Laura Kinney embraces a brighter tomorrow.
With Logan providing X-23 wit such a huge boost in exposure, it's fortunate that the character's solo comic is in such strong shape. All-New Wolverine isn't an ideal jumping-on point for new readers (next month's issue #19 seems a much more suited for that). Instead, it serves as a nice end-cap to writer Tom Taylor's first 18 months on the series.
This issue wraps up the "Enemy of the State II" storyline. In terms of scope, this arc has never really managed to live up to its predecessor. But that doesn't seem to be Taylor's intention, and in the end it could be argued that the title did a disservice to the story he's actually telling. The emphasis here isn't on huge, bombastic, bloody superhero storytelling, but a more intimate look at the defining struggle in Laura Kinney's life. Can she truly leave her past behind, especially when that past has such a bad habit of rearing its head at the most inopportune times?
Taylor is able to wrap up a several loose ends here, including tying back to the series' first arc and closing the door on the Kimura/Laura rivalry that's defined X-23 from her early days. In the process, there's a sense that Taylor is pushing Laura forward in a meaningful way. She experiences tangible growth as she finally accepts that she doesn't have to face her demons alone. This issue is surprisingly optimistic and upbeat for a story that began with Laura being forced to murder several hundred innocent civilians. And by the end, it feels as though the issue has closed the door on one chapter of her life and sett he stage for her to define herself on her own terms for a change.
Unfortunately, the visuals aren't always adept at channeling the emotion in Taylor's script or those moments that do recall the zany action of the original "Enemy of the State." Nik Virella's work is too subdued, a fact that isn't helped by the dim, murky coloring. Virella's figures don't emote as well as they should, and there's a disappointingly flat, lifeless quality to much of the action. Hopefully the next story arc can give this series the visual overhaul it needs.
The Verdict
It's a shame the art in All-New Wolverine #18 isn't more dynamic, because otherwise this issue manages to deliver a strong finish to "Enemy of the State II" and the first 18 months oft he series as a whole. It embraces positivity rather than darkness and it paves the way for a newer, more hopeful era for the new Wolverine.
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