X-23 and Honey Badger go on one last mission in this exclusive finale preview

Marvel Comics’ entire X-line is getting cancelled to clean the slate for Jonathan Hickman’s upcoming takeover, and next week sees the final issue of X-23, a charming comic that did great work building on what Tom Taylor set up in his All-New Wolverine series. Writer Mariko Tamaki came onto the title exhibiting a deep understanding of the relationship between clone sisters Laura and Gabby Kinney, and she’s taken them on a journey that has tested their loyalty by ripping open old wounds. Tamaki has a talent for creating relationships between women that are rich with conflict but also steeped in affection, and she recognizes that the tightest bonds are the ones that can handle the most tension. (See her excellent new First Second graphic novel, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, for a non-superhero display of this skill.) X-23 gave Tamaki a rich relationship to explore in Laura and Gabby, and it resulted in her strongest work yet for Marvel Comics.