X-23: Target X

This book catches everybody up on what happens to Laura after she leaves the Facility.  Laura seeks out her aunt & cousin.  This book shows just how hard it is for her to fit in with normal people, especially at school.  The one person that she does seem to be able to open up to is her cousin Megan.They talk about everything from Laura's training & killing to Megan's abduction.  It turns out that Debbie Laura's aunt, her boyfriend also works for the Facility.  He became involved with a Debbie after the abduction of Megan in case X-23 ever returned to them.  He plans to use the trigger scent to make X-23 kill Megan & Debbie however this backfires & he becomes the first victim of the blood rage that X-23 is sent into.  Megan & Debbie run upstairs as Debbie still has the scent on her they hide in the bathroom with the shower on trying to wash the scent off meanwhile X-23 is coming through the door like a deranged serial killer.  She gets through the door just as they have washed the scent away it is a beautiful scene as you see Laura's eyes clear from that rage she was previously in.  A new character is introduced in this book who is ultimately a foil for X-23 she was her tormentor & handler at the Facility.  Kimura is another creation of the Facility someone to keep Laura in check it is never really explained what her powers are just that Laura can't hurt her, she has unbreakable skin.  Laura & her family escape blowing up the house in the process, she escorts her family to the Canadian border & then heads off to find the man who made all of this possible.  

X-23 tracks down Wolverine in New York but she can't get close to him cause he is surrounded by telepathic mutants.  Wolverine leaves & heads out to the New York / Canadian border he knows she is following even before she gets there.  X-23 has come to kill Wolverine.  The fight is quick but expertly portrayed as X-23 attempts to stop Logan's healing factor from working during the fight.  She wants to kill Wolverine & herself because they are weapons.  Wolverine has come to terms with this but is unwilling to let Laura kill herself.  Their fight is cut short by S.H.I.E.L.D. & Captain America.  Steve Rogers & Matt Murdock are interrogating Laura to find out how much she is accountable for.  Most of the story is told in flashbacks from this point.  Steve Rogers is unwavering in his belief that X-23 is guilty but Matt Murdock comes to view her as the victim.  It is only at the end of the story that Captain America puts her on a bus back to New York to go to Wolverine because he can help her have a normal life.  

This book takes place in between New X-Men by Grant Morrison & the House of M story-arc  This book has several great character moments.  It is really quite touching that Logan received a letter from Sarah Kinney about X-23 existence & he even tried to find her but he apparently didn't look to hard but he could have if he really wanted to.  Logan has always taken pity on girls who are orphaned or given a hard time in life.  Laura is Logan's spiritual & physical successor but only time will tell how he will treat her as a daughter.  The two girls who have that type of relationship with him are Kitty Pryde & Jubilee.  Currently Laura has taken up the mantel of Wolverine after Logan's apparent dearth but once he returns who knows what will happen.