X-23, Vol. 1: The Killing Dream

The Killing Dream (2011) Marjorie Liu, Will Conrad

It’s possible I should have paused a bit, between reading X-23: Target X and The Killing Dream, because Target X is really really good.

That’s not to say The Killing Dream is bad–it’s just not as good as Target X.

Apparently, Things Happened between Target X and The Killing Dream. These things are alluded to, but never quite explained, which was a tad bit frustrating.

I also initially found the story to be a bit confusing–I had a hard time telling what was her dream and what was reality–perhaps that was the point, but if so, I think she recovered a bit too quickly. I also had a hard time relating to some of the characters that were already well-established in the X-Men universe. Wolverine I was okay with, because he’s made appearances throughout the X-23 series. But Gambit? The other teen mutants? I felt like I’d come in after the intermission, and no one was going to tell me what was actually going on.

There was, however, a very nice timeline (in the BACK!) that explained some of what you might have missed. Not all of it, but some of it.

I also did not care for the way the female characters were dressed. Why on earth would grown women spend their time wandering around in revealing negliges (or whatever)? That’s just STUPID. Isn’t this comic supposed to be directed to teenage girls? So what’s with the dumb-ass outfits?

All that said, I still enjoyed the story, and X-23 / Laura’s struggles to deal with her past and become human rather than the monster / machine she was created to be are amazing to read.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Marvel

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