[SPOILERS] Recap/Review: Mr and Mrs X #7

[DearMachine]

As the issue opens, our heroes find themselves in a sexy but familiar predicament. Rogue and Gambit are hung upside down over a pit of gators. Gambit has lockpicks somewhere in his pants (presumably the same place he hides that bo staff), and needs an assist to get them.

Before matters can get too hot, though, Mojo intervenes. He approves of the heat, but hates that he has seen it all before. He wants something new and innovative and exxxiting, and has Majordomo roll out the Wheel of Genre. He hopes for clowns, which he swears are a genre the way he does them. Instead, he gets noir.

One "lights, camera, action" later, Gambit and Rogue are starring in Honeymoonlighting. P.I. Gambit is narrating in his office, when Rogue walks in, all legs and leather and sass.

Spiral rightly points out that, uh, a reboot isn't exactly new or innovative, but, with the logic of every movie producer, Mojo is all about the reboot. He calls it a "new take on an old favorite," which mostly means that he's replaced shoulder pads with skintight leather.

However, as with many reboots, Gambit and Rogue don't seem able to break out of the loop of familiarity. On their mission to obtain the Coeur Sinueux, they find themselves in a vent, in a series of panels that are drawn essentially identically to those in the Rogue & Gambit mini-series. In this case, though, the vent goes straight up ten stories. Fortunately, Gambit has a tiny grappling hook (lol). After a kiss for luck, they go flying up the shaft.

They land in a room of goons who are guarding a treasure under a glass dome. Gambit and Rogue take down them down, and then Gambit goes after the prize. The Coeur Sinueux turns out to be a bird. It's obviously a Maltese Falcon joke, i.e. the most famous, birdy MacGuffin ever. In this case, though, it's a real bird: a small blue bird that twitters in Gambit's hand. It's very Snow White and I'll talk about its significance in a moment.

At this point, though, Rogue freaks out. She begins to see through Mojo's illusions, and have the horrifying feeling that she is out of control of her powers. She tells Gambit that she has to get away from him, but it's too late. She drains him dry and leaves him a husk that crumbles into dust.

Mojo is pissed. As endings go, it is not sexy or leather-clad, and he wants no part of it at all. Spiral is concerned that there is something really wrong with Rogue and her powers, and points out that her brain wave function, mindscope, etc. are different, but Mojo brushes her concerns away. After all, Gambit and Rogue got 6 and 8 on a recent social media poll, and are the only famous X-couple who are still both alive and together. He needs them. Spiral backs down once Mojo threatens to strip her powers and return her to the slave pits.

Mojo returns to the Wheel of Genre, and spins up another idea. This time, it is a fairytale with a roguish prince and an untouchable princess. The scene opens with Rogue sleeping in an enchanted castle, and a hooded figure climbing through the window. The figure wakes Rogue with a kiss, whispering for her to "come back to me." But it's not Gambit... It's Longshot?! Surprise recast!

Final thoughts: MMX #7 was a very fun issue.

I've always enjoyed Elseworlds and AUs, and think Mojo provides a good opportunity to do them in canon. Honeymoonlighting was more of a light reskin than a full-on AU, but it was an enjoyable imagining of Gambit and Rogue in a slightly noir world, and showcased their chemistry beautifully. I have never watched Moonlighting, so any specific jokes there may have been lost on me. Obviously, feel free to point them out, and any other references I may have missed.

Mojo also allows for meta commentary and fourth-wall breaking, and I thought that was executed very well. There were good jokes about Hollywood's love of a reboot (P.S. please watch She-Ra if you haven't), and about the state of the X-Books. I found it funny and telling that all of Mojo's "new" ideas were simply retreads of the past: slinging G & R upside, making them crawl through a vent, hooking Rogue up with Prince Longshot. Also, I was especially amused by the reference to the social media poll.

I'm intrigued by where the story is going with the blue bird in particular. Mojo says he didn't include it in the story, and it obviously prefigures the fairy tale in the next story. There's nothing more Disney than a blue bird perched on a person's finger singing a song. So, does that suggest Mojo isn't in full control? Does that suggest there's another hand controlling the narrative and wheel of genre? And does that have anything to do with Rogue's unusual mental patterns?

In short, it's a good first issue of the new arc, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.

[DearMachine]

Some questions that could be fun or productive to discuss:
1) What is up with the blue bird at the end of Honeymoonlighting?
2) What does it mean that everything about Rogue's brain is different? How does that relate to the development of her powers?
3) What genre would you like to see Gambit and Rogue in?

[Ricochet Rita]

Mojo returns to the Wheel of Genre, and spins up another idea. This time, it is a fairytale with a roguish prince and an untouchable princess. The scene opens with Rogue sleeping in an enchanted castle, and a hooded figure climbing through the window. The figure wakes Rogue with a kiss, whispering for her to "come back to me." But it's not Gambit... It's Longshot?! Surprise recast!

It's perfectly logical

What genre would you like to see Gambit and Rogue in?

Arthouse.

[AppleJ]

This issue was very fun and boy would I love those noir costumes to become permanent! Black really suits them. All very sexy, even if a somewhat purposeful retread.

Anyway, was it just me or was almost all the dialogue in Honeymoonlighting stripped from or identical callbacks to actual dialogue from old issues of X-Men/UXM/etc?

I'm almost certain the line about a kiss for luck was right out of Age of X. And the vent scene seemed more like the original vent scene than the R&G one?

And maybe the blue bird is a Twitter reference? I about died laughing when Mojo mentions they were 6 and 8 since it literally came off JDWs Twitter poll!

[Fokken]

I gotta wait for my hard copy since the New Year holiday has them delayed.

All o'y'all must be digital crew, huh?

[LegoLiz]

As the issue opens, our heroes find themselves in a sexy but familiar predicament. Rogue and Gambit are hung upside down over a pit of gators. Gambit has lockpicks somewhere in his pants (presumably the same place he hides that bo staff), and needs an assist to get them.

Before matters can get too hot, though, Mojo intervenes. He approves of the heat, but hates that he has seen it all before. He wants something new and innovative and exxxiting, and has Majordomo roll out the Wheel of Genre. He hopes for clowns, which he swears are a genre the way he does them. Instead, he gets noir.

One "lights, camera, action" later, Gambit and Rogue are starring in Honeymoonlighting. P.I. Gambit is narrating in his office, when Rogue walks in, all legs and leather and sass.

Spiral rightly points out that, uh, a reboot isn't exactly new or innovative, but, with the logic of every movie producer, Mojo is all about the reboot. He calls it a "new take on an old favorite," which mostly means that he's replaced shoulder pads with skintight leather.

However, as with many reboots, Gambit and Rogue don't seem able to break out of the loop of familiarity. On their mission to obtain the Coeur Sinueux, they find themselves in a vent, in a series of panels that are drawn essentially identically to those in the Rogue & Gambit mini-series. In this case, though, the vent goes straight up ten stories. Fortunately, Gambit has a tiny grappling hook (lol). After a kiss for luck, they go flying up the shaft.

They land in a room of goons who are guarding a treasure under a glass dome. Gambit and Rogue take down them down, and then Gambit goes after the prize. The Coeur Sinueux turns out to be a bird. It's obviously a Maltese Falcon joke, i.e. the most famous, birdy MacGuffin ever. In this case, though, it's a real bird: a small blue bird that twitters in Gambit's hand. It's very Snow White and I'll talk about its significance in a moment.

At this point, though, Rogue freaks out. She begins to see through Mojo's illusions, and have the horrifying feeling that she is out of control of her powers. She tells Gambit that she has to get away from him, but it's too late. She drains him dry and leaves him a husk that crumbles into dust.

Mojo is pissed. As endings go, it is not sexy or leather-clad, and he wants no part of it at all. Spiral is concerned that there is something really wrong with Rogue and her powers, and points out that her brain wave function, mindscope, etc. are different, but Mojo brushes her concerns away. After all, Gambit and Rogue got 6 and 8 on a recent social media poll, and are the only famous X-couple who are still both alive and together. He needs them. Spiral backs down once Mojo threatens to strip her powers and return her to the slave pits.

Mojo returns to the Wheel of Genre, and spins up another idea. This time, it is a fairytale with a roguish prince and an untouchable princess. The scene opens with Rogue sleeping in an enchanted castle, and a hooded figure climbing through the window. The figure wakes Rogue with a kiss, whispering for her to "come back to me." But it's not Gambit... It's Longshot?! Surprise recast!

Final thoughts: MMX #7 was a very fun issue.

I've always enjoyed Elseworlds and AUs, and think Mojo provides a good opportunity to do them in canon. Honeymoonlighting was more of a light reskin than a full-on AU, but it was an enjoyable imagining of Gambit and Rogue in a slightly noir world, and showcased their chemistry beautifully. I have never watched Moonlighting, so any specific jokes there may have been lost on me. Obviously, feel free to point them out, and any other references I may have missed.

Mojo also allows for meta commentary and fourth-wall breaking, and I thought that was executed very well. There were good jokes about Hollywood's love of a reboot (P.S. please watch She-Ra if you haven't), and about the state of the X-Books. I found it funny and telling that all of Mojo's "new" ideas were simply retreads of the past: slinging G & R upside, making them crawl through a vent, hooking Rogue up with Prince Longshot. Also, I was especially amused by the reference to the social media poll.

I'm intrigued by where the story is going with the blue bird in particular. Mojo says he didn't include it in the story, and it obviously prefigures the fairy tale in the next story. There's nothing more Disney than a blue bird perched on a person's finger singing a song. So, does that suggest Mojo isn't in full control? Does that suggest there's another hand controlling the narrative and wheel of genre? And does that have anything to do with Rogue's unusual mental patterns?

In short, it's a good first issue of the new arc, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.

Will write more later, but wanted to say I enjoyed the issue. Plus! Excellent review. Your commentary is so fun (lock picks are stored the same place Gambit hides his bo staff). HA!

[AppleJ]

I gotta wait for my hard copy since the New Year holiday has them delayed.

All o'y'all must be digital crew, huh?

You know it! Mostly because I lack patience. I'll still get a hard copy too eventually though.

[Master of Sound]

Cool to know Spiral returned.

Though I thought she escaped Mojoworld as mentioned in Uncanny X-Force, when she was a team member.

[DearMachine]

Arthouse.

That would be amazing. I can just see the slow, black-and-white chessboard shots now.

This issue was very fun and boy would I love those noir costumes to become permanent! Black really suits them. All very sexy, even if a somewhat purposeful retread.

Anyway, was it just me or was almost all the dialogue in Honeymoonlighting stripped from or identical callbacks to actual dialogue from old issues of X-Men/UXM/etc?

I'm almost certain the line about a kiss for luck was right out of Age of X. And the vent scene seemed more like the original vent scene than the R&G one?

And maybe the blue bird is a Twitter reference? I about died laughing when Mojo mentions they were 6 and 8 since it literally came off JDWs Twitter poll!

You are probably right about the vent scene. I knew I had seen those panel layouts before, and I assumed it was R&G, but I'm at work and don't have access to my back issues.

Good catch about the dialog. I thought the lines seemed really familiar. Even if they aren't totally identical, they're very lightly altered. I'll have to go back and play match the line later.

I gotta wait for my hard copy since the New Year holiday has them delayed.

All o'y'all must be digital crew, huh?

I am both, because I have no self-control. I buy the digital when it comes out, and then the hard copy later that day or week.

[Ricochet Rita]

All o'y'all must be digital crew, huh?

Absolutely not. In fact, I'm so paper-lover that I read comic-books much later than most of you because I don't live in USA and I've got to wait for them to be translated and published in my country.

I keep up-to-date thanks to forums like this one.

[LegoLiz]

I gotta wait for my hard copy since the New Year holiday has them delayed.

All o'y'all must be digital crew, huh?

Guilty of digital first. I've pre-ordered all hard copies, which have been added to my monthly pull list. Saw my comic book guy on Saturday and I have to say - nothing beats seeing the panels in print. For me, I appreciate it more, but I'm impatient and need to find out what happened as soon as I can.

Side bar - my comic book guy even convinced me pick up to New West Coast Avengers. I've been contemplating, but didn't make the plunge because I know I'll buy everything once I'm hooked. But he said it is currently one of his top favourite books (thanks to Ms. Thompson) and boom...I'm in.

[Fokken]

What IS the digital cost? Maybe I too should be venturing down the online rabbit hole in addition to the physical satisfaction of entering the store and buying hard copies.

[Dthirds3]

What IS the digital cost? Maybe I too should be venturing down the online rabbit hole in addition to the physical satisfaction of entering the store and buying hard copies.

Cost is the same.(also digital DC the comics come with every varent cover). Also rember if you go digital rember your leasing book you dont own it.

[Fokken]

Cost is the same.(also digital DC the comics come with every varent cover). Also rember if you go digital rember your leasing book you dont own it.

Ah. Helpful. THANK YOU.

[Maestroneto]

Digital does have guided view which I can’t live without anymore.