The best Wolverine – Laura Kinney – returns in outstanding fan art by aspiring comic book artist Ángel Solórzano. Logan may be the most famous Wolverine, but he is not the only one to possess the title. At a time when he was believed dead, Laura Kinney – Logan’s daughter, once thought to be his clone – took over the mantle of Wolverine for herself, keeping it with his blessing.

Despite deep fan love for the character, Laura has unfortunately been missing from most of Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men relaunch. That is because she was one of a trio of mutants sent to explore the Vault, home of a race of posthumans the X-Men fear may be the next evolutionary rival of mutantkind. The Vault essentially exists in its own pocket dimension, which means time passes differently when you’re inside it. Laura and her group have been in the Vault for months – the equivalent of centuries spent on the inside – but X-Men#18 finally began to reveal what has been happening to the trio all this time.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

In celebration of Wolverine’s return, aspiring comic book artist Ángel Solórzano has created a stunning piece of fan art showing Laura in her Wolverine costume, shared with a gleeful, “They’re back!” It’s a beautiful image, and particularly interesting because it highlights Laura as a true Wolverine; that is to say, a true warrior. Some comic book artists have neglected this aspect of Laura’s identity, often resulting in her being overly sexualized and her proper role as any team’s brawler downplayed. Here, she has clearly been in a battle, with her face streaked with blood.

Ángel is himself critical of the muscles on her arms – “might got too excited sketching it,” he observed in response to a comment – but it’s actually quite refreshing to see. Male characters in superhero comics are frequently shown with the kind of physique you would expect from a bodybuilder, and certainly Logan’s muscles are usually prominent. In contrast, female superheroes are often drawn to look like supermodels – sometimes controversially so, as in the case of Milo Manara’s infamous Spider-Woman cover. The reality is that a warrior like Laura would probably have muscles rather more like those shown in Ángel’s art.

Ángel is right that it’s exciting for fans to see Laura return at last. In part, Hickman is using the Vault storyline to fill a narrative gap in his X-Men run. Cyclops and Jean Grey are relaunching the X-Men, and Marvel actually allowed fans to have a vote on who should be the final member of the team. That naturally means Hickman has to wait and see who the fans choose before continuing the story, so a diversion to Laura’s disastrous mission is helpful. After a hard life, Laura remains one of the only mutants in the world not enjoying the mutant paradise of Krakoa, leaving behind a family who are falling apart without her. But X-Men #18 doesn’t progress past the best Wolverine‘s first day inside the Vault, and with a few centuries left to go, it doesn’t look like she’ll be home anytime soon, making art like Ángel’s all the more welcome in the meantime.

Source: Ángel Solórzano

Black Cat Reunites With Her Two Great Loves in Stunning Pride Cover

About The Author


Thomas Bacon
(4899 Articles Published)

See also  How FF7 Remake's Voice Cast Improves The Original Characters

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

More From Thomas Bacon