In order to understand who she is, X-23 needs to understand where she came from. To do this, she must return to where her existence began. She must return to New York City, put her fears behind her and throw herself into her journey.
The Good
Gambit learns something he never knew before about X-23 within the first few pages of this issue, and artist Phil Noto captures his expression of shock and complete horror in this panel perfectly. When you read the issue, you will know exactly the scene I am talking about. This is a a very heavy issue, and Liu lets Noto do some of the heavy lifting as far as depicting the emotions of these characters goes. Like I said before, in order for Laura to understand who she is, she's got to wrap her head around where she has been and why -- even if it's not something she is comfortable doing.
Gambit's interaction with X-23 is limited in this issue, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get some help from a few new friends. Enter Peter Parker, who shows up just in the nick of time. It is definitely interesting seeing Laura interact with him, and I look forward to seeing her spend some time with the rest of the Future Foundation teammates in the next issue!
The Bad
This is a solid issue dealing with some very mature subject matter. However, I recommend reading through this entire series to get a full grasp of who Laura truly is. As good as this issue is, and as easy as it would be to pick this story up starting with this issue, you would be doing this series a disservice to the story and the character if you don't read the previous books.
The Verdict
This issue is really fantastic. It's the first issue of a new arc and I honestly feel it's one of Marjorie's best issues yet. The pacing here is perfect. The amount of time Gambit spends on some new information is perfect. It's not drawn out, they just don't delve into the discussion. You can also gather in addition to being a friend to X-23, Gambit sort of admires her strength, too. I am definitely looking forward to the next issue which will feature the Future Foundation. I also am looking forward to learning why Alex Cimini is such an important figure in the story.
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