Written by Mariko Tamaki, a second volume of X-23 replaced All-New Wolverine as part of Marvel's Fresh Start relaunch. It launched in July, 2018, and sees Laura return to her roots to prevent anyone else from suffering as she had.
X-23 (2018) provides examples of:
- Air-Vent Passageway: The X-Assassin uses one to gain access to its target in issue 7
- Arc Welding: Issue #8 ties All-New Wolverine into Innocence Lost by revealing Director Chandler was part of the original X-23 project, and in fact was involved in the development of the Trigger Scent. This also provides an explanation for how Alchemax gained access to Laura's genetic material to create the Sisters.
- Birthday Episode: Issue 1 is set on Laura's birthday. Downplayed in that she doesn't tell anyone, even Gabby, because she thinks birthdays are meaningless. The two later get into an argument when Gabby announces she wants a birthday after the Cuckoos reveal that they have chosen the same day as a birthday for themselves.
- Breather Episode: Issue 6 is a comedic one-shot story set between two much more serious arcs.
- Car Cushion: Laura throws one of the mooks she and Gabby are base-jumping after into a car on the street in issue 1.
- Car Fu: One of the goons Laura and Gabby fight in the opening scene of issue one picks up and smashes Gabby with a cement truck.
- Clothing Damage: Laura's suit takes a beating over the course of the X-Assassin arc. By the end of issue 10 it's thoroughly shredded, and the only thing keeping the tattered bits from just falling off her entirely is the ratings system.
- Continuity Nod:
- The Muramasa Shield for the "Orphans of X" arc of All-New Wolverine hangs on the wall of Laura's and Gabby's apartment in issues 1 and 5.
- Laura has a carton of Twenty-Five With Chicken in her fridge.
- Robert Chandler resurfaces in issue 8, and it's revealed he replaced his knees with animatronic prosthetics after Laura slashed them out in All-New Wolverine #6.
- Several frames from Laura's first encounter with Gabby in All-New Wolverine #2 are used in issue 12.
- Continuity Snarl: Several issues of this series have directly stated that Alchemax Genetics was responsible for Laura's creation, as well. While Chandler was retconned to have been part of the project, Alchemax itself has always been an independent entity from the Facility.
- Consulting a Convicted Killer: While Laura was never a convicted killer, the trope is nonetheless in play in issue 7. The NYPD brings her on as a consultant in a serial murder case because of her expertise. She quickly puts her skills into play to identify the next victim, and puts herself and Gabby in a position to catch the killer.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Laura's cover as a gym coach in issue 6 would make Ms. Balbricker proud.
- Easter Egg: Par for the course with Cabal's artwork, who sprinkles jokes and references throughout the first arc.
- Fanservice: Laura's new costume is much more revealing than her Wolverine suit, baring her midriff, and incorporating a low scoop top that only avoids Impossibly-Low Neckline because of the translucent mesh sleeves.
- Fastball Special: Gabby and the X-Assassin perform one in issue 10.
- Funny Background Event: Par for the course in Cabal's artwork:
- Issue 1 has bystanders taking selfies in front of the smashed car after the above-mentioned Car Cushion.
- Issue 2: While the Cuckoos are hurrying to flee the school before their attack on Laura and Gabby, one of the background students is a cow. In an X-Men uniform. X-Cow continues to appear in the background (or sometimes foreground) of other panels at the school throughout the arc.
- Grand Theft Me: The crux of the Cuckoos' plan in the first arc: implant Esme's consciousness in Gabby's body. Esme wants to use Cerebro to do this on a global scale.
- Heroic Sacrifice: The X-Assassin shows Gabby how to shut down all of its duplicates, and sacrifices itself to take out Chandler.
- Modified Clone: Two story arcs center around attempts to duplicate Laura:
- First, Robert Chandler returns creating the X-Assassins, genetic clones modified with the deliberate destruction of their Healing Factor, and further made into Cyborgs. These clones were designed to be disposable, allowing them to be terminated upon completion of a mission to prevent them from developing the same free will and sense of humanity that ultimately led to Laura's own escape.
- In the final arc, Laura and Gabby discover that further cloning experiments has lead to the creation of X-23 turkeys.
- Mythology Gag:
- Issue 1:
- Paintings hanging on the walls of the Xavier School reference several classic X-Men comics covers, including the famous cover to X-Men #101, featuring the Jean Grey rising from the ocean as Phoenix.
- Doubling with Shout-Out, Sophie's favorite actor was "Tyler Kirch," in reference to actor Taylor Kitsch. Kitsch was the first actor to play Gambit in the X-Men Film Series, appearing in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
- Gabby has pictures hanging on her bedroom wall which reference covers to issues of All-New Wolverine.
- Issue 2: Laura finds the box for Dr. Mark's fitness tracking gear in her office. It's labeled "Fit Fat Foom."note
- Issue 5: A 6-pack of beer in Laura's fridge is labeled that it belongs to Logan, and that he'll "Be Back Soon."
- Issue 1:
- Noodle Incident: Gabby mentions in issue 3 that she feels like she's inside a washing machine again.
- Offscreen Breakup: Although not explicitly stateded, Laura's interactions with Warren in the first arc strongly suggests that by the time the series starts their relationship is over.
- Outside Ride: Issue 3 opens with Laura car surfing in an attempt to rescue Gabby from the Cuckoos.
- Retcon: Although Innocence Lost implies it was Rice himself who developed the Trigger Scent, issue 8 of this series establishes that Robert Chandler was its designer.
- Sequel Series: To All-New Wolverine, as it features the same supporting cast, and builds on its developments. Issue 1 begins with Laura hunting down people who've been performing genetic experimentation on mutants as a follow-up to the events of "Orphans of X," while issue 8 reveals that Robert Chandler is behind the X-Assassin.
- Shout-Out:
- Issue 1: Sophie Cuckoo's favorite actor was "Tyler Kirch."note
- Issue 2: Gabby suggests she and Laura should follow the Cuckoos' example by celebrating their birthday on the same day as Evan Rachel Wood.
- Issue 4: The opening of The Brady Bunch is referenced at the beginning of the issue.
- Issue 6: The title of the issue, and Gabby's code-name for the mission, is Operation Kindergarten Clone. Laura chastises her over the name, while Gabby continues making references to the movie by referencing Arnold's famous delivery of "It's not a tumor!"
- Shown Their Work: When designing Laura's new suit for this volume, artist Mike Choi surveyed a number of women of Laura's age (late teens and early twenties) to determine what they would actually wear as superheroes. The end result is heavily inspired by Lululemon-style athletic wear.
- Status Quo Is God: Laura has given up the Wolverine name and cowl, and is back to calling herself X-23. The Cuckoos have also given up their individual looks and are all back to being identical blondes. And the full Five-in-One returns when it's reveal that Esme and Sophie have been resurrected via cloned bodies.
- We Have Reserves: Chandler's view of the X-Assassin project: They're designed to be disposable assassins that can be destroyed once their mission is completed. He sends a veritable army of them against Laura, and though she destroys quite a few of them even she can't contend with their sheer numbers.
- Wham Shot:
- Issue 1: Esme and Sophie Cuckoo are alive.
- Issue 7: The X-Assassin is unmasked, revealing it to be a Cyborg clone of Laura.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Clone identity makes up a substantial part of the book's metaplot, with Laura musing on her humanity, and past as a Human Weapon. It goes even further with the X-Assassin, who is a Cyborg clone presumably with any trace of Laura's humanity removed.
- Wolverine Wannabe: A given being she's Wolverine's Opposite-Sex Clone, who eventually served as a Legacy Character to her father. She has more extreme versions of Wolverine's powers, possessing two blades from the wrists and one from each of her feet, while her Healing Factor operates even faster since it's not slowed by an adamantium skeleton.
