There’s a pivotal moment in Laura Kinney: Wolverine #5 where the titular heroine and Bucky Barnes talk about controlling their rage. Bucky has a solid piece of advice for Laura: “Have patience with yourself.” It’s a really well-written moment, and fits both of these characters. They were both forged into weapons and are trying to be better, but that’s a process that takes time.
This level of foresight is what makes Laura Kinney: Wolverine #5 worth a read. It also doesn’t hurt that the creative team of Erica Schultz and Giada Belviso deliver some great action, since Laura and Bucky are on the hunt for a Nazi scientist who’s been experimenting on mutants…and being a member of HYDRA, also has access to giant robots. Belviso delivers panel after explosive panel, and even gets the chance to put her own spin on the classic “fastball special” in an amazing two-pager. Turns out Bucky’s metal arm is pretty tough!
But I think what really makes the art sing is Rachelle Rosenberg’s color art. Rosenberg brings a rosy red hue to most of the action sequences, which provides a surprisingly peaceful background for the violence that occurs within these pages. It also makes Laura and Bucky stand out due to their mostly black clothing (or in Laura’s case, black and yellow clothing.) In contrast, the Nazi’s laboratory is an eerily sterile white, concealing the horrors he’s inflicted on God knows how many people.
This leads to a final confrontation that doesn’t end the way I expected…but it works out, especially considering the protagonist of this book. Laura fully admits that she’s trying to hold herself back from killing, but she also admits that some people deserve to die. I applaud Schultz for actually taking such an approach, as it helps separate Laura for Logan. I also love how she’s drawn parallels between Bucky and Luara in the same way that she did with Laura and Elektra; if Laura Kinney: Wolverine continues to play Laura off of other antiheroes, it could be a fun dynamic (especially since she’s slated to appear in New Thunderbolts* which is full of anti-heroes!)
Laura getting the final fight also feels fitting as it fits into her mission to protect mutants from those who would exploit them. This is an element that I feel has gone underrated with the new batch of X-Men books; each one shows different X-Men or X-Men teams and their approach to protecting mutantkind. Laura and Cyclops have taken a more hard-edged stance, while Rogue and Kitty Pryde are training a new generation. It’s an approach that makes each book unique, and allows the creative team to lean into what makes certain characters standout.
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #5 doesn’t just feature some beautifully drawn action, but it also takes a surprisingly deep approach to a Wolverine story. This book has flown under the radar, but I feel like longtime X-Men fans and newcomers alike will benefit from having it on their pull lists.
