anyone these days, but if she dies, no guarantees.” – Laura Kinney

Synopsis:

This issue begins by showing us the fate of one of the Sisters. Laura briefly tells us what she feels about that and then she’s off to try to track Gabby, who was kidnapped. Can she find Gabby without giving herself away to the Cukoos? It’s a cat and mouse chase worthy of a Fast and Furious movie. (Well, maybe not that intense. Okay, the TokyoÂ Drift one.) But in the end, she winds up having to pay for the damage to a vehicle that has nothing to do with the chase.

The Creative Team:

Mariko Tamaki brings Laura into the chase from page one as she needs to find answers to her existence and why she was created to begin with. Hers is an act of desperation to discover the meaning of her life. Knowing she wasn’t formed the way most humans are created brings her a self-consciousness which humans can’t begin to understand. And this drives her to find the answers she needs in order to be able to live with herself. She also doesn’t understand why the Stepford Cuckoos took Gabby and she is on a quest to save her friend. A good issue that brings us an intensity as Laura wants to discover the truth behind the motivation of the Stepford Cuckoos. Great stuff includes the shock when Laura opens the van door and the confusion of doctor Marks when Laura approaches her.

Juan Cabal brings his distinctive style to Tamaki’s tale of the clones. The first page unfolds like the prolouge to a good sci-fi/action story as the angle proceeds in a movie camera style on a close up of the sister’s eye. From here it’s all about the intensity of the chase. Highlights include the chase itself as Laura hunts down the van she believes to be involved in Gabby’s kidnapping and the look at doctor Marks work in cloning and grafting a one-page shot that captures the essence of the good doctor’s research.

In Conclusion:

Gabby shows us why she was named that as she verbally torments her abductors. She’s not going to just sit by and act all afraid. She’s probably confident that she will be rescued. Laura threatens the good doctor, who doesn’t seem to be herself these days as she enlists the help of a friend. A cameo from a great hero that helps her track down the kidnapped Gabby. The pace picks up as she finally finds her missing friend, but did she arrive on time? To be continued! ***1/2 (8.8 rating)

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Writer – Mariko Tamaki
Art – Juan Cabal
Color -Nolan Woodard
Letters – VC’s Cory Petit
PublisherÂ – Marvel

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given