X-23 Appreciation Post: My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel

[Ambaryerno]

I’m hoping someone other than Taylor writes whatever Hellion Laura reunion scene we eventually get (if it actually happens). Not many of Taylor’s “emotional” scenes for Laura have resonated with me and I’ve never been under the impression that he was that interested in writing Hellion.

I’d be interested to see how Rosenberg would do it.

To be fair, the fact Taylor recognizes how significant them meeting again would be, and his comments about not wanting to just force it in when he can't give it the focus it deserves is encouraging.

And I don't necessarily agree about Taylor's emotional scenes. The moment between Laura and Megan on the docks in the last issue was beautiful.

You know, I felt the same about prior emotional scenes but I largely attribute the lack of "impact" to the unfortunate artistic misfire of the penciler.
The scene with defeating Kimura for example would have been much more powerful (for me) with a stronger artist at the helm.

Yeah, the artwork on EotSII was really lacking compared to the other arcs. I'm REALLY nervous about Morisette-Pham returning in issue 32.

[Beaubier]

You know, I felt the same about prior emotional scenes but I largely attribute the lack of "impact" to the unfortunate artistic misfire of the penciler.
The scene with defeating Kimura for example would have been much more powerful (for me) with a stronger artist at the helm.

While I can agree that a better artist would’ve helped sell it better, I still don’t think the overall story was any good. It’s like putting paint on a pig. EOTS II remains to be my biggest disappointment with ANW so far.

Taylor writes a serviceable Laura. Her dialogue has improved over time (I thought good chunks of it were awful in the first arc) and it seems he continues to research to keep improving her. I appreciate that. But I don’t think he has yet tapped into the emotional depth of Laura that made her such a compelling character over the years. She’s kinda felt like she’s just “there” a lot of the time, and given the emphasis that humor and slapstick stuff gets in the book over more scenes with a deeper emotional impact, I think that’s just Taylor’s preference. While he writes her better than any writer has since arguably Gage (or if we want to give Hopeless a pass for writing her decently in AA), I still feel that given his preferences he’s probably not the best fit for Laura.

[Pandarifically Delusional]

You know, I felt the same about prior emotional scenes but I largely attribute the lack of "impact" to the unfortunate artistic misfire of the penciler.
The scene with defeating Kimura for example would have been much more powerful (for me) with a stronger artist at the helm.

I am with you on that. I didn't finish reading the whole "EofSII" arc until it went on sale via Comixology. However, even after that, I waited a couple months beyond the sale to actually get myself to read it. The story was okay. Nothing monumental, but still better than anything Hopeless or Bendis wrote for her! The art, on the other hand, really affected my decision to read it later rather than sooner. It lacked the dramatic edge needed for that last issue, and many of the facial expressions on EVERYONE looked, well, rubbish! Thankfully, the "Orphans of X" artist seems to be competent, but as I have read here, it would appear that, once again, Marvel is changing artists on ANW! WTF!

[Ambaryerno]

Karen Kasumi

[berserkerclaw]

Very nice cosplay. Love it

[Dthirds3]

Some art by Morisette-Pham i saw on lady's of comics twitter

IMG_20180106_104305.jpg

Jonathan looks perfect, and his take on gabby seems improved. Some hope for his return in issue 32

[Ambaryerno]

Some art by Morisette-Pham i saw on ladys of comkcs twitter

IMG_20180106_104305.jpg

Jonathan looks perfect, and his take on gabby seems improved. Some hope for his retuen in issue 32

He's still doing that WTF shading on the nose, though.

[SomeCBFanboy]

He's still doing that WTF shading on the nose, though.

I think the scariest thing to think about is if issue #32 is hype AF, emotional and it's actually important to Laura's growth as a character. Which needs better art to bring it to life. At that point I wouldn't know what to say. Like damn that would suck.

[Dthirds3]

He's still doing that WTF shading on the nose, though.

The weard thing is i looked at his art for glitterbomb and the nose thing not only dosent come up as a problem (i think its to make the movemtns of the characters lips seem more dramatic) and the arts dramatically better. Bring a artist who works on horror comics works for how the orphans were pertrayed. I want to assume that they were inked the nose think to heavly and the color palit they chose for his issues didn't help. Thinking back the Art for Enemy of state seemed like a rush job, and felt like he was added in last minute. If he brings the same quality he did in glitterbomb there shouldnt be a problem. I hope.

[Mia]

I just finished watching season 2 of the Crown with Clare Foy as Elizabeth II, and am now watching the BBC mini series “McMafia” with James Norton, and I really could not help but be struck by how it’s the ‘boring’ and ‘steady’ characters who are actually the most fun to watch. Not the flamboyant, erratic ‘attention seekers’ who are actually tiresome, predictable and boring. It’s probably why I zeroed in on X-23/Laura when I initially began reading about her in X-Force and X-Men: Messiah Complex.

Incidentally as I started watching Foy in season 1 of the Crown, I honestly could not help but start to contrast her characters personality with Laura Kinney’s . Someone who seemed very quiet and like there was nothing really special about her. But as time went on you began to see there was much more than met the eye. They seemed to speak volumes with their silences and gave off so much power and energy.

[Fokken]

Some art by Morisette-Pham i saw on lady's of comics twitter

IMG_20180106_104305.jpg

Jonathan looks perfect, and his take on gabby seems improved. Some hope for his return in issue 32

That anime nose shading aside, I would have to agree. Let's hope the visual storytelling is solid.

[Ambaryerno]

The thread about X-Men day jobs got me thinking...

Laura's identity as Wolverine is known to the general public. And the residents of Roosevelt Island know where she lives considering they're the ones who picked up the tab on her and Gabby's apartment. That has GOT to have some repercussions on her private life. I keep imagining her trying to settle in to binge watch Netflix, or trying to relax with Gabby, or entertain a date, only to have one of the neighbors drop by asking her to deal with a problem.

I don't think the books have really adequately approached how heroes with public identities would be affected by everyone knowing who they are.

[Digifiend]

Aren't pretty much all X-Men publicly known?

[Wiccan]

Laura on Marvel Future Fight loading screen:

[Pandarifically Delusional]

Laura on Marvel Future Fight loading screen:

The game's a bit meh more often than not, but it's the only Marvel game that will have Laura in it (besides the P2W CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS moba). I'll be there. Hoping I don't have to jump through hoops to get her, tho'.