Review by Frank Plowright

Unlike most of the X-Men tie-in collections issued in 2023 and 2024, Deadly Regenesis is a look back rather than something spinning from or into then current continuity. Erica Schultz sets her story during the time the X-Men had a different community on the isle of Utopia, a community X-23 has just left to find herself. Among the X-Men Laura Kinney Feels she’ll be forever Wolverine’s clone, but in the wider world she may have a place.

There can’t be too many superhero comics set in Minneapolis, but this is. Only residents are going to know how faithfully artist Edgar Salazar delivers the city, but it certainly has the look of a thriving modern conurbation. Salazar’s not as strong with people, who’re attractively drawn, but look posed during action sequences.

A career as a superhero in Minneapolis is short-lived, but attracts enough attention. There are others who have an interest in Laura, and are able to deal with her despite her savagery and healing abilities, and it’s not long before she’s been captured and returned to a situation she believed she’d left behind. Schultz puts Laura through the shredder via some extremely unpleasant circumstances, with one of the factors limiting what Laura can do being blackmail. If she rebels, innocents will die.

Deadly Regenesis hinges on a plot unable to withstand logical scrutiny. Considering primary villain Kimura has a billion dollar HQ and is making money like a bandit, why would she risk involving X-23, who she knows won’t submit willingly and could bring everything down? Because the plot needs that to happen, that’s why. Also pivotal is a shifting relationship, which is only slightly more believable. Accept both those factors and you may enjoy this continuity implant.