She was created to be a weapon called X-23. With the help of her friends and the example of Logan, she chose to become something more. Now, she is Laura Kinney: Wolverine, and she’s there best there is at what she does. And what she does is help Mutants in need.
The opening pages of Laura Kinney: Wolverine #1 establish Laura and the life she has built for herself. She’s befriended a number of other Mutants as they try to live normal lives away from the militaristic X-Men. The problem is the young Wolverine has never been entirely comfortable with “normal.” Nor has she ever had an easy time saying “no” when someone needed help.
A visit to the memorial for those Mutants who fell during the Fall of Krakoa yields such a cry for help. People are leaving notes begging for anyone to help them find their missing loved ones. It is a call to action that the young Wolverine cannot ignore. This leads her to travel halfway around the world into a sordid realm of Mutant slavery. It is a world Laura Kinney knows all too well from personal experience and a hell she would not see anyone suffer.
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #1 a solid intro to the former X-23
Anyone who has read a Wolverine comic, be it with Logan or Laura Kinney, will be in familiar territory here. Erica Schultz does not try to reinvent the wheel with her script, but she doesn’t have to. The formula is well-tested at this point. Take an exotic locale. Add some intrigue and a situation where pointed violence might solve the problem. Mix with one annoyed Mutant with razor claws, and watch the fun unfold. However, Schultz does go a step further, showing Laura’s softer side amidst the action.
This action is ably illustrated by Giada Belviso. The blood flies freely, as one would expect. However, there is a greater sense of depth to the art beyond the viscera. This is further developed by the splendid color art of Rachelle Rosenberg.
Fans of Wolverine and NYX will enjoy this new Laura Kinney series. It is full of intense action, but it has a strong heart underneath it all. It will also serve as an excellent entry point for new readers who have yet to learn why Laura Kinney is the best there is at what she does.
Grade: 8/10
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
