Screenshot 2020-02-12 17.34.51.jpg
I think this is a pretty telling screenshot. Tini isn't subtle in how she weaves that theme throughout the issue but, funnily enough, I think it works. I mean, at least
someone's commenting on the elephant in the room and, though it's only been done in short bursts, it
is good to see it maybe building to something. Unfortunately, I'm under no illusions what that payoff will be: we'll lose Shogo. It'll be done under the guise of "Oh, he likes being a dragon too much and he must be free" but, y'know, we'll all know the real reason: too complicated to have a human living on a mutant paradise. They can't possibly be happy together. Northstar's husband's gonna be the next to go, mark my words.
But back to this issue: I enjoyed it in the sense of I agree with
everything Gambit says. It's frustrating as fuck, of course, to see everyone being so dismissive of him...but then that feels like a very apt meta commentary in and of itself. Questions and distrust seem to be discouraged without any real reasoning; Brad hasn't done anything to redeem himself or even endear him in Gambit's eyes so, yeah, why
should he trust him? (And c'mon Betsy...you
really believe he'd lay out all of his secrets in one convenient document for you to peruse? He's a
politician now, honey. You're seeing what he wants ya to see.)
Also, does it rub anyone else the wrong way that Apocalypse kind of just...invaded Otherworld, in a sense? Colonised?
But back to Gambit for a sec; I felt his voice here. I felt him separate from Rogue for a sec in voicing these frustrations and...that tension feels subtle, in a way? Or maybe just subtle compared to the rest of what's going on, I dunno, but either way that was refreshing. I get the feeling there's something building for...perhaps the
next arc? Intriguing either way.