Things are looking up for X-23 lately. Sure, her life as a Wolverine clone is full of pain and misery, but at least she's enjoying plenty of time in the spotlight between her starring role in the comic book series All-New Wolverine and her upcoming live-action debut in 2017's Logan.

Loading

NYX: Wannabe

X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1

X-Force Vol. 1: Angels & Demons

We've already broken down the essential things you need to know about X-23 and how she fits into the X-Men franchise. But if you'd rather read her classic comic book adventures for yourself, we can help with that, too. Here are five graphic novels worth a read for anyone interested in following Laura Kinney's tragic journey.Like Harley Quinn, X-23 actually made her debut in animated form before later making the jump to comics. And the original NYX mini-series is where Marvel officially inducted her into their comic book universe.NYX basically serves as proof that no matter how dark life gets for the X-Men, things could always be worse. At least they have a cushy mansion, state-of-the-art training systems and a never-ending supply of new costumes to sort through. NYX explored how the other half lives. Its protagonists are homeless teens who struggle not for peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, but merely to survive from day to day. It was in this dreary corner of the Marvel U. that writer Joe Quesada and artist Joshua Middleton introduced X-23, a teenage prostitute with a mysterious past and a penchant for self-mutilation.Thankfully, Laura isn't quite so miserable and self-loathing these days, but this book serves as an important first step in her journey from killer to superhero. Plus, Middleton's name appears on far too few comics, so seeing him tackle the X-Men franchise (even so tangentially) is a real treat.Craig Kyle is credited with creating X-23, as he wrote the episode of X-Men: Evolution in which she first appeared. And along with frequent writing partner Kyle Yost, Kyle shaped and defined Laura Kinney as she made the jump from animation to comics.Kyle and Yost have written X-23 in several different books, but X-23: Innocence Lost and X-23: Target X are the two most crucial and influential. Together, these two mini-series explore Laura's early life before her initial appearance in NYX. Everything is covered here, from her conception to her tortured childhood as an unwilling test subject to her lifelong rivalry with her sadistic handler, Kimura. Kyle and Yost built an origin story with enough pathos and suffering to make Wolverine himself blanch, and these two books have influenced pretty much every X-23 story that's come since.Thankfully, Marvel recently collected both miniseries (along with a few other X-23-related odds and ends), into the first volume of the new X-23: The Complete Collection series. It's definitely a must-buy, and future volumes will begin collecting Marjorie Liu's enjoyable X-23 solo series.Kyle and Yost stuck with X-23 as she joined the ranks of the X-Men and learned how to become a team player. Nowhere was that painful journey more compelling than in Kyle and Yost's 2008 X-Force series. That incarnation of X-Force formed in the aftermath of House of M and during the height of the "Decimation" status quo. With the mutant race facing imminent extinction, Cyclops chose to assemble a team of mutant killers that would have no problem terminating threats with extreme prejudice.No character spoke to the slippery moral slope involved than X-23. Cyclops selected her because, as someone bred and trained to kill, she's uniquely qualified for such a job. But Wolverine resisted her presence, firm in the belief that Laura could still find a happy life free from the bloodshed that defined her childhood. And over the course of the series, X-23 frequently struggled to maintain her humanity as she faced the worst the world had to throw at the mutant race. That long, painful journey begins in this volume, which also features some terrifically moody and gory art from Clayton Crain.