Jubilee makes a guest appearance in the latest issue of X-23, but will their "girls night out" get them into a little bit of trouble?
The Good
Phil Noto knocks it out of the park again. Noto is one of those incredible artists who has a very distinctive style and his work on this series continues to be stellar. Can I just say that I love that Jubilee actually looks Asian in this book? Because I do.
The book opens with the two girls going up against the boys of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Not only do both Jubilee and X-23 give the boys a run for their money, but its great to see them in such a competitive spirit. The scene quickly shifts when Gambit suggests that the two friends go out together, alone. Before Jubilee has to leave, X-23 needs someone to talk to. I really like the relationship that Liu formed between these two characters; Jubilee's light-heartedness really compliments Laura''s brooding personality, and it shows here.
It's clear that Laura still has a lot of soul searching and developing to do as a character, and it's starting to feel as if Liu is allowing her plenty of room to continue to grow as an individual as both a member of Cyclops' team as well as a new member of the Young Avengers. You get the sense in this second to last book before the series' end that Liu will leave her story open-ended, giving the reader the impression that just because her series is over, doesn't mean she has to stop growing.
Liu also addresses a very traumatic moment in X-23's past, and through the observation of another character we see that although Laura may not wear her heart on her sleeve, it doesn't mean that she can't feel. In fact, she feels without even knowing that she is feeling -- many of her actions are fueled by her emotions.
The Bad
Nothing bad here, really beautiful book.
The Verdict
This issue is very bittersweet. On one hand it was a great comic; on the other it means that we are one step closer to the final issue. What does that mean for X-23, though? A lot of characters who see their series canceled drop off the face of comics. We often don't know what happens to them for a long time. Liu's writing in this issue reassures her readers that this isn't the last we have seen of X-23 and leaves her character somewhat open-ended. Her book may be coming to an end, but this is definitely not the last we have seen of this character; that's the kind of attitude that Liu exhibits with issue #20of X-23. Pair that with yet another gorgeous issue thanks to the talent of Phil Noto, and you have a hit. New readers should be able to follow along easily, although I recommend that you pick up the series as a whole. Most of it has been solid.