Laura Kinney is no longer Wolverine. New X-23 Series coming for Fresh Start

From Marvel

This July, Laura Kinney forgoes the Wolverine mantle, and returns to the title that made her famous. Prepare for a new beginning with writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Juann Cabal‘s X-23 #1!

Since her debut nearly 15 years ago, Laura has emerged as one of the most dynamic, distinctive, and ferocious characters in the Marvel Universe. Trained to be a weapon, and sporting a signature two claws on each hand, X-23 has been tested against some mighty forces—as a person and as a hero—but never relents, never gives up. And this summer, she’ll begin again.

“I am so psyched to have the opportunity to write for X-23. How often do you get to write a comic that has its own iconic sound effect?” says Tamaki. “This is a story about being in the very weird kind of family that someone like Laura/X-23 finds herself in. It’s about what it means to wrestle with legacy and identity when you were created to be a weapon and not someone with a birthday and a sister. I love writing these characters, I love the ferocity that comes with them, and I love the supporting cast we’ve put together for these issues.”

Cabal, who’s been illustrating Laura and her sister Gabby—A.K.A. Honey Badger—in the pages of ALL-NEW WOLVERINE alongside writer Tom Taylor, explains his unique perspective on this inspired creative shift: “It’s very exciting to work with a different author’s view of the same character you’ve been working on recently.” He continues, “I feel very lucky to be working with someone as brilliant as Mariko. She has her own voice and ideas, so the series’ tone is going to be different from ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, but you can feel her fondness and respect for the characters. So fans, rest assured! We’ll continue enjoying the Laura and Gabby (and Jonathan the Wolverine) we all know and love!”

Source: Marvel

Commentary: I am glad to see Gabby and Jonathan will be featured in the new series, but I am also worried that this book sounds like a huge step backwards for Laura.  Calling herself X-23 again?  And the issues here seem to be things she has already moved past in All-NEW WOLVERINE.   As far as I am concerned, Laura should continue being Wolverine.  If Logan never came back to his own book, I would be okay with that.

I liked Mariko Tamaki's work on HULK, but I hated SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER.  Don't get me wrong, I love Laura, and I am glad she's getting a new series, but I definitely have some concerns from this announcement.  Hopefully they will end up unfounded.