Knights of X # 4 - Impassable - Review/Spoilers

[Zoks]

Eh editorial doesn't appear to do much these days. Half of the editorial staff probably don't even know about the kiss.

If Howard had some real editorial oversight this issue would be so much better. Too much is happening at once to fit in one issue. The concept isn't bad but the pacing is horrible. One second Merlyn had to leave after clashing with Gambit, the next second he's already leading a team to go after Roma's territory. Was that Gambit's Death spell's result? Temporary memory loss?

[JB]

Regardless of what you think of her writing, props to Tini Howard for fighting for this relationship to get on page, I’m sure it was not easy. So happy to quiet the Betsy queer deniers who said Cluster was a special case too.

Hear, hear. I too am glad that is put to rest.

[WallStreeter]

Something else that needs to be cleaned up. Captain Britain isn’t just Saturnyne’s knight. She’s supposed to be the chief hero of Britain. Yes, Clan Akabba screwed up things for mutants but it is Captain Britain’s job to fix that.

I think Tini probably just needs to learn to wrap up her stories faster.

Like in the issues she spent dealing with Malice, she could have actually stayed in focus and this current storyline would have already been wrapped up.

[Rift]

The Malice issues are my favorite of her run, tbh. I know the time could have been used to flesh out other ideas, but we got a nice, coherent story that made me really like Malice. Between that and Secret X-Men, I feel like she's at her best when she's working with smaller and quicker stories.

[CGAR]

Secret X-Men was a good issue?

Actually now that I think on it. I hope she just has Betsy for one more issue thats like a one-shot format.

Betsy needs a new writer.

[Rift]

It had its issues and Sunspot was annoying. But I liked it. It was fun and cute.

[Krakoa]

Y’all are crazy if you think this didn’t go through months if not years of editorial conversations. Tini and Leah had been hinting at this forever trying to get it on the page. Marvel is very brand conscious and outing a character takes persuasion. Tini did an interview on Gillen’s podcast where she talks about queerness and hinting vs showing and Big Two work that was really enlightening. Again, the execution, totally could use work. But getting this on the page at all is huge and I understand why she didn’t want to wait. Even Betsy hadn’t been spotlighted by Marvel as a queer character in pride issues, etc., I’m sure this took work even after the cluster relationship.

[Dermie]

Who is that Rachel is hooking up with? I don't recognize him.

[Saithor]

Secret X-Men was a good issue?

Actually now that I think on it. I hope she just has Betsy for one more issue thats like a one-shot format.

Betsy needs a new writer.

She’s got her for at least another five issue mini after this one.

The malice arc was the best because it was tight, focused, and didn’t introduce side character or extraneous plot elements or Excalibur callbacks into the middle of it for no reason. The only issue is she then did nothing with Malice when Malice arguably had more character devolopment than most of Excalibur got through this run.

[Kingdom X]

Can’t help but find that the absence of evidence isn’t the evidence of absence’ argument has its faults in that a writer can just change the characterization of a character on a whim and that be that. Probably one of the best cases of a character coming out as bi happened with Prodigy in Young Avengers where it wasn’t just ‘suddenly he’s attracted to guys as well’ but rather Gillan got into Prodigy’s head on the whole thing with his perspective.

Oh I’m 100% here for giving the character’s perspective as they come out, but that’s just good writing. That’s not the same as previous context or “evidence”. IRL when someone comes out to me, even if I’ve known them for years, my thought isn’t “where is the evidence?” This isn’t a response to you but some people act like when a character comes out as bi it fundamentally changes their characterization and invalidates their previous relationships, which is just… the farthest thing from the truth.

[Cerridwen]

Betsy's too old for Rachel.

[Frobisher]

Betsy's too old for Rachel.

Love doesn’t see age.

[king of hybrids]

Good for Betsy and Rachel. And good for me, since I had money on it.

Are they done with Arthur now? Can he be hit potatoe’d back to the Avengers books now, I want to see how that story of him being a Thor fanboy in his youth pans out

[Triniking1234]

Well, part of the problem is when you're a time traveler like Rachel, and your parents are literally core X-Men who have close connections with pretty much everyone who COULD ever be a potential love interest for you, as a time traveler.....there aren't really ANY good choices.

Betsy, sweating: look, I just need everyone to promise that NOBODY'S gonna bring up that time I tried to seduce Rachel's dad, okay?

That sounds like a Rachel problem. Cable and Bishop have had no problems so far.

Although Cable did hook up with one of his dad's ex-girlfriend's "daughter".

Love doesn’t see age.

Don't tell the Apocalypse haters that.

[Jackraow21]

That sounds like a Rachel problem. Cable and Bishop have had no problems so far.

Although Cable did hook up with one of his dad's ex-girlfriend's "daughter".

Her daughter? I think you meant his dad’s ex-girlfriend. Assuming you’re talking about Lee Forrester. That was weird.

EDIT—Nevermind. You’re talking about Kid Cable and Esme. My bad. I think the “ex” girlfriend part threw me, as I thought Emma and Scott were still kind of a thing… with the open marriage and all.