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X-23: The Complete Collection
X-23: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1
The origin of X-23! Cloned from Wolverine's cells and raised to be the perfect killer, young Laura Kinney never knew a life free from the harsh masters at the Facility. But now she's broken loose at last and must forge her own path in the world! Free of her chains and determined to live, Laura will write the next chapter of her story herself. But can X-23 escape her training and her instincts, or will the gallons of blood spilled in her violent past drag her down? And can she truly begin a new life until she faces the man whose shadow has loomed over her for years? The Wolverine! Collects X-23 (2005) #1-6, Target X #1-6, Captain Universe/X-23 #1, X-23 One-Shot (2010) #1, X-23 (2010) #1-3 and material from To Serve and Protect #2.
454 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
August 11, 2019
Now that X-23 is a household name, a lot of casual readers have recently become interested in finding out more about Laura and her comic book origins.
This is a great place to start.
I loved it!
I've been a huge fan of this character for quite some time, so this was the perfect gift for me. Even though I'd read the majority of the issues in this thing, it was put together well enough to make a rereading it a pleasant and fluid experience.
X-23: Innocence Lost and X-23: Target X are the two main origin stories that I normally recommend to people who ask me, and this collection has not only both of those but quite a few other titles that help give a broader look at the character. I was surprised to find there were even a few issues that I hadn't read yet!
Now, it certainly isn't a complete compilation of all things X-23, but it is (I feel) complete enough to give you a solid understanding of who this character is and where she came from.
Highly Recommended
This is a great place to start.
I loved it!
I've been a huge fan of this character for quite some time, so this was the perfect gift for me. Even though I'd read the majority of the issues in this thing, it was put together well enough to make a rereading it a pleasant and fluid experience.
X-23: Innocence Lost and X-23: Target X are the two main origin stories that I normally recommend to people who ask me, and this collection has not only both of those but quite a few other titles that help give a broader look at the character. I was surprised to find there were even a few issues that I hadn't read yet!
Now, it certainly isn't a complete compilation of all things X-23, but it is (I feel) complete enough to give you a solid understanding of who this character is and where she came from.
Highly Recommended
August 1, 2023
Ignoring the 3 issues from the 2010 series, this collection is a masterpiece in dark Marvel fantasy, that really pushed the envelope. I get to feel first hand the cold dark unyielding process in which a human clone was brought up in facility, and turned into a killing machine.
Very much a mature reader work with the depiction of cloned female child, X-23 being extremely mistreated, tortured and trained to do some explicit and dark assassinations. There's very little Marvel universe work out there like this. And it was done so well. Class read. 10 out of 12! All the flaming stars, a surefire Five Star read.
2018 read
Very much a mature reader work with the depiction of cloned female child, X-23 being extremely mistreated, tortured and trained to do some explicit and dark assassinations. There's very little Marvel universe work out there like this. And it was done so well. Class read. 10 out of 12! All the flaming stars, a surefire Five Star read.
2018 read
January 26, 2018
Pretty great storylines by Marjorie Liu. Artwork varies with the artist. I liked the first cycle the best about the origins of Laura / X-23, pretty cool.
Warning however: loads of blood and guts even if the language is bleeped out. Probably a 16 and older kind of comic.
Warning however: loads of blood and guts even if the language is bleeped out. Probably a 16 and older kind of comic.
October 3, 2022
The Good: The first 2 miniseries by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are fantastic. You get to see how X-23 was created and used by the Facility. They were truly some awful people and it's not surprising that Laura would have issues. The art by Billy Tan and Mike Choi are top shelf.
The Bad: The series goes a bit downhill after that. Marjorie Liu's stories are kind of boring and hard to follow. And there's a lot of subpar art in some of these one-shots.
The Ugly: There are large parts of Laura's story that are missing like the entire NYX, New X-Men and X-Force runs. There are recaps but it would be nice if they referenced the other trades so we can read Laura's complete story.
The Bad: The series goes a bit downhill after that. Marjorie Liu's stories are kind of boring and hard to follow. And there's a lot of subpar art in some of these one-shots.
The Ugly: There are large parts of Laura's story that are missing like the entire NYX, New X-Men and X-Force runs. There are recaps but it would be nice if they referenced the other trades so we can read Laura's complete story.
November 12, 2017
Great comic collection. I will be the first to admit, I hated the idea of X-23. I thought not another Wolverine imitation, but like every other obsessed Marvel fan I grudgingly bought and read the origin story. That was it I was hooked, here was a character capable or actually surpassing the original. Apart from the obvious differences there are subtle differences in there personalities as well.
This collection contains the first 6 issues of the origin, 6 issues of sequel mini series Target X, then two, one shots specials, the finally the first 3 issues of X-23’s own series, finished off with a short story of a team up. Just on a side note, the X-23 series takes place after after the X-Force collection.
X-23 was created to be a weapon. The perfect killer. However they did not count on Laura. This is a great collection of X-23 choosing her own destiny, and her own past. These are the first steps of her journey. I make no secret that much preferred her as X-23 rather that Wolverine. This is X-23 at her brutal, damaged, but never broken best.
This collection contains the first 6 issues of the origin, 6 issues of sequel mini series Target X, then two, one shots specials, the finally the first 3 issues of X-23’s own series, finished off with a short story of a team up. Just on a side note, the X-23 series takes place after after the X-Force collection.
X-23 was created to be a weapon. The perfect killer. However they did not count on Laura. This is a great collection of X-23 choosing her own destiny, and her own past. These are the first steps of her journey. I make no secret that much preferred her as X-23 rather that Wolverine. This is X-23 at her brutal, damaged, but never broken best.
December 25, 2016
4 stars.
This started out so great! I didn't want to put it down as heartbreaking as it was. Then it went downhill about 70% in.
The first half is Laura's origin story. We know the story: she was cloned from Wolverine to be the perfect weapon. I'd only read about her after she'd been away from the Weapon X program for a while so this was all new to me. I didn't know that they wanted her to be a male clone but it would've taken about a decade longer to do that. I didn't know about her mother who tried to distance herself but eventually did the right thing and tried to free her. I didn't know there was a scientist that resented her and although I thought they'd give him too much background initially, the book balances it very well.
Laura has been through so much! She reminds me of Cassandra Cain because they were never treated like children and they carry their guilt with them for the rest of their lives even though they were made to hurt others. Both of them decided to be heroes in the end and that's so admirable.
The last scene Laura has with her mother made me cry. As did the scene where her mother figured out she was self mutilating. I loved seeing her with Megan and her aunt but I knew that would end soon. Unfortunately.
One complaint I have is that Laura is meant to be in her early teens and sometimes she's drawn in a way that's a little too mature for her. The Women in Marvel issue had terrible art, as well. Overly sexualized and infantile at times.
Honestly, it's a wonder if there are any female x-men that didn't have their sexuality used against them. Laura spent a portion of her life as a prostitute and most of her story centers around her not having agency. Odd because, while Wolverine had the same issue with being used as a weapon, there's no implication (as far as I know) that he was also used sexually by others. I'd say it's a testament to how different women are treated compared to men but I don't know how much planning went into it.
I wish they'd done more with her relationship with Logan. There's a lot of references to it but not a lot of it in this collection.
Anyway, the first half makes it a recommend but it goes downhill from there.
This started out so great! I didn't want to put it down as heartbreaking as it was. Then it went downhill about 70% in.
The first half is Laura's origin story. We know the story: she was cloned from Wolverine to be the perfect weapon. I'd only read about her after she'd been away from the Weapon X program for a while so this was all new to me. I didn't know that they wanted her to be a male clone but it would've taken about a decade longer to do that. I didn't know about her mother who tried to distance herself but eventually did the right thing and tried to free her. I didn't know there was a scientist that resented her and although I thought they'd give him too much background initially, the book balances it very well.
Laura has been through so much! She reminds me of Cassandra Cain because they were never treated like children and they carry their guilt with them for the rest of their lives even though they were made to hurt others. Both of them decided to be heroes in the end and that's so admirable.
The last scene Laura has with her mother made me cry. As did the scene where her mother figured out she was self mutilating. I loved seeing her with Megan and her aunt but I knew that would end soon. Unfortunately.
One complaint I have is that Laura is meant to be in her early teens and sometimes she's drawn in a way that's a little too mature for her. The Women in Marvel issue had terrible art, as well. Overly sexualized and infantile at times.
Honestly, it's a wonder if there are any female x-men that didn't have their sexuality used against them. Laura spent a portion of her life as a prostitute and most of her story centers around her not having agency. Odd because, while Wolverine had the same issue with being used as a weapon, there's no implication (as far as I know) that he was also used sexually by others. I'd say it's a testament to how different women are treated compared to men but I don't know how much planning went into it.
I wish they'd done more with her relationship with Logan. There's a lot of references to it but not a lot of it in this collection.
Anyway, the first half makes it a recommend but it goes downhill from there.
September 11, 2021
A mostly great collection of Laura's stories as she begins her teenage life as X-23.
After the okay at best NYX, we have a actual story focused on giving X-23 a storyline. The first story here is a origin story and you get to learn how she was created, what a creator's did to her, and the results of cloning and abusing power. The second story is even stronger where we get X-23 visiting the little family she does have and facing the consequences of being part of the weapon x program. It's both well crafted and sad. The last story focuses on her run after New Mutants/X-Force and Laura trying to find her way.
I loved most of this. Laura is such a interesting character with so many brutal moments. I'll link a video below of why I loved her since the start and when she took on the Wolverine Mantle if want to take a bigger look at it all. But this entire volume is really well done though the last story, the main X-23 run, is a bit weak.
A 4 out of 5 overall.
Video of why I think Laura is the PERFECT Wolverine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dJ42...
After the okay at best NYX, we have a actual story focused on giving X-23 a storyline. The first story here is a origin story and you get to learn how she was created, what a creator's did to her, and the results of cloning and abusing power. The second story is even stronger where we get X-23 visiting the little family she does have and facing the consequences of being part of the weapon x program. It's both well crafted and sad. The last story focuses on her run after New Mutants/X-Force and Laura trying to find her way.
I loved most of this. Laura is such a interesting character with so many brutal moments. I'll link a video below of why I loved her since the start and when she took on the Wolverine Mantle if want to take a bigger look at it all. But this entire volume is really well done though the last story, the main X-23 run, is a bit weak.
A 4 out of 5 overall.
Video of why I think Laura is the PERFECT Wolverine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dJ42...
March 1, 2024
The DNA of the Wolverine is used to create Weapon X. This is a collection of stories by different authors and artists. They loosely follow and build on each other. I liked the first two stories a lot, the rest not so much.
X-23 (2005) #1-6, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — X-23‘s conception and childhood.
Target X #1-6, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Target X picks up with her as a 15-year old teenager. My pet peeve: the artwork totally changes and the female characters are a lot more sexualized. Totally different style.
What I liked: the plasticity and depth and the way object are shown at high speeds.
Very well drawn, in fact!
Captain Universe/X-23 #1, ⭐️⭐️ — first impression is not so nice artwork. The story was forgettable.
X-23 One-Shot (2010) #1, Women of Marvel, ⭐️ — Ugly artwork and I didn‘t like the story either.
X-23 (2010) #1-3, The Killing Dream, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — artwork and story were ok-ish. Women are ridiculously slim with silly boobs.
material from To Serve and Protect #2, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — better.
X-23 (2005) #1-6, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — X-23‘s conception and childhood.
Target X #1-6, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Target X picks up with her as a 15-year old teenager. My pet peeve: the artwork totally changes and the female characters are a lot more sexualized. Totally different style.
What I liked: the plasticity and depth and the way object are shown at high speeds.
Very well drawn, in fact!
Captain Universe/X-23 #1, ⭐️⭐️ — first impression is not so nice artwork. The story was forgettable.
X-23 One-Shot (2010) #1, Women of Marvel, ⭐️ — Ugly artwork and I didn‘t like the story either.
X-23 (2010) #1-3, The Killing Dream, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — artwork and story were ok-ish. Women are ridiculously slim with silly boobs.
material from To Serve and Protect #2, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — better.
September 12, 2017
The Craig Kyle stuff at the beginning was great stuff. It got weaker as it went but still decent.
Read
June 27, 2017A well earned 4 stars for this. Way better than I thought it would be!
June 23, 2018
4.5 stars
Some parts of this were a reread, some were new to me but there’s one certain thing about all of this.
I love Laura Kinney so goddamn much.
Now, who is going to buy me X-Force Vol. 3 because I need it, but no money no honey?
Some parts of this were a reread, some were new to me but there’s one certain thing about all of this.
I love Laura Kinney so goddamn much.
Now, who is going to buy me X-Force Vol. 3 because I need it, but no money no honey?
May 26, 2020
3.5-4 im a LIL torn
LOOK I LOVED THIS
I love Laura so much oh my god she is one of my fave characters ever.
However, throughout this entire collection I despised the fact that Laura is drawn to the male gaze consistently from her young age. I understand that the landscape of comics at the time didnt really treat women realistically, and men are ALSO idealized, but something just doesn't right about Laura's designss from age 10-16
other than that this is a VERY definitive collection and I urge everyone to pick it up if interested in X-23.
C.W: self-mutilation, mentions of abuse, violence
LOOK I LOVED THIS
I love Laura so much oh my god she is one of my fave characters ever.
However, throughout this entire collection I despised the fact that Laura is drawn to the male gaze consistently from her young age. I understand that the landscape of comics at the time didnt really treat women realistically, and men are ALSO idealized, but something just doesn't right about Laura's designss from age 10-16
other than that this is a VERY definitive collection and I urge everyone to pick it up if interested in X-23.
C.W: self-mutilation, mentions of abuse, violence
March 13, 2021
I'm ignorant of most of the Marvel canon, but I think I agree with other readers that the first two were the strongest in this collection.
February 19, 2017
The average of four stars are due primarily to the origin story, which is easily one of the best superhero origins I've ever read. Fortunately, the first two tales comprise the bulk of this collection.
X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine, another attempt at the Weapon X program. Her code name comes from the fact she is the twenty-third attempt. The lab's new hire is a brilliant geneticist, Dr. Sarah Kinney, who realizes after many attempts that making the clone female is the only way to produce a viable offspring following so many failures over the years. The internal politics and power struggles of the lab ends up with McKinney given no choice but to be the host. So now we're done with the first few pages.
Innocence Lost - ★★★★★ written by: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost, art by: Billy Tan - This is absolutely brilliant on every level. The story structure, the plot, the characters... it all lands perfectly and works as a whole. This is one of the best versions of the theme of "sins of the father" (and mother, in this case) that I've ever encountered. From its brutal beginnings it flows logically through to its tragic conclusion. A true and worthy successor to Barry Windsor-Smith's brilliant Wolverine: Weapon X story, a pivot point in Marvel's history that is the equivalent to DC's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. These books altered the course of comics, and the fact that X-23 can stand alongside them is impressive. Also, the art is amazing.
Billy Tan's cover of issue 2 sums up the character. A trapped, yet lethally dangerous, child.
Target X - ★★★★★ written by: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost, art by: Mike Choi - Here we have X-23 (now using the name Laura) on the run, seeking out the only family she has left, her creator's sister and daughter. Kyle and Yost fill in a bit more of her training and backstory while simultaneously pushing the story forward. Naturally, the organization which created X-23 isn't going to just let her walk away, so Laura is forced to exercise all her considerable skills and training in order to evade them. The art is spectacular.
I was really impressed with how seamlessly they wove new characters into the tale, especially the assassin Kimura, who wasn't even hinted at in the first story. One of the key elements to Innocence Lost was the creation of the trigger scent which causes X-23 to go into a berserker killing rage. The solution to that here was clever and logical. I love stories which set up a premise and then find wiggle room within it while not violating the internal rules, and Kyle and Yost do that perfectly here. This is a masterclass in structure and building both a world and a character.
We also get Captain America and Daredevil wrestling with important issues of Laura's guilt or innocence as they interrogate her about what happened, and Laura finally gets closure on her mother's thoughts when she confronts Wolverine, who has a copy of the letter Sarah sent to both of them.
Check out this piece by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback. This, to me, is THE definitive depiction of X-23, Laura Kinney.
Double Threat - ★☆☆☆☆ written by: Jay Faerber, art by: Francis Portela - This is a section of the Captain Universe cross-over, of which I know nothing. This just lays there, adding nothing to the character of Laura. This is pure filler. Just before this is a page detailing all sorts of other adventures X-23 has, including traveling to The Savage Land, one of my favorite Marvel locations, but alas, we just get this pointless story instead. The art is serviceable.
x-23: Women of Marvel - ★★☆☆☆ written by: Marjorie Liu, art by: Filipe Andrade & Nuno Alves - This bounces between weirdo dream sequences and Laura returning to her old stomping grounds in New York City, where she meets up with some of her street urchin pals. Apparently Laura was a prostitute for a while for some inexplicable but no doubt misogynistic reason. We're spared that nonsense here, but this feels like we're reading reading chapter 8 of a larger story, so it feels incomplete and out of place. The art was not to my taste and gets in the way of the story sometimes.
The Killing Dream - ★★☆☆☆ written by: Marjorie Liu, art by: Will Conrad with Sana Takeda - More dream sequence stuff... or is it? Dun dun dun. Laura goes to hell, literally, as my least favorite aspects of the Marvel Universe make their presence known: demons. These guys are generally one-trick ponies who chew the scenery and cause anguish for no reason than to do so. This is a mess of a story, frankly, and I have no idea what the point is supposed to be here. Laura defeats - I guess? It's completely unclear - the demon by choosing herself, I maybe she's merely allowed to think that. These stories are aggravating because they feel like a college sophomore in Creative Writing 101 trying to be deep and failing. I'm also annoyed by weirdness for weirdness' sake. The art is fine.
Judgment - ★★★☆☆ written by: Si Spurrier, art by: David LaFuente - This one is a short story where Laura meets Ghost Rider and she sees his "Penance Stare" in action. She wonders if it will work on her, because she's not sure if she has a soul. This one is actually a nice little character moment for X-23, as she grapples with her past in a tangible way. The existential questions she has follow naturally from her experiences, so it was nice to see this examination of her dilemma. Particularly after the clunkiness of the previous stories. The art is a bit too stylized for my taste, but it's satisfactory.
X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine, another attempt at the Weapon X program. Her code name comes from the fact she is the twenty-third attempt. The lab's new hire is a brilliant geneticist, Dr. Sarah Kinney, who realizes after many attempts that making the clone female is the only way to produce a viable offspring following so many failures over the years. The internal politics and power struggles of the lab ends up with McKinney given no choice but to be the host. So now we're done with the first few pages.
Innocence Lost - ★★★★★ written by: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost, art by: Billy Tan - This is absolutely brilliant on every level. The story structure, the plot, the characters... it all lands perfectly and works as a whole. This is one of the best versions of the theme of "sins of the father" (and mother, in this case) that I've ever encountered. From its brutal beginnings it flows logically through to its tragic conclusion. A true and worthy successor to Barry Windsor-Smith's brilliant Wolverine: Weapon X story, a pivot point in Marvel's history that is the equivalent to DC's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. These books altered the course of comics, and the fact that X-23 can stand alongside them is impressive. Also, the art is amazing.
Billy Tan's cover of issue 2 sums up the character. A trapped, yet lethally dangerous, child.
Target X - ★★★★★ written by: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost, art by: Mike Choi - Here we have X-23 (now using the name Laura) on the run, seeking out the only family she has left, her creator's sister and daughter. Kyle and Yost fill in a bit more of her training and backstory while simultaneously pushing the story forward. Naturally, the organization which created X-23 isn't going to just let her walk away, so Laura is forced to exercise all her considerable skills and training in order to evade them. The art is spectacular.
I was really impressed with how seamlessly they wove new characters into the tale, especially the assassin Kimura, who wasn't even hinted at in the first story. One of the key elements to Innocence Lost was the creation of the trigger scent which causes X-23 to go into a berserker killing rage. The solution to that here was clever and logical. I love stories which set up a premise and then find wiggle room within it while not violating the internal rules, and Kyle and Yost do that perfectly here. This is a masterclass in structure and building both a world and a character.
We also get Captain America and Daredevil wrestling with important issues of Laura's guilt or innocence as they interrogate her about what happened, and Laura finally gets closure on her mother's thoughts when she confronts Wolverine, who has a copy of the letter Sarah sent to both of them.
Check out this piece by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback. This, to me, is THE definitive depiction of X-23, Laura Kinney.
Double Threat - ★☆☆☆☆ written by: Jay Faerber, art by: Francis Portela - This is a section of the Captain Universe cross-over, of which I know nothing. This just lays there, adding nothing to the character of Laura. This is pure filler. Just before this is a page detailing all sorts of other adventures X-23 has, including traveling to The Savage Land, one of my favorite Marvel locations, but alas, we just get this pointless story instead. The art is serviceable.
x-23: Women of Marvel - ★★☆☆☆ written by: Marjorie Liu, art by: Filipe Andrade & Nuno Alves - This bounces between weirdo dream sequences and Laura returning to her old stomping grounds in New York City, where she meets up with some of her street urchin pals. Apparently Laura was a prostitute for a while for some inexplicable but no doubt misogynistic reason. We're spared that nonsense here, but this feels like we're reading reading chapter 8 of a larger story, so it feels incomplete and out of place. The art was not to my taste and gets in the way of the story sometimes.
The Killing Dream - ★★☆☆☆ written by: Marjorie Liu, art by: Will Conrad with Sana Takeda - More dream sequence stuff... or is it? Dun dun dun. Laura goes to hell, literally, as my least favorite aspects of the Marvel Universe make their presence known: demons. These guys are generally one-trick ponies who chew the scenery and cause anguish for no reason than to do so. This is a mess of a story, frankly, and I have no idea what the point is supposed to be here. Laura defeats - I guess? It's completely unclear - the demon by choosing herself, I maybe she's merely allowed to think that. These stories are aggravating because they feel like a college sophomore in Creative Writing 101 trying to be deep and failing. I'm also annoyed by weirdness for weirdness' sake. The art is fine.
Judgment - ★★★☆☆ written by: Si Spurrier, art by: David LaFuente - This one is a short story where Laura meets Ghost Rider and she sees his "Penance Stare" in action. She wonders if it will work on her, because she's not sure if she has a soul. This one is actually a nice little character moment for X-23, as she grapples with her past in a tangible way. The existential questions she has follow naturally from her experiences, so it was nice to see this examination of her dilemma. Particularly after the clunkiness of the previous stories. The art is a bit too stylized for my taste, but it's satisfactory.
August 6, 2018
This was much better than I expected, although I admit I didn't really know what to expect. I've barely known the X-23 character over the years since she was created (in both senses), and none of the writers attached to this series are among my favorites. And yet, her very dark and disturbing life and path are compelling and well-told in these pages.
It's clearly not actually "complete," as there are a couple pages that fill the reader in on many events that have taken place off-page, presumably in various X-Men and X-Force comics that didn't keep X-23/Laura at centerstage.
Looking forward to plowing through the second volume of this asap!
It's clearly not actually "complete," as there are a couple pages that fill the reader in on many events that have taken place off-page, presumably in various X-Men and X-Force comics that didn't keep X-23/Laura at centerstage.
Looking forward to plowing through the second volume of this asap!
July 3, 2023
A couple bad one-shots in here aside, this was incredible. A lot of nuance about servitude, redemption, loss, and grief bundled into some high quality action. I think that first six issue series in this is probably the best, but I was really a fan of the other two mini series in this as well. Pretty great transformation of the character of Laura as she becomes less of a born killer and more of a lonely wanderer. Been reading the newest run of X-23 so I'm glad I finally got around to this one. Fantastic stuff.
October 3, 2022
Innocence Lost: #1-6, and Target X: #1-6 are excellent. The rest of the collection is quite weak.
July 9, 2019
More like 3.75✨ but I’m gonna round up.
April 25, 2017
Now that I have a better understanding of who Laura is, I have so much more love & respect for this character. She's had a very complicated & sad life, but she's demonstrated such strength, with ownership & humility. She's relatable. The Women of Marvel story, was the only piece I didn't particularly enjoy. I'm open to many different art styles, but I couldn't connect with the creator's decisions, here. Personal preference! Overall, this collection was beautiful & engaging throughout. I highly recommend checking out this comic!
April 1, 2017
Laura's origin story is great. The rest of the stuff in this volume, not so much. And it isn't even complete, turning the title into a lie. There's a lot missing...
August 21, 2021
I stumbled across the beginning of this collection on Hoopla, and couldn't resist, especially after connecting the dots with the excellent movie Logan, and having been denied her origin story there.
So first thing: BAM! X-23's origin story. And it treads familiar ground. Laura basically gets herself Winter Soldier'd. It is a gripping tale---full of good, evil, and utter tragedy, and sets the stage for all that follows.
Next, we progress to her teenage years, when lil' X starts to figure it out. This too is most excellent, employing a unique frame story within a frame story, like Inception, only with more claws! This one features Cap being bloody oblivious Cap. He gets better.
The next two are one-offs, and mostly forgettable. X-23 comes off the street, gets Uni-Powered up (ooh, sparkly hair!), teams up with Scorpion (the good one), and takes out an A.I.M. base. So yeah, doesn't really add anything to her storyline.
Second one-off: Laura spends the entire story dealing with the demon in her head. Literally. She has a demonlord named Belasco living rent-free up there, and he's the meanest SOB this side of Hades. The artwork in this last one is frenetic, feverish, and a hot chaotic mess. It's apparently not enough for Marvel to torture her on the outside. I expected more from writer Marjorie Liu.
But, BUT! Liu redeems herself in the next sequence, a powerful trilogy, "The Killing Dream" (perhaps a nod to D.C.'s "The Killing Joke"?). Finally X-23 finds some agency to reconcile her guilt and self-loathing, bury her demons, and strike out on her own. This is all set against the backdrop of her troubled tenure with X-Force. The X-Men seem intent on controlling her just like everyone else, but at least Ororo has Laura's back. This one's good, y'all.
And we top it off with a third one-shot featuring a bit o' metaphysics and a nice guest appearance by... Ghost Rider? WTF?! Ok, stick a claw in it, we're done with this volume. Can't wait for the next.
So first thing: BAM! X-23's origin story. And it treads familiar ground. Laura basically gets herself Winter Soldier'd. It is a gripping tale---full of good, evil, and utter tragedy, and sets the stage for all that follows.
Next, we progress to her teenage years, when lil' X starts to figure it out. This too is most excellent, employing a unique frame story within a frame story, like Inception, only with more claws! This one features Cap being bloody oblivious Cap. He gets better.
The next two are one-offs, and mostly forgettable. X-23 comes off the street, gets Uni-Powered up (ooh, sparkly hair!), teams up with Scorpion (the good one), and takes out an A.I.M. base. So yeah, doesn't really add anything to her storyline.
Second one-off: Laura spends the entire story dealing with the demon in her head. Literally. She has a demonlord named Belasco living rent-free up there, and he's the meanest SOB this side of Hades. The artwork in this last one is frenetic, feverish, and a hot chaotic mess. It's apparently not enough for Marvel to torture her on the outside. I expected more from writer Marjorie Liu.
But, BUT! Liu redeems herself in the next sequence, a powerful trilogy, "The Killing Dream" (perhaps a nod to D.C.'s "The Killing Joke"?). Finally X-23 finds some agency to reconcile her guilt and self-loathing, bury her demons, and strike out on her own. This is all set against the backdrop of her troubled tenure with X-Force. The X-Men seem intent on controlling her just like everyone else, but at least Ororo has Laura's back. This one's good, y'all.
And we top it off with a third one-shot featuring a bit o' metaphysics and a nice guest appearance by... Ghost Rider? WTF?! Ok, stick a claw in it, we're done with this volume. Can't wait for the next.
March 29, 2017
When I was in college I let myself get talked into taking a Bible as Literature class. I ended up auditing the class, which means I was Pass/Fail instead of a letter grade.
Our first paper was only four pages long, but it also seemed to require understanding every reference to every person mentioned. I tried to write a bit of the paper without checking the references. I got a third of the way, then went back and checked the references. More than half of what I had written was complete nonsense. I dropped the class later that week.
X-23 is a clone in the same vein as Wolverine; claws, healing factor, and created to murder. For 80% of this fine collection that is enough information for the reader.
The other 20% reminded of my Bible as Literature class. I am not a faithful X-Person reader, I tend to dip in and out. The other twenty percent had references to a lot of Mutants I kind of remember and some I had zero idea about.
Aside from the ridiculous, overly complicated mutant universe Marvel has created; the murderous nature of the main character, there is something touching in here. They don't touch on it hard, but they kinda bump up against it every story arc. It's worth reading for that.
I also think someone could write a very good paper/book on the murderous young woman as hero in superhero comics. So far I got X-23, and Cassandra Cain iteration of Batgirl (now currently Orphan) in DC continuity. There has to be others.
Our first paper was only four pages long, but it also seemed to require understanding every reference to every person mentioned. I tried to write a bit of the paper without checking the references. I got a third of the way, then went back and checked the references. More than half of what I had written was complete nonsense. I dropped the class later that week.
X-23 is a clone in the same vein as Wolverine; claws, healing factor, and created to murder. For 80% of this fine collection that is enough information for the reader.
The other 20% reminded of my Bible as Literature class. I am not a faithful X-Person reader, I tend to dip in and out. The other twenty percent had references to a lot of Mutants I kind of remember and some I had zero idea about.
Aside from the ridiculous, overly complicated mutant universe Marvel has created; the murderous nature of the main character, there is something touching in here. They don't touch on it hard, but they kinda bump up against it every story arc. It's worth reading for that.
I also think someone could write a very good paper/book on the murderous young woman as hero in superhero comics. So far I got X-23, and Cassandra Cain iteration of Batgirl (now currently Orphan) in DC continuity. There has to be others.
October 7, 2019
The first two 6 issue arcs are perfect. The Uniforce issue was ok. The rest was pretty good.
Man, I love X-23. She’s one of the most tragically beautiful characters in Marvel. I love her heart and am moved by her profound pain. Her story is a lesson in cruelty, compassion and forgiveness.
The art varies, but for the first two arcs, it’s damn near perfection. In many ways, this is Wolverine: Weapon X the way it should have been. It definitely evokes Barry Windsor Smith’s groundbreaking work.
I’ll say this; if Kyle/Yost are writing something, it’s 100% guaranteed to be outstanding. Everything they touch is pure gold, and nobody writes Laura Kinney better than them.
This collection made me want to know everything there is to know about X-23. I was enchanted by her resolve. This collection will forever be one of my most cherished trade paperbacks!
Man, I love X-23. She’s one of the most tragically beautiful characters in Marvel. I love her heart and am moved by her profound pain. Her story is a lesson in cruelty, compassion and forgiveness.
The art varies, but for the first two arcs, it’s damn near perfection. In many ways, this is Wolverine: Weapon X the way it should have been. It definitely evokes Barry Windsor Smith’s groundbreaking work.
I’ll say this; if Kyle/Yost are writing something, it’s 100% guaranteed to be outstanding. Everything they touch is pure gold, and nobody writes Laura Kinney better than them.
This collection made me want to know everything there is to know about X-23. I was enchanted by her resolve. This collection will forever be one of my most cherished trade paperbacks!
May 23, 2020
This collection's stories reach from good to brilliant.
Laura's origin story is definitely one of the best I've ever read. It moved me to tears and set the perfect groundwork for the following storylines.
Additionally, I came to realize that I dislike Cyclops more than Captain America, which is quite surprising (although Cyclops is by far the better character).
Laura's origin story is definitely one of the best I've ever read. It moved me to tears and set the perfect groundwork for the following storylines.
Additionally, I came to realize that I dislike Cyclops more than Captain America, which is quite surprising (although Cyclops is by far the better character).
January 21, 2022
Before Marvel officially had a 'new generation', they had X-23...
...she was/is a unique take on a classic character and this collection shows just how much work they put towards fully fleshing her out. This isn't everything from her early years, but it will give you everything you'll need.
...she was/is a unique take on a classic character and this collection shows just how much work they put towards fully fleshing her out. This isn't everything from her early years, but it will give you everything you'll need.
March 20, 2017
After watching Logan I needed more X-23 in my life. This fit the bill! An excellent and well-crafted origin story kicks off this collection. I loved almost every page of it. The action explodes off the pages and the kicks, punches, and SNIKTS are visceral. The second arc is told in flashbacks to what happened to Laura after she left The Facility, and introduces Kimura, her handler. This formative event shapes who Laura considers family, and how she relates to them. Both of these arcs really help me appreciate the character I have grown to love in All-New Wolverine even more. The one-shots and the first few chapters of Marjorie Liu's run that round out this volume are uneven. I hope Liu's writing pays off in the second volume, which I will pick up later this year. Definitely a must read for fans of the character.
May 5, 2019
The first arc is A+, the second is B- and from there the book is varying degrees of an D-F grades. And Billy Tan should always draw X-23.
August 3, 2024
Me ha dado una de mis dinámicas favoritas de los xmen no me creo que Gambito haya robado una hija
September 22, 2024
The comics inside varied in both writing and art work. I enjoyed the start of the book better than the end few comics.
September 28, 2017
Well, colour me surprised: I actually enjoyed a Marvel volume collection from before the 2010s, and the only one directly related to the X-Men.
'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1' is a good starting point to getting to know who Laura Kinney, aka X-23, really is. She can so easily be dismissed as just a teenage female version of Wolverine - not helped that she is his literal clone; another attempt at Weapon X. I know I rolled my eyes upon first hearing about her in the 'X-Men' lore years ago, in the 'X-Men: Evolution' cartoon she debuted in, rather than the movie 'Logan', aka 'Wolverine movie no. 9 in less than two decades'. This '"opposite sex clone" trope, where popular male heroes receive the distaff counterpart treatment, and where quite frankly a disturbing number of the female clones are very young and objectified, seems like quite frankly lazy writing, and an example of the myriad of lazy ways of introducing female characters who exist sorely in relation to an already-established male character.
But the writing in this collection is nuanced, heartfelt, poignant, and clever enough for any concerns over why X-23 was created in the first place to be overlooked. It contains complex mother-daughter bonds (yes, plural), non-boring superhero comic science, a steady pace for an origin story, the right amount of bloody violence and death without being gratuitous or losing heart and purpose, and as little dialogue as is necessary: nothing feels cluttered with too much exposition, and it lets the gorgeous, action-packed artwork speak for the story just so that the near-400 pages fly by. Anyone who has never read an 'X-Men' comic before can still get invested in this without a lot of confusion or pointless continuity jackhammers.
As is expected from anything 'X-Men', men and women in 'X-23' can be both supportive and be monsters to one another. And you could safely say that all government authorities in superhero universes, especially if they mostly consist of giant laboratories, are corrupt, cutthroat, hypocritical, and idiotic (why do the scientists never consider that raising a clone to be an inhumane assassin might have serious consequences and backfire easily and spectacularly? Don't they ever watch movies? They are not simply one-dimensional and morally-bankrupt, they are really stupid).
Laura herself is an interesting character with a lot of emotional baggage to carry around with her throughout her young, tragic existence. Not a normal teenage girl by any means, due to her cold, sterile, torturous and abusive imprisonment of an upbringing at the hands of the evil Facility, she's quiet, reserved, intelligent but antisocial. Once the heartbreaking saga of her origin, leading to her escape, is told, she is fighting to the death at every corner of her life - her ignorance of the outside world - using her Wolverine adamantium claws. And she doesn't just use them on others; she continuously self-harms as well. To the Facility she was nothing but a specimen built to be the ultimate weapon: a Weapon X project that of course went horribly wrong. Poor Laura flips between trying to fit in and sympathizing with others, like her traumatized cousin Megan and the X-Men, and not bothering and coming close to embracing the killer she was created to be by the Facility. She had been forced to murder dozens of people back then, and again throughout her journey and "freedom" - in cold blood. Can she never escape this after all? Is it what she wants?
Laura is fierce and, in the end, not loyal to anybody, because she belongs to nobody but herself. Not to the Facility; not to the X-Force, lead by no one's favourite X-Man, Cyclops (the prick); not to Wolverine, a father figure; nor Storm, a mother figure; nor her inner and outer space and time demons (don't ask, it's comic books).
Laura Kinney's story is one about choice, and having or seeking a conscience, and redemption, and finding out whether or not she has a soul. She is Pinocchio, of which the book was read to her by her scientist mother Sarah Kinney against the Facility's wishes, searching for a way to become a real human. She's damn powerful, and capable of helping others (female friends ahoy!) when in need, plus her vulnerabilities are presented as both a source of strength and weakness to her in her ultimately-human complexity.
To complete X-23's anti-heroine appeal, she also sports a biker girl/Emo girl get-up after escaping the Facility, and sadly a few artists' panels in some of the issues can't seem to resist literally drawing attention to her backside, and to a bare cleavage and midriff, even though she is a small child in her teens. X-ing typical.
The final issue where Laura teams up with Ghost Rider more than makes up for that, however, no matter how short the story is. It wraps things up nicely in a quaint little bow of hellfire.
So I do recommend 'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1', for the collected issues are on the whole enjoyable, fun, thought-provoking, intricate, and profound. Satisfying.
Final Score: 4/5
'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1' is a good starting point to getting to know who Laura Kinney, aka X-23, really is. She can so easily be dismissed as just a teenage female version of Wolverine - not helped that she is his literal clone; another attempt at Weapon X. I know I rolled my eyes upon first hearing about her in the 'X-Men' lore years ago, in the 'X-Men: Evolution' cartoon she debuted in, rather than the movie 'Logan', aka 'Wolverine movie no. 9 in less than two decades'. This '"opposite sex clone" trope, where popular male heroes receive the distaff counterpart treatment, and where quite frankly a disturbing number of the female clones are very young and objectified, seems like quite frankly lazy writing, and an example of the myriad of lazy ways of introducing female characters who exist sorely in relation to an already-established male character.
But the writing in this collection is nuanced, heartfelt, poignant, and clever enough for any concerns over why X-23 was created in the first place to be overlooked. It contains complex mother-daughter bonds (yes, plural), non-boring superhero comic science, a steady pace for an origin story, the right amount of bloody violence and death without being gratuitous or losing heart and purpose, and as little dialogue as is necessary: nothing feels cluttered with too much exposition, and it lets the gorgeous, action-packed artwork speak for the story just so that the near-400 pages fly by. Anyone who has never read an 'X-Men' comic before can still get invested in this without a lot of confusion or pointless continuity jackhammers.
As is expected from anything 'X-Men', men and women in 'X-23' can be both supportive and be monsters to one another. And you could safely say that all government authorities in superhero universes, especially if they mostly consist of giant laboratories, are corrupt, cutthroat, hypocritical, and idiotic (why do the scientists never consider that raising a clone to be an inhumane assassin might have serious consequences and backfire easily and spectacularly? Don't they ever watch movies? They are not simply one-dimensional and morally-bankrupt, they are really stupid).
Laura herself is an interesting character with a lot of emotional baggage to carry around with her throughout her young, tragic existence. Not a normal teenage girl by any means, due to her cold, sterile, torturous and abusive imprisonment of an upbringing at the hands of the evil Facility, she's quiet, reserved, intelligent but antisocial. Once the heartbreaking saga of her origin, leading to her escape, is told, she is fighting to the death at every corner of her life - her ignorance of the outside world - using her Wolverine adamantium claws. And she doesn't just use them on others; she continuously self-harms as well. To the Facility she was nothing but a specimen built to be the ultimate weapon: a Weapon X project that of course went horribly wrong. Poor Laura flips between trying to fit in and sympathizing with others, like her traumatized cousin Megan and the X-Men, and not bothering and coming close to embracing the killer she was created to be by the Facility. She had been forced to murder dozens of people back then, and again throughout her journey and "freedom" - in cold blood. Can she never escape this after all? Is it what she wants?
Laura is fierce and, in the end, not loyal to anybody, because she belongs to nobody but herself. Not to the Facility; not to the X-Force, lead by no one's favourite X-Man, Cyclops (the prick); not to Wolverine, a father figure; nor Storm, a mother figure; nor her inner and outer space and time demons (don't ask, it's comic books).
Laura Kinney's story is one about choice, and having or seeking a conscience, and redemption, and finding out whether or not she has a soul. She is Pinocchio, of which the book was read to her by her scientist mother Sarah Kinney against the Facility's wishes, searching for a way to become a real human. She's damn powerful, and capable of helping others (female friends ahoy!) when in need, plus her vulnerabilities are presented as both a source of strength and weakness to her in her ultimately-human complexity.
To complete X-23's anti-heroine appeal, she also sports a biker girl/Emo girl get-up after escaping the Facility, and sadly a few artists' panels in some of the issues can't seem to resist literally drawing attention to her backside, and to a bare cleavage and midriff, even though she is a small child in her teens. X-ing typical.
The final issue where Laura teams up with Ghost Rider more than makes up for that, however, no matter how short the story is. It wraps things up nicely in a quaint little bow of hellfire.
So I do recommend 'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1', for the collected issues are on the whole enjoyable, fun, thought-provoking, intricate, and profound. Satisfying.
Final Score: 4/5
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