As generations of X-Men pile on top of one another, there might be a drawback to creating an entire group of mutants whose names are numbers.
Fans bristle when Laura Kinney is referred to as X-23. They need her to be Wolverine because the name gives her weight, an anchor point that keeps her relevant in a sea of Wallflowers and Rubbermaids. If she identifies as Logan’s Batgirl, Marvel can’t get rid of her in the next linewide relaunch.
So I worry about an entire team that takes its naming system from Laura’s original codename. In 2026, they’re competing for attention with Gail Simone’s Outliers, probably in the running for most beloved current blorbos, Eve Ewing’s Exceptional X-Men kids, already sinking into the background of X-Men United, and … wait, are the New Champions still a thing?
Check out our exclusive preview of Generation X-23 #4, out next week, and keep scrolling for the basic deets.
W: Jody Houser | A: Marco Renna | CA: Partha Pratim Sarkar
X-23 ON THE HUNT! LAURA KINNEY is through playing nice. The Facility has her friends, and they have her sister. And not a damn thing on Earth will stand between her and their safety. They want “X-23, the perfect killer”? Oh, they’ve got it! SNIKT!
$3.99
Buy Generation X-23 #4 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Dan Grote is the editor and publisher of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Paul Winston Wisdom. Follow him @danielpgrote.bsky.social.
