Writer: Erica Schultz
Art: Giada Belviso and Elena Casagrande
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$3.99
Reviewed by: Anonymous
Release Date: July 9th, 2025
HAYMAKER RETURNS! The enigmatic HAYMAKER returns, for the first time in present-day continuity! Once addicted to MGH and working for the KINGPIN, what is JORDAN GASTIN’s new mission, and will WOLVERINE come out of it unscathed?
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Laura Kinney: Wolverine #8 Review.
THE DISPATCH
“Haymaker Returns!” is more than just a throwback hook—it’s a mission statement. Laura Kinney: Wolverine #8 by Erica Schultz plunges us deep into the shadows of Marvel’s street-level underworld, reintroducing a long-forgotten villain with a fresh coat of moral ambiguity and just enough emotional weight to make this chapter hit harder than expected.
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #8 sees the return of Jordan Gastin, a.k.a. Haymaker, a D-list bruiser once fueled by Mutant Growth Hormone and in service to the Kingpin. It’s his first appearance in present-day continuity, and Schultz smartly avoids turning him into a simple “villain-of-the-week.” Instead, she gives him a purpose—murky, maybe redemptive, and deeply dangerous.
Gastin’s presence is a mirror for Laura’s own past: manipulated, enhanced, and pointed at enemies by people who never cared if they survived the mission. The thematic parallel is clear, but it doesn’t feel forced. Schultz excels at grounding Laura’s stories in personal conflict, and this issue is no exception. Their confrontation is tense—not because of who will win the fight, but because of what it reveals about Laura’s capacity for mercy.
This series has consistently balanced slicing claws with surgical empathy, and Issue #8 keeps that momentum going. Readers familiar with Laura Kinney: Wolverine issues #1–7 know that Schultz’s take on Laura is one of growth without losing grit. She’s not the snarling berserker Logan was, but she’s also not looking to be anyone’s savior.
Yet here, she walks right into that moral gray zone—wrestling with whether Jordan’s new mission is genuine or just another trap. Her inner monologue, a series hallmark, is sharp and layered, filled with doubt, resolve, and a surprising degree of compassion for someone whose first name she barely remembers.
Reintroducing a character like Haymaker is a gamble. He was a minor threat during the early-2000s MGH boom and rarely more than a musclebound plot device. But Schultz retools him into something far more interesting: a reluctant tool of systems that chew up enhanced people—whether that’s crime syndicates, corrupt governments, or even the superhero community. He’s not reformed. But he’s also not what he used to be. That ambiguity makes him a compelling foil to Laura, who has similarly struggled to rewrite her identity after being shaped by forces beyond her control.
While the artist hasn’t been officially credited in solicitation copy, the visuals continue the gritty, kinetic tone seen in earlier issues. The fight choreography is brutal but legible—more cage match than cinematic, with tight panels capturing the claustrophobia of urban combat. Whether Laura is crashing through fire escapes or trading body blows with a supercharged opponent, the page layout emphasizes desperation over spectacle.
Fans of X-23, All-New Wolverine, or even older arcs like Enemy of the State II will find familiar emotional rhythms here. Schultz draws on Laura’s past without rehashing it, proving that a legacy character doesn’t need to be trapped by their trauma to feel authentic. For continuity heads, this issue dips lightly into the wider MGH mythos (think Daredevil, Runaways, and Spider-Woman) while staying laser-focused on Laura’s perspective. It’s self-contained but enriched by decades of darker Marvel lore.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #8 is a tight, character-driven entry that adds emotional nuance to a forgotten villain while continuing Laura’s steady evolution as Marvel’s most thoughtful clawed warrior. Erica Schultz threads the needle again—balancing action, empathy, and just enough mystery to leave us eager for what’s next.