Generation X-23 #5: Fun But Forgettable

Generation X-23 is a comic that exists because Laura Kinney sells just well enough to have a comic book. That sounds like a dumb statement, but that truly is the feel of this comic series. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t fantastic either. Generation X-23 isn’t one of Marvel’s Flagship X-Books: it isn’t X-Men, it isn’t Uncanny X-Men, and it isn’t Wolverine. Therefore, it gets a lot of freedom to tell its own story, so long as that story doesn’t have any ramifications. This means that readers get to spend time with Laura and Gabby on a quirky side adventure, which fans of the characters will certainly enjoy. Unfortunately, that also leaves this comic series having a very empty and meaningless plot. 

Jody Houser is a talented character writer, and that absolutely shows in this book. Laura Kinney is an incredibly difficult character to write because she exists as a brand extension of Logan. Many writers will default to writing Laura as “the girl Wolverine.” A talented writer will explore her backstory and how that makes her fundamentally different from Logan. Thankfully, Houser falls in the latter category. Houser writes Laura as someone who thinks first and slashes second (a trait that Logan only shows on rare instances); Laura is forgiving; Laura is gentle. These are all aspects of her character that can be traced back to Tom Taylor’s run of All-New Wolverine, a series that established Laura Kinney Wolverine as a distinct entity from Logan and proved that she could carry a book out of his shadow. This series explores the sister dynamic between Laura and Gabby. Houser understands that Laura both equally trusts and worries about Gabby when they become involved in conflict. This is an author that truly understands these characters and what makes them special. 

However, the Generated are anything but special. These are characters that are almost impossible to care about. They’re side characters in a side plot. While each mutant is visually distinct, they are very difficult to tell apart. Each member of the Generated has a name like X-66, X-76, or X-99. These names are too similar. Furthermore, none of these characters have distinct personality traits. All members of the Generated act and speak the same. Furthermore, the odds of seeing any of these characters again is very low, and the book makes that painfully apparent by how little development they get. It’s not even worth a reader’s time to be invested in the characters. 

The plot of this issue is very bland. The story moves forward, but it never feels like it’s going anywhere. The conclusion of the comic should feel like a triumphant payoff, but it ends up landing with a thud. Laura’s objective in this comic is to rescue the Generated. However, the Generated are so underdeveloped that it becomes difficult to have any investment in the rescue at all. Everything just happens. There is no real moment where the outcome feels uncertain or any emotional stakes exist. Ultimately, Generation X-23 just continues the generic “mutant weapon” storyline that Marvel has recycled for the better part of a century; yet, the comic fails to add anything to that formula to make it feel fresh. 

In this issue, Marco Renna’s art really shines. In the middle, a flashback scene occurs where mutants suffer due to their powers. Renna’s artwork adds a lot of weight to this scene and causes it to be the visual highlight of the book. However, the art lacks a distinct visual style. Renna’s art is good, but it doesn’t feel unique compared to anything else on the shelves. The artwork feels very safe and very cookie-cutter. With the exception of the aforementioned flashback scene, there is nothing that makes this comic’s visual language feel unique.