Compilations | 1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues
by snowbi-wan, updated Nov 2019
X-23 (Laura Kinney) is the clone daughter of Wolverine (James 'Logan' Howlett). She has similar powers to Wolverine: regenerative healing, superhuman senses and athletic abilities, and retractable adamantium-coated bone claws in her hands (and feet). For a short while from 2016-2018, X-23 adopted her (temporarily) deceased father, Logan's, super-hero name (Wolverine) and costume in an ongoing series titled ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016]. The character received a surge in popularity due to her appearance in the 2017 movie, LOGAN. With the return of Wolverine to the comic book Marvel Universe in 2018, Laura relinquished the name Wolverine and returned to her previous codename, X-23.
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of X-23 comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with X-23. The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
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Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
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Quick View | Jul 2016 | X-23: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2016-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Nov 2016 | X-23: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2016-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 2016 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 01: FOUR SISTERS CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2016 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 02: CIVIL WAR II CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 2017 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 03: ENEMY OF STATE II CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Nov 2017 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 04: IMMUNE CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2018 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 05: ORPHANS OF X CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2018 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016-TPB] VOL 06: OLD WOMAN LAURA CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 2019 | X-23 [2018-TPB] VOL 01: FAMILY ALBUM CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2019 | X-23 [2018-TPB] VOL 02: X-ASSASSIN CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2020 | FALLEN ANGELS BY BRYAN HILL [2020-TPB] VOL 01 | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 |
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in X-23, if it's within your budget. X-23's first appearance was technically on television. She appeared in season 3, episode 11 of the X-Men: Evolution animated television series. Her first comic book appearance was in the NYX [2003] mini-series from the same writer. Her origin was not told in that mini-series, but her powers and violent nature were introduced. More likely a curious coincidence than a decade in deliberate planning, a test tube of Logan's DNA appeared in one panel of WOLVERINE [1988] #80 and was labeled '#23.' A fascinating curiousity, for sure, but not likely to ever be the generally accepted 1st appearance of Laura Kinney, the clone child carried to term by Dr. Sarah Kinney. The appearance is listed here, however, as it will undoubtedly be an enduring point of debate among fans.
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. X-23's origin was told in a six-issue mini-series published after her first appearance. A follow-up mini-series told the history between her origin and her first appearance.
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for X-23 (Laura Kinney) comic books. X-23 was introduced in 2003 and soon became a member of the X-Men, working her way from student to Wolverine's replacement. The writing duo of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are credited with the creation of X-23, having written her inaugural television appearance and her origin story in comic books. The writing team crafted all of her consequential early history and included her in all of their stories as they moved from writing assignment to assignment within Marvel. The reigns passed to other writers, and X-23 matured into an important X-team member. Following the SECRET WARS storyline from 2015, X-23 took on the mantle of 'Wolverine' in the ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016] series but relenquished it when Logan returned from the 'dead.' She became a team member of the Fallen Angels in 2019's DAWN OF X wholesale X-title relaunch.
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for X-23, any one of which can be a good place to get started.
2005 | X-23 [2005] #1-6 (INNOCENCE LOST; origin story) |
2006 | NEW X-MEN [2004] #20-23 (CHILDHOOD'S END; a violent and awkward X-23 adjusts to 'mutant school') |
2007 | X-23: TARGET X [2007] #1-6 (TARGET X; history between origin and 1st appearance) |
2008 | X-FORCE [2008] #1-6 (ANGELS AND DEMONS; Cyclops reforms X-Force with the most violent members he can find) |
2011 | COLLISION storyline (cross-over storyline among X-23 [2010B] #8-9 and DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE [2010] #8-9) |
2016 | ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016] #1-6 (THE FOUR SISTERS; sets up solid status quo as new 'Wolverine,' but incorporates confrontations with her past) |
If you've enjoyed non-comic media for X-23, this section describes the comic book source material for some of the most popular non-comic media. WARNING: This section may contain spoilers!
The 2017 movie, LOGAN, introduced the movie-version of X-23. Her origin lines up very nicely with the comic book origin as presented in the mini-series, X-23 [2005] #1-6. There are subtle differences, but they are not substantial. Laura's test designation in the movie is X23-23, as there are many human offspring created from mutant genetic material in the X23 batch. In the comic book, her 'mother' is Dr. Sarah Kinney, one of the geneticists working on the project. Dr. Kinney uses a second copy of the X-chromosome in place of the Y-chromosome to make a breakthrough in 'cloning' Wolverine as X-23, is forced to carry the child herself to term, and smuggles the child out of the project to save her. In the movie, the mothers are captured women, and nurses smuggle the children out of the project. As Hugh Jackman has completed his role as Logan, X-23 is poised to take his place as the Wolverine in the movie universe, as she has done in the comic book universe with ALL-NEW WOLVERINE [2016] #1.
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with X-23, but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags.
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