All-New Wolverine #18 - A Review

Laura Kinney has finally been freed from the influence of The Trigger Scent that transforms her into a mindless berserker. Unfortunately, SHIELD still wants to imprison her for the murders she committed while under the influence of Kimura - the woman who turned young Laura into the living weapon known as X-23. Yet Nick Fury and his agents will find themselves forming an uneasy alliance with Laura, her friends in the X-Men and the crime-lord Tyger Tyger when Kimura and her forces surround them all!


This issue proves a satisfying conclusion to the Enemy Of the State II arc. Tom Taylor writes a fantastic action-packed story, though this issue was a little light on the humor I've come to expect from him apart from some admittedly funny slapstick. The artwork by Nik Vieralls is solid, though Michael Garland's colors do muddy the action scenes a little bit due to his curious decision to use the same shades of pink to denote Gambit's explosions and Jean Grey's telekinesis. Anyone curious about Laura's character following Logan would do well to track down the early issues of this series.

All-New Wolverine #16 - A Review

Intercepted by Bellona - another of Laura Kinney's clones, who lacks her healing factor but feels no pain - the all-new Wolverine is back in the clutches of the mad scientists who created her! Laura's only hope of rescue lies with Gabby - her adopted "sister". Even armed with no sense of pain and her own set of bone claws, can Gabby hope to save the day?


All-New Wolverine #16 is an enjoyable action-packed issue. Tom Taylor does a fine job of explaining Laura's past as X-23 for newer readers who might not be familiar with that time of her life, not slowing the story down a moment while allowing for this exposition. The action sequences are illustrated amazingly by Nik Virella and finished well by Michael Garland.

All-New Wolverine #14 - A Review

Somebody is trying to turn Laura Kinney back into the mindless killer she once was. They succeeded, however briefly, after Laura fled to a small town seeking to get away. Now, with SHIELD chasing after her, Laura will have to turn to an old enemy for help in getting into the hostile nation of Madripoor, where her would-be controllers have fled.

Tom Taylor continues to impress with every issue of this series that he writes. While I have to question the intelligence of SHIELD Command continuing to send ordinary agents into Laura's life (to say nothing of the bigoted Agent Bennett acting on his apparent hatred of mutants in front of Nick 'Goddam' Fury!), I can't deny that the action sequence where Laura escapes from a SHIELD plane is  a great one. And Taylor's command of comedy is still second to none.


The artwork is equally enjoyable. New penciller Nik Virella sports a simple, serviceable style. Scott Hanna does his usual stellar job on the inks. And colorists Jesus Aburtov and Michael Garland do such a fine job you would never know that there were multiple colorists at work on this book.