X-23 #3: And a Third

I know, right? I’m glad the next issue isn’t far off otherwise I’d call this cruel and unusual punishment (shame on you Mariko Tamaki.) I swore, quite loudly at the cliffhanger ending and that is a mark of good writing. A cliffhanger does not work if you don’t care about the characters. Of all the things I’m reading and watching right now, there are no characters which I care more about than Laura and Gabby (with the possible exception of The West Wing #teamjosh.) This would not be the case if they were not well drawn (recycling old jokes is good for the environment.) Gabby is even funny when she’s gagged and I am glad that Laura uses some Loganesque humor which had been less evident in issue two as I mentioned in the review. There’s also some nice meta-humor.

The dialogue is good throughout this issue. There are several moments of effective foreshadowing which don’t feel like obvious exposition and instead elicit an “oh snap I know what’s coming” reaction. That being said there was some clunky exposition and dubious continuity on page four as this issue picks up the thread of the story. This is a shame as it slightly undermines this series’ run of great opening pages. They are now three for three. This issue starts with an affecting flashback to Zelda’s death (Laura and Gabby’s clone sister) in All-New Wolverine issue five.

Juan Cabal’s art and Nolan Woodard’s color are beautiful on this page with Zelda’s dead eye mirroring the road tunnel. I also liked the evening redness in the west at the end, deliberately reminiscent of Laura’s last confrontation with the Cuckoo’s and a harbinger of things to come. I also loved the inventive paneling throughout the issue.

Mike Choi and Jesus Aburtov’s cover is great and chimes with something in my subconscious. I think it might be Kali the Hindu Goddess of death or possibly the sisters in Kubo and the Two Strings (which is great by the way) but I’m not sure. If anybody has any ideas post them in the comments section below. Cory Petit’s lettering is also cracking.