A speedy, simple yet compelling and well written Marvel's 'X-23' comic.
Laura is a clone of the original Wolverine, a science experiment, a lab rat, an ex-assassin, and a child, whose new nonkilling code keeps being tested again and again, as she finds and then works alongside
her clones, or sisters, named Gabby, Zelda and Bellona.
So many clones in the Marvel universe. How can anyone keep up?
No hunting, and no killing on Laura's end, and a horrifying conspiracy surrounding an obviously evil science, genetics and tech lab industry will be unravelled.
The plot, the beats, and a lot of the action sequences and plot twists of 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' kind of remind me of the 'Black Widow' movie. Coincidence?
Cameos include Laura's "father", Logan, as a "ghost" in her head as she temporarily dies too (sure, why not?), Angel (who is Laura's boyfriend...apparently?...but he disappears completely eight pages into the second issue of the trade, and there's a weird, out-of-character moment where she lets him pat her on the head like a puppy after she's just been injured from an action moment...which she'll heal quickly and easily from...and she hasn't been traumatised from seeing one of her dead clones yet...seriously, what was that head-patting?), Taskmaster (wow he's easily defeated by Laura, isn't he?), Doctor Strange, a Cthulhu monster he keeps in his living room cupboard (I reiterate: sure, why not?), the Wasp, aka Janet Van Dyne, and someone who is literally introduced on the final page, but I won't reveal who they are due to spoilers.
Negative criticisms include how 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' is not really accessible to new readers, of either X-23/Laura Kinney or Marvel comics at the time of its publication. You are brought into the nonstop action immediately, with barely an explanation on what's going down, on what's going on. The cameo appearances are quick and dispensable. And the only Black and other POC characters are villains; I cannot begin to tell you how psychotic, sociopathic and sadistic the merc and second-in-command-to-the-white-male-mad-scientist Captain Mooney is. He is definitely anti-mutant, to boot. I mean, yikes and holy hel!
However, 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' is entertaining enough that I can sort of overlook this, amazingly.
The artwork is nice, fresh, clean, colourful, and, surprisingly, cute yet tasteful - Laura and her sisters actually look like young teen girls. There are humorous moments to go with the bloody violence and grimness of the whole comic. Who knew it was possible that X-23 could have a sense of humour! The sisterhood, and female-support-and-solidarity-through-victimhood-via-abuse-and-entrapment-and-caging-by-powerful-men-who-think-they're-gods-above-the-law theme...it is touching, emotional, heartrending, and tragic. It's an all-too relevant theme.
The patriarchy is oppression and abuse, and rape culture and murder, and inhumane and unnatural, and is plain, pure evil.
Read my review of 'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1' for more (and I apologise if my review here demonstrates a lack of knowledge of X-23, though to be fair, it has been nearly ten years since I read a comic about her (holy shit))
LAURA: I've done bad things. And...bad people have done bad things to me. Are you sure I deserve salvation?
STRANGE: To come from there...to be able to hold all of that back. There's so much rage in you. But you are not your father. You can control it. Channel it. It's...actually a little scary. [...] You are the right person to replace Wolverine.
LAURA: I know there are people who disapprove...guys on the internet mainly. But I'm not replacing him. I don't really know what I'm doing yet. [...] All I know is, while I'm wearing this, he isn't gone. And neither am I. I'm Laura Kinney. I'm X-23. And I'm Wolverine.
STRANGE: Logan would be very proud of you.
LAURA: Yeah. But he had pretty low standards. [...] The sisters deserve the same chance I had.
Final Score: 3.5/5
So many clones in the Marvel universe. How can anyone keep up?
No hunting, and no killing on Laura's end, and a horrifying conspiracy surrounding an obviously evil science, genetics and tech lab industry will be unravelled.
The plot, the beats, and a lot of the action sequences and plot twists of 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' kind of remind me of the 'Black Widow' movie. Coincidence?
Cameos include Laura's "father", Logan, as a "ghost" in her head as she temporarily dies too (sure, why not?), Angel (who is Laura's boyfriend...apparently?...but he disappears completely eight pages into the second issue of the trade, and there's a weird, out-of-character moment where she lets him pat her on the head like a puppy after she's just been injured from an action moment...which she'll heal quickly and easily from...and she hasn't been traumatised from seeing one of her dead clones yet...seriously, what was that head-patting?), Taskmaster (wow he's easily defeated by Laura, isn't he?), Doctor Strange, a Cthulhu monster he keeps in his living room cupboard (I reiterate: sure, why not?), the Wasp, aka Janet Van Dyne, and someone who is literally introduced on the final page, but I won't reveal who they are due to spoilers.
Negative criticisms include how 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' is not really accessible to new readers, of either X-23/Laura Kinney or Marvel comics at the time of its publication. You are brought into the nonstop action immediately, with barely an explanation on what's going down, on what's going on. The cameo appearances are quick and dispensable. And the only Black and other POC characters are villains; I cannot begin to tell you how psychotic, sociopathic and sadistic the merc and second-in-command-to-the-white-male-mad-scientist Captain Mooney is. He is definitely anti-mutant, to boot. I mean, yikes and holy hel!
However, 'All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters' is entertaining enough that I can sort of overlook this, amazingly.
The artwork is nice, fresh, clean, colourful, and, surprisingly, cute yet tasteful - Laura and her sisters actually look like young teen girls. There are humorous moments to go with the bloody violence and grimness of the whole comic. Who knew it was possible that X-23 could have a sense of humour! The sisterhood, and female-support-and-solidarity-through-victimhood-via-abuse-and-entrapment-and-caging-by-powerful-men-who-think-they're-gods-above-the-law theme...it is touching, emotional, heartrending, and tragic. It's an all-too relevant theme.
The patriarchy is oppression and abuse, and rape culture and murder, and inhumane and unnatural, and is plain, pure evil.
Read my review of 'X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1' for more (and I apologise if my review here demonstrates a lack of knowledge of X-23, though to be fair, it has been nearly ten years since I read a comic about her (holy shit))
LAURA: I've done bad things. And...bad people have done bad things to me. Are you sure I deserve salvation?
STRANGE: To come from there...to be able to hold all of that back. There's so much rage in you. But you are not your father. You can control it. Channel it. It's...actually a little scary. [...] You are the right person to replace Wolverine.
LAURA: I know there are people who disapprove...guys on the internet mainly. But I'm not replacing him. I don't really know what I'm doing yet. [...] All I know is, while I'm wearing this, he isn't gone. And neither am I. I'm Laura Kinney. I'm X-23. And I'm Wolverine.
STRANGE: Logan would be very proud of you.
LAURA: Yeah. But he had pretty low standards. [...] The sisters deserve the same chance I had.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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