Delve into Laura’s murderous past in this All-New Wolverine #32 exclusive

The last few weeks have been rough for female heroes at Marvel with the cancellations of America, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, and The Unbelievable Gwenpool, but Laura “Wolverine” Kinney has managed to survive the culling. With the original Wolverine back from the dead, Laura’s extended future in the role is a question, but Tom Taylor’s All New Wolverine is continuing to charge ahead with new adventures for Laura and the rest of the Wolverine family. The recent “Orphans Of X” storyline by Taylor and artist Juann Cabal wasn’t just a high point for Laura, but for all Wolverine mythology, telling a story about the cycle of trauma and learning to empathize with your enemies in order to break it. Taylor has proven time and again how well he understands the central Wolverine themes of violence, penance, and healing, and it’s made All-New Wolverine an essential part of the Wolverine legacy.

The conclusion of “Orphans Of X” gave Laura a new mission as she agreed to help her former victims by hunting down the people who forced her to kill as a child, and after last issue’s zany tangent with crazy uncle Deadpool, Taylor is returning to this larger story with next week’s All-New Wolverine #32. This exclusive preview shows Taylor in a much more serious mode, and the somber artwork by Djibril Morissette-Phan and colorist Nolan Woodard accentuates the tragedy unfolding in these dual narratives as young Laura murders the father of a little girl who will grow up to become one of her greatest enemies. The cold severity of Laura’s time in The Facility contrasts with the inviting warmth of Abigail’s home, and the creative team quickly establishes each girl’s emotional situation to intensify the devastating moment when their lives inadvertently intersect. Eventually they’ll have an uneasy alliance, but it’s easy to see why Abigail will grow to have such a searing hatred of the woman who took her father from her.