Comic Review: X-23 #3

X-23 #3

Marvel Comics

Writer: Mariko Tamaki

Artist: Juann Cabal

I wasn’t ever, and I’m still not, a big fan of Wolverine. At least the Logan version (the current Old Man Logan series is fine). It’s probably because of the time I was starting to read comics; Wolverine was all new and different and had a funny clone/sister/sidekick. Even though it’s been canceled, this series feels like a continuation from All-New Wolverine. This was just my long-winded way of saying that.

X-23 #3 starts off with former Wolverine, current badass, Laura Kinney chasing down a van. Inside the van is her kidnapped sister/sidekick, Gabby, who’s been abducted by the Stepford Cuckoos. Using their telepathy, they cause Laura to chase the wrong van and escape. Questioning Dr. Marks about what she did for the Cuckoos, Laura gets Gabby’s location and drops in for her rescue.

I’ll get my one complaint out of the way first: this issue feels short. It’s the regular 20-ish pages, but it flies by pretty quick. Maybe I just read too fast? Other than that though, I liked this issue. Things are moving along at a nice pace, and we’re not spending time recounting the previous issues. Mariko Tamaki so far hasn’t changed Laura much from the way Tom Taylor portrayed her. She feels familiar, and so does Gabby. We’re only three issues into this series, but I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve as characters. The story so far with the Cuckoos has been interesting enough so far. This issue kicks it into gear a little bit more, though.

As far as the art goes, I don’t have any complaints or gripes. I think one or two faces look a little goofy/off, but otherwise, everything is consistent quality. Juann Cabal’s art matches the series well. The action scene where Laura is chasing the van looks good. The characters all look good. The real highlight is a page showing a human body, and the panels alternate between regular skin, and an x-ray type view. I feel like I’ve seen similar stuff in other comics, but this caught my attention in this issue.

X-23 is my favorite Wolverine. I still think she was robbed of the title (she was Wolverine when at the same time as two others). But this series is a good follow up to All-New Wolverine. The story is interesting and is becoming more interesting with each issue. The art is good and consistent in quality. The characters haven’t changed too much, but we’re still early on. I’m hoping we’ll see Tamaki put her mark on these characters eventually. Even though we’re only three issues deep, this is a comic that I look forward to every month.