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crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
2.0
This book read more like a chippily written romance adventure novel than an X-Man book. Which is very odd because it's definitely NOT a romance book. But the dialog and the staging of the characters just felt like they were from another genre. And while only one portion of the book included soft-focused, moodily lit manga style art, I can certainly imagine the rest of the book also done in that style.
It's not a terrible book, it just felt rote. Child trafficking seems to be a theme in X-23 stories, and I understand that child trafficking is part of her early story, the same way Japanese feudalism is part of Wolverine's earlyish stories, but if you're going to keep revisiting the same wells, there better be something delicious about the water. (Ooof, see what effect the writing is having on me.)
It's not a terrible book, it just felt rote. Child trafficking seems to be a theme in X-23 stories, and I understand that child trafficking is part of her early story, the same way Japanese feudalism is part of Wolverine's earlyish stories, but if you're going to keep revisiting the same wells, there better be something delicious about the water. (Ooof, see what effect the writing is having on me.)
shullerina's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pickett22's review against another edition
4.0
This is rough, man. A lot of blood, torture, violence... everything you expect from Logan's family. It also has a lot of heart. Which is also in line with Logan's family, I suppose.
It starts out with a bunch of Daken issues, and if it wasn't for Tyger Tiger I'd have been really bored. Daken doesn't interest me. What really interested me was when he and Laura fought and then started to question each other. They're two sides of a coin and they understand each other like no one else, and yet they do not understand why the other makes the choices they've made.
Liu has such a wonderful handle on Laura that every step of the way I feel her pain and know there is no way out of it. She knows she is not an animal, that she is more than a killer, and yet sometimes she cannot stop herself. Killing is still what she does best, and what does it mean for her to be more than that?
So when she and Daken start to talk, it's very interesting. I love the whole feeling of that scene, too. They're just standing there chatting, waiting for a bomb to go off, and then when it does, and they're re-growing everything, they just pick up where they left off. There's definitely a sense that Laura is more powerful than Daken, and he knows it. But she wants to care, and he calls that a weakness. But she knows the answer. Everyone knows she has power, she has nothing to prove there. And, she points out, neither does Daken. No one questions the fact that he has power. And the fantastic thing is, she absolutely believes that makes him less powerful By fixating on a power he already has, she sees him as making himself weaker. And she understands how dangerous it is to care for others.
It's really beautifully done. It has some very subtle moments, there's not an over-abundance of talking, and Tyger and Gambit are fantastic foils.
I really like Liu's writing, and I really miss her writing X-23.
It starts out with a bunch of Daken issues, and if it wasn't for Tyger Tiger I'd have been really bored. Daken doesn't interest me. What really interested me was when he and Laura fought and then started to question each other. They're two sides of a coin and they understand each other like no one else, and yet they do not understand why the other makes the choices they've made.
Liu has such a wonderful handle on Laura that every step of the way I feel her pain and know there is no way out of it. She knows she is not an animal, that she is more than a killer, and yet sometimes she cannot stop herself. Killing is still what she does best, and what does it mean for her to be more than that?
So when she and Daken start to talk, it's very interesting. I love the whole feeling of that scene, too. They're just standing there chatting, waiting for a bomb to go off, and then when it does, and they're re-growing everything, they just pick up where they left off. There's definitely a sense that Laura is more powerful than Daken, and he knows it. But she wants to care, and he calls that a weakness. But she knows the answer. Everyone knows she has power, she has nothing to prove there. And, she points out, neither does Daken. No one questions the fact that he has power. And the fantastic thing is, she absolutely believes that makes him less powerful By fixating on a power he already has, she sees him as making himself weaker. And she understands how dangerous it is to care for others.
It's really beautifully done. It has some very subtle moments, there's not an over-abundance of talking, and Tyger and Gambit are fantastic foils.
I really like Liu's writing, and I really miss her writing X-23.
rogue_runner's review against another edition
4.0
An update; a review of the entire series:
I enjoyed this arc! Some of the art was absolutely awesome, just shining off the page. I loved reading Gambit, X-23's and Jubilee's relationships development, and they were super fun to see play off each other. A lot of action the whole way through, and plenty of side characters pulled in and out- although there was a LOT happening, and occasionally I could have done with a bit more of a breather to actually explore Laura herself and how she was changing, rather than simply thrown into the next mini-chapter of who she was about to meet (and probably, fight). I appreciate that it made every single issue a fun read, but it was a bit jarring to be thrown from one event to the next in succession.
I enjoyed this arc! Some of the art was absolutely awesome, just shining off the page. I loved reading Gambit, X-23's and Jubilee's relationships development, and they were super fun to see play off each other. A lot of action the whole way through, and plenty of side characters pulled in and out- although there was a LOT happening, and occasionally I could have done with a bit more of a breather to actually explore Laura herself and how she was changing, rather than simply thrown into the next mini-chapter of who she was about to meet (and probably, fight). I appreciate that it made every single issue a fun read, but it was a bit jarring to be thrown from one event to the next in succession.
nancyotoole's review
2.0
Crossover events are a tricky beast. They're such a huge focal point in comics now, and it's easy to understand why. You get to see you favorite characters interact in a high stakes situation. Unfortunately, if you're not into all of the characters in the crossover event, it can feel a bit like an unnecessary interruption to an otherwise enjoyable comic.
I say this because while I am an X-23 fan, I'm really not a Daken fan. So while the moments that focused on Laura worked really well for me, the moments that focused on Daken did not. And it takes and AWFULLY long time for X-23 to play a significant role in Collision. Still, when Wolverine's son and Wolverine's clone do begin interacting, the book is quite enjoyable. This is too bad, because were I reading this in single issue format I never even would have gotten to those nicer moments.
On top of that the artwork is pretty uneven. A lot of different artists have been utilized for this event. Some of them are really talented, but some of it just didn't work for me. There were also a handful of those eyeroll-worthy moments that happen when it comes to female superheroes in their ridiculous costumes. There's one instance where Laura sticks something in her pocketless-pants for sake keeping, but the artist does it in a way that makes sure we can get a glimpse of her but and thong. Because female superheroes can't just be strong and gorgeous, they need to be unnecessarily sexualized as well.
As a result, I'd hesitate to recommend this crossover to others. If you're a die hard x-23 fan who needs to read everything she's in, you might want to see if your library can get it, because there are some nice moments. Unfortunately for me, a handful of nice moments doesn't make a worthwhile collection. Granted, most reviews I have read of this one have given it positive marks. So perhaps if you're coming at it from a different angle (maybe you're a Daken fan?), it will work for you.
I say this because while I am an X-23 fan, I'm really not a Daken fan. So while the moments that focused on Laura worked really well for me, the moments that focused on Daken did not. And it takes and AWFULLY long time for X-23 to play a significant role in Collision. Still, when Wolverine's son and Wolverine's clone do begin interacting, the book is quite enjoyable. This is too bad, because were I reading this in single issue format I never even would have gotten to those nicer moments.
On top of that the artwork is pretty uneven. A lot of different artists have been utilized for this event. Some of them are really talented, but some of it just didn't work for me. There were also a handful of those eyeroll-worthy moments that happen when it comes to female superheroes in their ridiculous costumes. There's one instance where Laura sticks something in her pocketless-pants for sake keeping, but the artist does it in a way that makes sure we can get a glimpse of her but and thong. Because female superheroes can't just be strong and gorgeous, they need to be unnecessarily sexualized as well.
As a result, I'd hesitate to recommend this crossover to others. If you're a die hard x-23 fan who needs to read everything she's in, you might want to see if your library can get it, because there are some nice moments. Unfortunately for me, a handful of nice moments doesn't make a worthwhile collection. Granted, most reviews I have read of this one have given it positive marks. So perhaps if you're coming at it from a different angle (maybe you're a Daken fan?), it will work for you.
jamberg's review
I thought this crossover was a terrible idea but I enjoyed it more than I expected.
harmony's review
3.0
The art, at least in the X-23 books, was gorgeous, and Laura's story was intriguing and fun to follow. I didn't care much for the Daken half of this book, though, and the plot of what he was ultimately doing was really confusing.
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