X-23 where should I start?

[whitewolf]

X-23 intrigues me, but I have no clue where to begin. Should I start with NYX, her 2005 series or her 2011? Somewhere else?

[Anduinel]

My thought would be to drop $10 on Marvel Unlimited and go through her appearances chronologically. So I think that would be:
X-23: Innocence Lost
X-23: Target X
NYX
Uncanny X-Men (I think consensus is that this is pretty skippable, though)
New X-Men: Academy X
Kyle & Yost's X-Force
X-23 (1-shot)
X-23 (2005, crosses over with Dark Wolverine for Collision)
Avengers Academy (starting with #21)
Avengers Arena
All New X-Men v 1
Wolverines
All New Wolverine

I'm sure there are other fans here who'll be by to point out any gaps I've left.

[XCE]

You should start with X-23: Innocence Lost, a 6-issue miniseries, and then read X-23: Target X, another 6-issue miniseries. Those 12 issues cover her origins and they're also some of the best X-23 comics you'll find. After that I'd suggest skipping to the X-23 one-shot followed by her 2010 solo series X-23, both written by Marjorie Liu. After that, you can start on her current solo series, All-New Wolverine. If by this time you're dying for more, check out her appearances in the team books X-Force and New X-Men (starting at issue 20). I wouldn't recommend any of the other team books, like the Avengers books, All-New X-Men and Wolverines. You can certainly read them if you're dying for more, but you'll likely be disappointed by the quality and sometimes confused by how X-23 seems to be written like a totally different character.

[MarvelMaster616]

Definitely start with X-23: Innocence Lost. That is the definitive X-23 story. It establishes her origins, her character, and so much more. Plus, it's a really great story. It'll leave a lump in your throat at the end for all the right reasons. After that, Marjorie Liu's run on X-23 is right up there as well. She took X-23 in some new directions that were really fun. There's so much more to read, but those are the two runs I would start off with.

[Ambaryerno]

Mandatories:

X-23: Innocence Lost - Origin Part I
X-23: Target: X - Origin Part II
X-23 One-shot
X-23 Ongoing
All-New Wolverine

Good to Read

NYX - First appearance
New X-Men Vol. 2 (the Kyle and Yost issues)
X-Force Vol. 3 (Kyle and Yost) - Sets up the ongoing series by Liu.
The Logan Legacy / Wolverines - Laura deals with the fallout of Logan's death. The last issue of Wolverines was seriously infuriating because of mass PIS by anyone not named "Mystique," but the series as a whole helps move her towards becoming Wolverine
Captain Universe: X-23 - A relatively minor story, but it's Laura's first encounter with the Enigma Force, and helps establish some context when it turns up again during the Liu series.

Skippable, but Readable

Uncanny X-Men - First appearance after NYX. Most has been retconned by Target: X or disregarded by later writers. Claremont just didn't really have a handle on her.
Avengers Academy - She didn't have much to do, but she did get to play the Only Sane Man for the ENTIRETY of Avengers vs. X-Men fustercluck. Seeing her call Logan and Emma out on their bullshit over Schism and AvX is worth the price of admission alone.
Avengers Arena - She actually wasn't badly-written, here. The series is extremely polarizing, however, and she has a MAJOR moment of PIS partway through.
All-New X-Men Vol. 1 - I'm going to say it: Bendis actually wasn't as bad as we like to remember. ESPECIALLY compared to what Hopeless has done with her. It's important only in that it sets up a couple parts of her current status quo.
X-Men: To Serve And Protect - Laura had a minor side-story where she encounters Ghost Rider. Not particularly important, but there's a nice moment where she asks him to use his Pennance Stare on her both to see if it even works (you have to have a soul, and that was a major conflict for her in the Liu series) AND because she believes she deserves it.
Circle of Four - She has quite a bit to do in this series, and is written pretty well overall. Plus it has ominous implications for the future...assuming a writer remembers it happened and decides to follow-up on it.

Avoid Like The Plague

All-New X-Men Vol. 2 - The Hopeless! It burns! Seriously, I don't know who that is wearing the Wolverine cowl, but it is NOT Laura.

[SicariiDC]

Wow this thread came at the perfect time for me. Just finished X-Force vol 3 and the Messiah saga and wanted to know where to go regarding Laura...I'm gonna go back to Innocence Lost...

[Taral-DLOS]

The X-23 solo series are being collected in two books: "X-23 Complete Collection" Volumes 1 and 2. Volume 1 came out a few months ago (I think in July) and Volume 2 is out in November. Those collected Innocence Lost, Target X, the one-shot, the Captain Universe one-shot, and her solo series.

There is also an NYX Complete Collection.

[Ambaryerno]

The X-23 solo series are being collected in two books: "X-23 Complete Collection" Volumes 1 and 2. Volume 1 came out a few months ago (I think in July) and Volume 2 is out in November. Those collected Innocence Lost, Target X, the one-shot, the Captain Universe one-shot, and her solo series.

There is also an NYX Complete Collection.

Oooh, forgot about the Captain Universe one-shot. File that under "Good to Read" since it helps establish context for the "Chaos Theory" arc of the Liu series.

[Nazrel]

The X-23 solo series are being collected in two books: "X-23 Complete Collection" Volumes 1 and 2. Volume 1 came out a few months ago (I think in July) and Volume 2 is out in November. Those collected Innocence Lost, Target X, the one-shot, the Captain Universe one-shot, and her solo series.

There is also an NYX Complete Collection.

Laura only shows up in the first NYX series, so picking it up the NYX Complete Collection only for her it is a bit unnecessary, the normal trade would do.

[healed1337]

The best place to start, if you prefer trades, would be the X-23 Ultimate Collection volume 1. It includes both Innocence Lost and Target X (her two origin minis), and the first 3 issues of X-23's solo series written by Marjorie Liu. It only released about a month ago so it should be easy to order online.