ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #1 by Danni Shinya Luo

All-New Wolverine #1 (Variant)
By Danni Shinya Luo
Graphite and ink
on blank, sketch-cover comic

As the original cover artist on the first ongoing X-23 series in 2010, Chinese-born illustrator Danni Shinya Luo helped to establish the look for Laura Kinney just as her role in Marvel comics (and the Marvel Universe) was about to explode into the pop culture zeitgeist. By 2015, the character was poised to take on the mantle of Wolverine. This commissioned sketch cover of All-New Wolverine #1 sees Luo pay hommage to her classic X-23 #1 cover but updating Laura's look to Logan's classic yellow costume.

Only a few of the many blank sketch cover editions issued by Marvel are legitimate keys, and even fewer get illustrated by one of the artists who made iconic contributions or played a pivotal role in the title character's history. Danni Shinya Luo is primarily a gallery-exhibiting fine artist whose comic work is exceptionally rare and frequently snatched-up by a handful of ravenous collectors. This image is particularly special to me because I shot the reference photos that Shinya used to create the original X-23 cover. The 2010 cover was created digitally (illustrated on a Wacom tablet), making this pen and ink tribute a unique, analog artwork.