Laura Kinney relinquishes the role of Wolverine this week and returns to her original title as X-23. Ever since she was introduced under this guise in the animated series X-Men: Evolution, Laura has been a popular character amongst X-fans. While she has not even been in Marvel Comics for 15 years, she has racked up a long list of series featuring plenty of great stories in that time. Fans interested in reading more about her can enter almost any era of the character’s development and find at least one appearance worth adding to the bookshelf.
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That’s why we’re here to help. Surveying all of the X-23 stories from 2004 through today, we have rounded up an elite top 10 list. These comics, all listed in order of publication, are packed with action and one of the best modern character arcs in superhero comics. You can check out any of these series and rest assured that you are in for a treat.
Innocence Lost
X-23 (vol. 1) #1-6
Written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost
Art by Billy Tan and John Sibal
Laura first appeared in the pages of NYX, but this is her definitive origin and the best possible starting point for her adventures in comics. It details the means and methods that led to the creation of X-23 (all the way down to her name) while establishing the groundwork for the next decade of stories and development. It is a great starting point from the same writers who helped define X-23 in X-Men: Evolution as well.
X-23: One-Shot
X-23 (vol. 2) #1
Written by Marjorie Liu
Art by Filipe Andrade and Nuno Alves
Before kicking off her critically acclaimed run on X-23, Marjorie Liu wrote a one-shot that both updated new fans on the characters origin while laying the groundwork for what was to come next. It is a great single issue to introduce any interested comics readers to one of the two runs that dominate this list of great X-23 comics.
The Killing Dream
X-23 (vol. 3) #1-3
Written by Marjorie Lie
Art by Will Conrad and Sana Takeda
The start of Liu’s run does two very important things. First, it puts Laura on her own as she leaves the X-Men behind to find her own way just like her “father” Wolverine. This solitary streak became a defining characteristic of X-23’s stories and clarified Liu’s take. Second, it introduces the creative team of Liu and Sana Takeda. Together they would make this entire volume of X-23 something very special, and they continue to collaborate today on the acclaimed Image Comics series Monstress.
Touching Darkness
X-23 (vol. 3) #10-12
Written by Marjorie Liu
Art by Sana Takeda
While many readers weren’t a fan of Jubilee’s life as a vampire, this story is one example of how good can come out of contentious decisions. X-23 makes connections to both the young ward of the X-Men and her father figure Wolverine, discovering more about who she is and who she can become. It’s a surprisingly fun adventure at times and one that offers a lot of insight into where Laura Kinney would go in the years to come.
Misadventures In Babysitting
X-23 (vol. 3) #17-19
Written by Marjorie Liu
Art by Sana Takeda
This crossover with the FF allowed X-23 to engage in genuine hijinks as she continued to move past her traumatic childhood. Connecting with and protecting the youngsters of the Future Foundation provides several moving moments and a whole lot of fun. It’s also a real treat to see Takeda tackle so many important characters at Marvel Comics before the conclusion of this X-23 series.
Avengers Arena
Avengers Arena (vol. 1) #1-18
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Kev Walker and others
This series has to be read as a single story; it is Marvel Comics’ interpretation of the cult classic Battle Royale, and it manages to hit almost just as hard. X-23 is shown to be a standout character amongst her peers, especially as someone who possesses wisdom and experience far beyond her age. It’s a riveting series overall and one that plays to X-23’s bloody past and capabilities beautifully.
The Four Sisters
All-New Wolverine (vol. 1) #1-6
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by David Lopez and David Navarrot
Every issue of Tom Taylor’s run on All-New Wolverine is stellar, one of the true highlights from Marvel Comics over the past decade. There’s no better place to start than the beginning though. This story sets the stage for everything to come as X-23 is put into Wolverine’s literal and metaphorical shows upon discovering a new set of clones based on her DNA. It pushes Laura to become a leader and caregiver, showing how her strength extend far beyond her X-gene.
The Orphans of X
All-New Wolverine (vol. 1) #25-30
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Juan Cabal and Leonard Kirk
This story flips the table on Laura and her closest allies as they confront people who have lost loved ones to the X-Men over the years. It forces them to confront the trauma they inflict upon others and to use their own experience to grow and make difficult decisions. It’s a moving story about the cycle of violence and forgiveness, one that summarized many of All-New Wolverine‘s core themes wonderfully.
Honey Badger & Deadpool
All-New Wolverine (vol. 1) #31
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Marco Failla
This single issue adventure plays up the role of Laura’s mascot and pet, the literal wolverine Jonathan. It tackles the difficult subject of animal experimentation in the most superhero fashion possible, and provides plenty of catharsis for animal lovers. In addition to being a surprising amount of fun, this issue also extends the concerns of trauma and violence to animals with equal concern and repercussions.
Old Woman Laura
All-New Wolverine (vol. 1) #33-35
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Ramon Rosanas
The final story in All-New Wolverine inverts the modern classic of “Old Man Logan.” It reveals a utopian future in which the hard work of Laura and her dearest friends has resulted in a much better world for everyone. A final mission for some of them helps to resolve some long-lasting issues and to provide a perfect capstone to this great series, one filled with hope and healing.
Honorable Mention: Logan
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Dafne Keen as Laura
We couldn’t talk about great Laura Kinney stories without briefly mentioning Logan. After many, many years of X-movies, this final installment in Wolverine’s saga managed to top all expectations and is easily the best X-related movie to date. A key part of that is the incredible chemistry between Laura and Logan, in addition to both actor’s performances. While many comics readers have known Laura was a great hero for years, this movie made it plain for the entire world to see.
