ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #26
Title: Orphans of X Part 2
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Juann Cabal
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: VC’s Corey Petit
Cover Artist: Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
Release Date: 10/25/17
Rating: Rated T+
Price: $3.99
All-New Wolverine, Laura Kinney started life as an experiment labeled X-23. The 23rd attempt to clone Wolverine from a damaged sample. All of the other samples failed but Laura’s sample is successful when combined with another “X” chromosome and as punishment her creator Dr. Sarah Kinney is made to carry the embryo and deliver her. Once she turned seven Laura was subjected to radiation poisoning to kickstart her X-Gene, her claws removed, coated with adamantium and replaced in her hands and feet. She was then trained to be an assassin and subject to a “trigger scent” that will send her into a murderous rage.
With help of Logan, Laura starts to acclimate to the real world and enrolled in the Xavier Institute. Laura and Logan bond and form a father and daughter relationship. When Logan dies, Laura assumes the mantle of the All-New Wolverine to honor his memory. Recently she has found that she herself had been cloned and upon liberating them, she has taken in her young pre-teen clone training Gabby as Logan did her. After a run in with Kimura, Laura finally breaks free of the trigger scent and is finally free.
When an alien ship crashes on Roosevelt Island the lone occupant, a young alien girl emerges and before dying in Laura’s arms says her name. The young alien died from a highly contagious disease that leads S.H.I.E.L.D. to cutting Roosevelt Island off from everything with a small window to find a cure. Laura teamed up with her young clone Gabby, and her brother and together found a way to cure the disease. Laura and Gabby returned to Earth only to discover Daken’s left arm hanging from the Queensborro Bridge with a note signed by the Orphans of X. The note had the scent of the Facility the place where Laura was created and where her mother had died, but when she got there she discovered her mother was still alive!
Plot: As Daken escapes his captors Laura gets confirmation that the woman she rescued from the facility is indeed her mother.
Story: Daken is being tortured by the mystery group that took him from the bar and severed his arm. We find out that he has been there for at least three days where he was tortured over and over again and hasn’t given up anything. When his latest torturer makes the mistake of putting his hand on Daken’s wrist Daken takes advantage of it and pops out his wrist claw and kills the man as he sets out to escape. This was a nice scene that broke down the cold harsh people we are dealing with and how much like his father Daken is and isn’t
At Laura’s Aunt and Cousin’s house Beast is running scans on Dr. Kinney that show that she is indeed who she says but her vitals are of that of someone much younger. Laura’s mom tells them that the snow and cold saved her life until someone found her and put her in some liquid where she felt like she was in there for day but now realizes it was much longer seeing how much Laura has aged. Gabby steals the scenes once again with her enthusiasm and wonder over finally seeing her mother. I love it when Gabby says she wants them to binge watch movies of Princesses who overthrow the Matriarchy and much to his displeasure braid Jonathan’s hair. Then she goes even further and asks Beast to join them so they can braid hi s hair too and he quickly declines as him and Angel take off.
Daken takes his captor’s mask to help him get out but is unnoticed by his previous torturer and her dogs who give chase. This was a nice action scene that also gave a peek into the group in a way as other people in this little town seem to be a part of the group as well as Daken saw that the woman was watching footage seen through someone’s eyes as Laura was talking to her mom, leading us to believe that Laura’s mom may not be what she appears to be. Honestly if you don’t know it yet, she is a clone sorry not sorry for that spoiler.
Laura’s mom tells her that the Orphans of X are looking for The Murumasa Blade a sword forged by the greatest swordmaster with a piece of Wolverine’s soul. The blade cuts on a molecular level rendering their healing factor null. She urges Laura to find the blade where Logan buried it and destroy it. Laura `Follows her mother’s advice and calls Carol to have her throw it into the sun.
The two stories collide as Daken is being chased by the group of people in masks. Laura hears a commotion and rushes out to see Daken driving erratically down the street she stops him and tells him to get out as he tells her to get in before they catch them, but there is no one there.
Art: The art here is very solid. I love the way the action flows from panel to panel and page to page, but at the same time does a great job at showing the emotional beats in the scenes with Laura. Gabby again steals the scenes in her panels. I am immediately drawn to her wide eyes as she meets her mother for the first time. Her expressions make her all the more connected to us as readers.
Verdict: Overall this was another awesome issue of All-New Wolverine by Tom Taylor, but I do see some things coming, like Laura’s mom being a clone, her being allowed to be rescued so they can get The Murumasa Blade and kill all of them for good. For that I can’t give it any higher than 4 stars, but I still recommend picking it up, one of the best Marvel Legacy books out there right now.
Rating: 4 stars.