X-23 Omnibus, Vol. 1

X-23 (2005) #1-6

by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Marjorie M. Liu

The origin of X-23! Cloned from Wolverine's cells and ruthlessly conditioned by her harsh masters at the Facility, young Laura Kinney is the perfect assassin. But when she breaks free at last, can she rise above her training and killer instincts to forge her own path in the world? Or will the gallons of blood she has spilled drag her down? Follow Laura's journey of self-determination - including a search for family and friendship, her first meeting with Wolverine himself, her alliance with Gambit and a deadly clash with Logan's vicious son, Daken! But when memories threaten to overwhelm her, can Laura defeat the darkness within? Collecting X-23 (2005) #1-6, TARGET X #1-6, X-23 (2010A) #1, X-23 (2010B) #1-21, CAPTAIN UNIVERSE/X-23 #1 and DARK WOLVERINE #8-9 - plus material from TO SERVE AND PROTECT #2, THE ROAD TO HELL and ALL-NEW WOLVERINE SAGA.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Comic Book, Graphic Novels, X Men

928 pages, Hardcover

Published June 27, 2023

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most of these large omnibus versions, the quality is uneven, but with so many writes/artists and over such a span of time, that's inevitable. I will say that the first two collected parts, X-23 (2005) #1-6 and Target X #1-6, are both brilliant and easily 5 star material, and most of the rest would be great if not for the contrast with the first 300 pages.

[MoonKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fantastic! I couldn't put it down and finished it in record time!

[Highland G · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I want to say the stories told here are better than 3 star but the layout of this book and lack of telling you where to read the missing stuff is a huge letdown.

This is sold as an X-23 vol 1 and as such should be the first 2 short runs, NYX and new xmen content (if I remember correctly.) But it’s not.
This contains everything with x23 in its title (that was released before her wolverine run).

So it’s the first 2 short runs(her origins), then a one shot, followed by her main long run by Liu(focusing on finding her humanity).
It basically skips ALL of her development in NYX, new Xmen and XForce.

There are several opportunities to share where to find these missing stories but they simply don’t list them anywhere, even in the ‘filler’ recaps between the different sections.

Anyway, getting back to a my critique of the content itself. The first two short runs are great and art sets a high bar for the longer run to try and follow.

The art and story in the main long run is inconsistent if read as one long story, it reads more like many short runs with breaks between them and an artist change each time (some much better than others) can take you out of the flow.

So if you read this as a compilation of lots of short runs and have already read NYX, XForce etc then you should still enjoy it, but as a fresh starting point for new readers, it just doesn’t make any sense!
I wish they had collected content based on story order rather than just throwing everything with x23 in the title blindly into one collection.

[Joel Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good things in here. The first two series, "Innocence Lost" and "Target X," were a great origin story for the character, exciting and gripping. The other series included here were hit or miss for me. I especially enjoyed the writing in "Songs of the Orphan Child": "The first thing you learn is how to be alone. The second thing you learn is how to wait. The third thing you learn is how to kill."

Overall, I think the omnibus is a good overview of Laura Kinney, her origin, character and personality.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The highs are very high and the lows are very low in this book. The first third is incredibly strong, and then the back 2/3 is uneven in writing an art, with some sci-fi stories that don't really work with the character. When it is focused on crime and mad science and murder, it just works really well.

[Ferzem Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character-defining runs that make Laura Kinney such an amazing and beloved part of X-Men. Both of Kyle and Yost's miniseries are a great example of writing a tragic backstory without condescension and moral judgement, while Marjorie Liu's run is a logical next step in Laura's journey as she comes out of her past shadows and forms meaningful connections (especially with Gambit, whose dynamic with her was amazing).

[Books Over People · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag. Glad I read it