Knights of X #3 Spoilers/Review

[Sandmans_Raven]

So who's doing the sacrificing here? Gambit didn't sacrifice himself, he died on accident. It sounds like the sacrifice is on Shogo's part, because he is so hurt over Gambit's death. What??? Does Shogo (or anyone else in the cast) even LIKE Gambit? This is the GREAT SACRIFICE? And he dies for what, to make Shogo sad? Obviously, Merlyn is still alive so Gambit has saved absolutely no one.

From the same writer who made Rogue so worried about Betsy in Excalibur, contrived, off-panel relationships feel par for the course at this point.

[CGAR]

OK where where to begin.

Im going to agree with JBenito and say I appreciate THs ideas BUT it really just all comes down to execution and details. The ideas are there but she does not know how to properly right them down in an entertaining way.

And some things in this issue just don't make sense.

There was one good thing about the issue which was the story beat with Apocalypse and his Death position and also the explanation of Mercator.

And I just cant get over the fact that any time I read dialogue in KoX. I can just picutre her thinking hmm how should I make them talk oh ill write it this way.

I just cannot with the dialogue.

I really wish the Otherworld story beat was picked up by a different writer. Preferrably Ewing and second Gillen. They are just better with dialogue and execution.

I want this to end and have Betsy head over to X-Men Red with Storm and Magneto.

And to leave this on a positive note I actually really appreciate how dynamic Bob Quinns art is even though most people don't like it.

Oh and although Gambit died we know he's coming back. And HOPEFULLY we will get a further in depth look at how Otherworld deaths effect mutants because they really did drop that story beat after Rockslide and Gorgon. I dont trust TH to do it properly though.

Also I'm all for Betsy bisexuality BUT I just can't with the Betsy/Rachel. It just doesnt ring true to me. Betsy seems more like the cool aunt than a lover option for Rachel. Please don't execute that.

But also make Rachel LGBT canon.

[Shortpack!]

Am I the only one rolling my eyes because two grown women thought it was appropriate to make a baby watch someone die? Then again, considering how this baby has been treated since Excalibur, I guess this is par for the course.

[JB]

Am I the only one rolling my eyes because two grown women thought it was appropriate to make a baby watch someone die? Then again, considering how this baby has been treated since Excalibur, I guess this is par for the course.

Honestly I'm hopeful, and thus thankful, that this may be the extent of Shogo's "trial" with the journey, as silly as it is. I was afraid his life would be in danger, although that's still possible.

I'm very much of the mind that the Siege Perilous will be needed and used for Judgment Day with each passing moment. Apocalypse tasking one of the most powerful mutants, an omega, with protecting it and shutting access to an entire realm to do so is big potatoes. I don't see him doing that only for Gambit's return but doing so for a threat to their immortality makes a lot of sense.

[thjan]

Yeah, as a Gambit fan I am not happy. Just terrible. First yet more needless and tasteless swearing from Gambit and his dialogue was atrocious as usual. Howard's dialogue for Gambit truly is the worst I have ever seen and I can assure you that is really saying something. He always sounds so unintelligent and I really can't stand all the swearing. As for his death scene, I was not impressed. At all. He didn't get a great send off, he didn't kill Merlyn, and I agree with NicoPony in saying it was not a real sacrifice on Gambit's part when he didn't think he was going to die. It was just incompetence on his part. That is pretty much par for the course for Gambit and Gambit fans at this point though sadly. Next issue will probably have Merlyn sanctimoniously talking about how Gambit did not know what he was doing and was a fool. Here's hoping he at least stopped Merlyn long enough to achieve their objective of saving Jaspers(which I am not too thrilled about). Tini Howard has officially surpassed Milligan as my least favorite writer for Gambit. She wasted him throughout the entire Krakoan Era so far and wrote him poorly and out of character every time he actually was on the page.

I guess this also does not look good for BobbysWorld's theory about Gambit having researched the tarot deck and each cards' meaning. From what I have seen from superficial searches the Death card rarely represents actual physical death, but more meant to represent a change or transformation. I am sure that Howard knows that since that kind of research and knowledge has never been the problem with her writing and she has cooked up something for Gambit in that vein(which I am not looking forward to), but it sure doesn't show Gambit in a good light or paint him in a very intelligent light based on his use of the card here.

I'm tired y'all. I'm tired of having my favorite character being trapped in this book and written badly for nearly three years now only to kill him off and most likely mess him up.

When Marvel puts him into a new writers hands again, I'll be back. No more Tini.

Yep, I am tired too. Hate this.

Under other circumstances i would highly expect this to be a fake out. But given the current mentality in the X-office towards physicaly killing any character they can and the quality of this writer's output, it's much more likely he did died here and then comes back altered, problematic, or eve just the same he was with no lasting impact for the character.

That is what I am most worried about. I don't want some composite of all the multiverse's Gambits. I want our Gambit.

My heart skipped a beat when Julio said he'd sacrifice himself but I was more than willing to take the hit for Remy fans, for real.

I really appreciate the sentiment. That was a really nice thing to say. Gambit fans are hurting for sure.

Tini's worldbuilding is great. The bits with Mercator are interesting. Unfortunately, that's all there is. Her character development, dialogue, pacing are horrid to non-existent. Rachel's selfish ass wanting to abandon the civilians just to get back to Betsy was so dumb.

Yeah, Rachel was just awful this issue. It has been a theme of this and Excalibur's run where characters are obsessed with Betsy's safety, but Rachel was taking it to another level this issue. These are all professional and experienced X-Men and fighters(except Shogo of course, still don't know why he is still there) that know what they are about and know the risks.

Am I the only one rolling my eyes because two grown women thought it was appropriate to make a baby watch someone die? Then again, considering how this baby has been treated since Excalibur, I guess this is par for the course.

Yep, that was bizarre.

[Rift]

Honestly I'm hopeful, and thus thankful, that this may be the extent of Shogo's "trial" with the journey, as silly as it is. I was afraid his life would be in danger, although that's still possible.

I'm thinking this is part of something bigger. Like this is meant to kill Shogo's innocence and force him to see the reality of Otherworld. Or his innocence dying is part of some spell. Or maybe it's going to be a motivator for him to train and become strong enough to save the day.

[JB]

Yeah, as a Gambit fan I am not happy. Just terrible. First yet more needless and tasteless swearing from Gambit and his dialogue was atrocious as usual. Howard's dialogue for Gambit truly is the worst I have ever seen and I can assure you that is really saying something. He always sounds so unintelligent and I really can't stand all the swearing. As for his death scene, I was not impressed. At all. He didn't get a great send off, he didn't kill Merlyn, and I agree with NicoPony in saying it was not a real sacrifice on Gambit's part when he didn't think he was going to die. It was just incompetence on his part. That is pretty much par for the course for Gambit and Gambit fans at this point though sadly. Next issue will probably have Merlyn sanctimoniously talking about how Gambit did not know what he was doing and was a fool. Here's hoping he at least stopped Merlyn long enough to achieve their objective of saving Jaspers(which I am not too thrilled about). Tini Howard has officially surpassed Milligan as my least favorite writer for Gambit. She wasted him throughout the entire Krakoan Era so far and wrote him poorly and out of character every time he actually was on the page.

I guess this also does not look good for BobbysWorld's theory about Gambit having researched the tarot deck and each cards' meaning. From what I have seen from superficial searches the Death card rarely represents actual physical death, but more meant to represent a change or transformation. I am sure that Howard knows that since that kind of research and knowledge has never been the problem with her writing and she has cooked up something for Gambit in that vein(which I am not looking forward to), but it sure doesn't show Gambit in a good light or paint him in a very intelligent light based on his use of the card here.



Yep, I am tired too. Hate this.



That is what I am most worried about. I don't want some composite of all the multiverse's Gambits. I want our Gambit.



I really appreciate the sentiment. That was a really nice thing to say. Gambit fans are hurting for sure.



Yeah, Rachel was just awful this issue. It has been a theme of this and Excalibur's run where characters are obsessed with Betsy's safety, but Rachel was taking it to another level this issue. These are all professional and experienced X-Men and fighters(except Shogo of course, still don't know why he is still there) that know what they are about and know the risks.



Yep, that was bizarre.

I like what BobbysWorld just said in the Gambit thread about the use of the card. Perhaps his sacrifice ensured the survival of the townsfolk thus ensuring his return, cause magic. I do now believe he has a plan.

Once everything is said and done I hope Remy visits the crooked market every now and then. He has a connection to the people and Geraldine is going to need her pop-tarts.

[JB]

I'm thinking this is part of something bigger. Like this is meant to kill Shogo's innocence and force him to see the reality of Otherworld. Or his innocence dying is part of some spell. Or maybe it's going to be a motivator for him to train and become strong enough to save the day.

It's a good point. Saturnyne did say "It's hard to take the medicine one must in order to grow up and be strong." He's gonna return to Jubilee a full man.

[thjan]

I like what BobbysWorld just said in the Gambit thread about the use of the card. Perhaps his sacrifice ensured the survival of the townsfolk thus ensuring his return, cause magic. I do now believe he has a plan.

Once everything is said and done I hope Remy visits the crooked market every now and then. He has a connection to the people and Geraldine is going to need her pop-tarts.

I guess I could be wrong, but I really feel that using the card to take out Merlyn was the whole extent of his "plan". The cards work their magic on what they are thrown at, not on Gambit himself, and I certainly don't believe he planned on being caught in the explosion like that in order to enact some nebulous plan to be "changed" in a way that he could not possibly foresee.

[Jackraow21]

Sorry for the Gambit fans. This is a dicking. I feel your pain.

[AppleJ]

OK where where to begin.

Im going to agree with JBenito and say I appreciate THs ideas BUT it really just all comes down to execution and details. The ideas are there but she does not know how to properly right them down in an entertaining way.

And some things in this issue just don't make sense.

There was one good thing about the issue which was the story beat with Apocalypse and his Death position and also the explanation of Mercator.

And I just cant get over the fact that any time I read dialogue in KoX. I can just picutre her thinking hmm how should I make them talk oh ill write it this way.

I just cannot with the dialogue.

I really wish the Otherworld story beat was picked up by a different writer. Preferrably Ewing and second Gillen. They are just better with dialogue and execution.

I want this to end and have Betsy head over to X-Men Red with Storm and Magneto.

And to leave this on a positive note I actually really appreciate how dynamic Bob Quinns art is even though most people don't like it.

Oh and although Gambit died we know he's coming back. And HOPEFULLY we will get a further in depth look at how Otherworld deaths effect mutants because they really did drop that story beat after Rockslide and Gorgon. I dont trust TH to do it properly though.

Also I'm all for Betsy bisexuality BUT I just can't with the Betsy/Rachel. It just doesnt ring true to me. Betsy seems more like the cool aunt than a lover option for Rachel. Please don't execute that.

But also make Rachel LGBT canon.

Yes, no shade on Bob Quinn. He drew what was asked of him and I really actually love the LOOK of everything in the book and how he has handled action scenes.

But I also liked To just fine also. The common denominator is the writer unfortunately.

I would be totally happy with Ewing, Gillen, Leah Williams, or Vita. Or bring in a new writer. Or bring on an "old" writer like Kelly Thompson. Just give us someone else for this character, I beg you.

[Glio]

Am I the only one rolling my eyes because two grown women thought it was appropriate to make a baby watch someone die? Then again, considering how this baby has been treated since Excalibur, I guess this is par for the course.

They are witches. Like, literal witches. How do you expect that they treat babies?

Also, they've specifically said that the Siege Perilous can restore mutant souls, I'm not too worried about Gambit.

[Fokken]

Sorry for the Gambit fans. This is a dicking. I feel your pain.

I love a dicking. This is something else.

Very curious about how Rogue/Destiny will factor into Remy's current ...situation.

[Rnap22]

Tini was like “how can I annoy everyone and ruin another character?” Rachel is so whiny and needy for Betsy. It’s not organic. It’s forced and it’s been that way since the beginning of Excalibur.

[Malachi]

Well that was bullshit draped in good art.

I used to love Rachel. Not this version. How far she has fallen since her Excalibur days.

Gambit was written in a way that does not remind me at all of Gambit. Beyond that everyone except Meggan is just so self absorbed that they don’t really care about the other teammates. They just go around with tunnel vision 24/7. I wouldn’t want to hang out with anyone of them.

Gambits final scene is just full of vague mumbo jumbo. Oh what can this card mean in just this situation?!!!pardon the sarcasm.
Tini needs to give us the rules without it there is no fun trying figure it out. It’s just so undefined that she can go a thousand ways and we will still say “oh that was what it was leading up to”. Just because it was her intended solution doesn’t mean it was executed and teased in an enjoyable way. It has to be. It’s integral to the damn story.

Gambit live or die. Changed or not has still been written like an AU version. This damn run will go damn in infamy. I just wish that Tini Howard would reflect on this and work on improving her craft. At least that way something good might come from the ruin of what once was the character named Gambit.