A new solo series for Marvel Comic’s best Wolverine, Laura Kinney, previously known as X-23, was recently announced at NYCC’s Women of Marvel panel. And while it is wonderful that Laura is getting a new solo, it is troublesome that she is apparently back to being called X-23.
Laura Kinney, the second official hero to use the designation Wolverine, was introduced to Marvel Comics in the 2004 series NYX after debuting as a slightly different version in the popular X-Men: Evolution animated series. First introduced as a “clone” of Logan, and given the clone designation of “X-23” by her creator Dr. Martin Sutter, it was later revealed that Laura is actually the biological daughter of Logan and her other creator Dr. Sarah Kinney, eventually becoming incredibly close to the original Wolverine and taking on his mantle after he died.
Laura Kinney Is (Unfortunately) Back To Being X-23.
Fans of Laura Kinney seem to be truly exhausted by Marvel’s decision to reattach the X-23 moniker to Wolverine again and again, but hopefully this limited series will use its 5 issues to finally put the name to rest, using flashback to either retcon or update her complicated history and prove she is meant to be Wolverine moving forward. Marvel often has multiple legacy characters operating with the same name at the same time, like Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson being called Captain America, so it really would be disappointing if Laura were to regress back to being called X-23 when she easily could remain Wolverine alongside her father Logan. The title of the series seems to be a callback to the divisive 2005 series Deadly Genesis which saw a major retcon to the classic 1975 Giant-Size X-Men reboot, establishing that Charles Xavier sent a young mutant squad to the island of Krakoa to rescue his X-Men before sending the Giant-Size team, all of whom were supposed to have perished, but instead created a major enemy for the X-Men in the form of the third Summers brother, Vulcan. With the homage title, and the cover art clearly being some sort of flashback, it will be interesting to see if the limited series similarly shifts Laura’s origin to reveal another major X-Secret, one that could impact Laura and the whole Snikt Family’s present and future.
While fans of Laura Kinney, Marvel’s second and beloved Wolverine, are sure to be happy that she is getting a new solo series, one can only hope that the series does not regress Laura fully back into X-23, instead allowing reflection on past as a way to forge an even brighter future.
X-23: Deadly Regenisis is set to debut in March 2023.
