Tom Taylor’s run on All-New Wolverine has been a highlight of Marvel’s X-Men line for the past two years, so it was exciting when Marvel announced last week that he would be launching a new X-Men team book with artist Mahmud Asrar in February. X-Men Red features the soon-to-be-revived adult Jean Grey as leader, and both Laura “Wolverine” Kinney and her clone/little sister Gabby will be part of the team. Taylor’s work on their sibling dynamic has given All-New Wolverine a lot of heart, and the series has also started to incorporate Laura’s relationship with Daken, her kind of brother (she’s a clone of his dad, so the exact relation is iffy). Add in Old Man Logan and you get a complex, fascinating Wolverine family.
This exclusive preview of next week’s All-New Wolverine #27 has Laura and Daken seeking refuge in the home of Laura’s aunt and cousin, continuing to reinforce the theme of family that is at the core of this book. Juann Cabal’s crisp linework is heavily reminiscent of The Wicked + The Divine’s Jamie McKelvie, and the storytelling in these pages is remarkably clear. The layouts reflect the change in the mood inside the house once Laura and Daken arrive, and as Daken starts to freak out, the panels break from their tight structure as if they have been literally shaken by his rage.
Laura and Gabby moving to X-Men Red suggests that All-New Wolverine may be coming to an end, especially because Marvel Legacy revived the former Wolverine. Given that All-New Wolverine wasn’t rebranded and renumbered with the Marvel Legacy initiative, it’s very likely that Logan will bring back the Wolverine title, perhaps sharing the name with Laura like the Hawkeyes do. (On that note, Team Wolverine’s guest appearance in this week’s Hawkeye #12 is absolutely delightful.) Hopefully the return of Logan won’t mean the sidelining of Laura, but even if All-New Wolverine ends, at least Taylor will get to continue working on characters who have greatly benefited from his writing.