Mr. & Mrs. X: Gambit and Rogue Appreciation 2020

[AppleJ]

Don't you remember Tini Howard talking on twitter about a baby design coming to the X-books more cute than Baby Yoda?

I doooo! And I also wondered about that at the time. But now I'm kind of tired of trying to read the Twitter tea leaves because it just leads me to disappointments.

I'm just not sure whether it's a good look if she's accidentally pregnant with a baby she doesn't even want now. Is the not wanting due to fear of the risk and change or is it just a total lack of interest at all? Like it even feels like adoption is off the table for her after the way this talk went.

And if she gets pregnant accidentally and has a change of heart ... will that go over well? I don't know.

Le sigh ...

[phoenixzero23]

I don't think all hopes for a kid are dead. The big two do all this drama all the time but eventually things happen.
On Aquaman there was a lot of drama for Arthur and Mera to have a baby but it eventually happened, they just like drag things, to keep people wondering and reading if it happens.

[AppleJ]

I don't think all hopes for a kid are dead. The big two do all this drama all the time but eventually things happen.
On Aquaman there was a lot of drama for Arthur and Mera to have a baby but it eventually happened, they just like drag things, to keep people wondering and reading if it happens.

I mean ... it's comics so nothing is ever truly off the table forever. Still ... having a character saying maybe never isn't super encouraging and such a dissapointing payoff after all that build up. Kind of feeling like all those BatCat fans after the failed wedding. And I don't know that Gambit and Rogue will be given as much long term stability as Arthur and Mera.

[Nox Noctes]

I mean ... it's comics so nothing is ever truly off the table forever. Still ... having a character saying maybe never isn't super encouraging and such a dissapointing payoff after all that build up. Kind of feeling like all those BatCat fans after the failed wedding. And I don't know that Gambit and Rogue will be given as much long term stability as Arthur and Mera.

To be fair, Tom King ended up making some great BatCat issues well after the failed wedding (not to mention a new 12 issue series coming up) -- all that to say, BatCat fans like myself got some great issues and growth from the characters regardless. I don't see this happening with Tini's take on Romy. From what I've read she doesn't seem to know them at all. I'm at the point where I'm worried she'll inflict more long-term damage to the characters than just temporary malaise limited to Excalibur. In other words, I would be horrified to find out that Rogue was having some creepy Apocalypse baby. That would get me back on the long-term boycotting train for sure.

[DearMachine]

I am reaching the point where I just want to buy Howard some damn comic books so she gets some basic continuity and characterization. Her Rogue is okay, when she isn't being some sort of strawwoman for an outdated version of feminism. Men want to control me. Babies are bad, even though she seemed very open to the idea in the future in MMX12. The tapeworm of exploitation must be annihilated.

Her Gambit may be the worst Gambit I have ever read. He has no ... agency, no sparkle, no sexiness. I hate every panel he is in.

[Devaishwarya]

Or...you could just not buy it and wait until another better writer comes along.

[AppleJ]

Or...you could just not buy it and wait until another better writer comes along.

I mean, if a writer alienates a group of fans to the point where they are completely frustrated with a book that might be the best choice and certainly not the first time I've seen it happen. And for a reader who follows primarily specific characters, dropping might leave them with no comic book they wish to purchase.

Maybe no one at Marvel would miss those fans if they just stop reading, especially if their numbers are small and it won't effect the book's sales or longevity. But if those numbers are large, it is going to be a problem.

The real shame is Rogue and Gambit fans had a pretty good book in MMX and it was effectively abolished by the launch of HoX/PoX/DoX. I think Excalibur is meant to have picked up that story beat and that group of fans ... but at least for a good hunk of us it's failing miserably. Not only that, for me it's failing to pull me in to the larger Excalibur story at all. I'm actually finding almost every other X-book more enjoyable than Excalibur, except Fallen Angels. Despite a cast of characters I love and even a theme that is right up my alley it just doesn't grab me. I'm truly baffled to be honest.

I've already dropped my physical copy now. The only reason I haven't dropped the digital is pure character loyalty, an appreciation for the art, and some vague hope this could change course yet and improve. But that hope is pretty weak at this point.

[Devaishwarya]

Regardless of the numerous and vociferous complaints on these comic sites...Marvel (and DC) will pretty much do as they please. And as such, I say let Editorial worry about numbers and readership.
At the end of the day, with comics specifically (as with music), writers will write what they think is best and entertaining and what has been approved by Editorial. That's their only job, really.

It is the responsibility of the reader (as the Listener) to either buy or not buy as they see fit. But to continue to buy a product that does not entertain you nor gives you any value for your money serves no positive purpose.

If it's not for you it's just not for you...at this time.
I walked away from the X-Men entirely at the start of the Utopia era because I realised it just wasn't for me. Other readers loved it and applauded it but...I thought it was soul-less and badly written and awfully illustrated. And stayed away from pretty much everything X up until 5 years
Here I am years later...back in the X-fold and happy.
We are not not tied and beholden to keep punishing ourselves...to keep buying out of some misplaced sense of duty and loyalty. It's not worth the heart-ache and misery.

[AppleJ]

Regardless of the numerous and vociferous complaints on these comic sites...Marvel (and DC) will pretty much do as they please. And as such, I say let Editorial worry about numbers and readership.
At the end of the day, with comics specifically (as with music), writers will write what they think is best and entertaining and what has been approved by Editorial. That's their only job, really.

It is the responsibility of the reader (as the Listener) to either buy or not buy as they see fit. But to continue to buy a product that does not entertain you nor gives you any value for your money serves no positive purpose.

If it's not for you it's just not for you...at this time.
I walked away from the X-Men entirely at the start of the Utopia era because I realised it just wasn't for me. Other readers loved it and applauded it but...I thought it was soul-less and badly written and awfully illustrated. And stayed away from pretty much everything X up until 5 years
Here I am years later...back in the X-fold and happy.
We are not not tied and beholden to keep punishing ourselves...to keep buying out of some misplaced sense of duty and loyalty. It's not worth the heart-ache and misery.

This may be true. I was actually a lapsed reader for almost a decade and have only been back to reading actively for a couple of years. I was really happy with the books I was getting until now. But if Marvel doesn't want my business anymore, I'm happy to oblige them.

[DearMachine]

Or...you could just not buy it and wait until another better writer comes along.

I am getting to that point with it. I normally don't have issues dropping books that I don't love. I stopped Nightwing about an issue into Ric Grayson.

I think what is holding me back is that it should work for me. On paper, it is the perfect book for me. I am very into the Arthurian legend, I love fantasy, and the cast has many of my favorite characters. It ticks more boxes than any other book in the X-line. So, I am still buying it in the hope that Howard figures out her ****, and delivers on its promise. I am starting to think that won't happen. I am giving it a few issues of the second arc, because it is likely all of these were written close together.

But it is also okay not to be pure sunshine on a message board. I would never go to Howard's Twitter and harass her, but I can share my feelings with other fans.

[DearMachine]

Speaking of feelings, how is it possible to make Gambit and Rogue in a hot tub not-sexy? They were sexier medicating the cat in that Christmas issue.

[Kalternativa]

I am reaching the point where I just want to buy Howard some damn comic books so she gets some basic continuity and characterization. Her Rogue is okay, when she isn't being some sort of strawwoman for an outdated version of feminism. Men want to control me. Babies are bad, even though she seemed very open to the idea in the future in MMX12. The tapeworm of exploitation must be annihilated.

Her Gambit may be the worst Gambit I have ever read. He has no ... agency, no sparkle, no sexiness. I hate every panel he is in.

I had the same impression. As if for a woman to be a badass, she needs to step on a man.

[AppleJ]

Speaking of feelings, how is it possible to make Gambit and Rogue in a hot tub not-sexy? They were sexier medicating the cat in that Christmas issue.

If I totally ignore the majority of the dialogue and just focus on the art, it's glorious. Chef's kiss beautiful and sexy. Marcus To is a saint. They could even have this same conversation with roughly the same immediate outcome without taking all hope and possibility off the board and without disregarding Remy's feelings entirely. It just lacks nuance.

But maybe this will finally convince people on this board that this thread is not just all about thirst. It's not enough to just throw sexy images at us. Content and context actually matters.

And I'm not going to quit these characters, my favorite comic book characters for nearly 30 years, even if I end up quitting this book. It's not like we haven't weathered worse.

I just thought maybe Marvel wanted my money? But I'm happy to go back to reading fanfic and old issues for absolutely free and wait this book out if that's what it comes to.

[Romy Ship]

AMEN, Apple J. A-FREAKING MEN.

I concur whole heartedly.

I want to buy the floppy and white-out the dialogue.

[AppleJ]

Speaking of coping mechanisms ...

Don't forget Rogue and Gambit fanworks week starts next week. Details are organized here on Tumblr.

https://roguegambitweek.tumblr.com/p...mbit-week-2020