Rogue&Gambit #1: Spoilers and Review

[Luckystar.]

It was "fine" for a Rogue comic, but very poor for a Gambit comic if that makes sense.

[Malachi]

It was "fine" for a Rogue comic, but very poor for a Gambit comic if that makes sense.

Yes, in a sense Gambit isn't needed. Replace him with Sam or Bobby tagging along to help Rogue keep Maniflod safe. The tension, banter or chemistry between Romy that is suppose to be a part of this comic just wasn't there, so they can replace him with someone who isn't in a relationship with her. As I have stated before Rogue has her parents and that relationship to explore but what does Remy have?

[ChronoRogue]

It was "fine" for a Rogue comic, but very poor for a Gambit comic if that makes sense.

Yea, this is how I felt as well. Personally I thought it was alright, but can definitely see how this would frustrate Gambit fans.

Not totally interested in Clan Akabba being used again either, but hopefully the mentioned cast of Juggernaut, Absorbing Man and Electro offer some fun fight scenes.

[NicoPony]

I hear ya on the negativity - I abandoned a fandom because of the heaps of negativity piled on this book months before it was even released. Unfortunately the fears were warranted, which was becoming all the more clear as the solicits emerged.

There are a couple of Krakoa era writers that focus on amazing feats and world-building and forego characterization and history. The world you build can only be as interesting as the characters that populate it. And I am not interested in Gambit and Rogue as they are now. They have no chemistry or charisma or charm. it seems editorial is extending a premise of a sitcom-based mean mother-in-law joke into a series - so much so that the original premise of that story beat is abandoned two pages later in favor of a new plot involving missing supers.

The data page of the texts might have been the only interesting part, though Gambit is teasingly asking Rogue to wear something sexy, her lack of receptivity just makes him look like a sex pest. Though I low-key inferred anti-mutant racism in that Remy is seated in the back near the toilets though there are other tables open, and that after an hour he’s told to leave. Maybe it’s because he wore his pink chest plate to a restaurant, who can say. But Rogue was not 20 minutes late, or an hour late, but HOURS late by her own admission, then complains that Gambit is not sitting waiting like a good little boy for her to show up. If my SO left me waiting for hours incommunicado, I’d assume he was DEAD and if he wasn’t, I would murder him. Gambit just goes to get sauced because by now, her standing him up is just par for the course.

Rogue, though on vacation, leaves on a mission for “reasons.” Gambit is attacked by Guild members for “reasons.” Rogue agrees to listen to Destiny for “reasons.” There are no mighty feats or worlds to build, all of these things have already been accomplished. We should have space for characters and relationships now. Instead we get a running gag and cardboard cutouts.

[gonnagiveittoya]

That's a lot of expectations for the first issue

[Rift]

I'm just saying, Hellion could fix their marriage now. He'd ****-talk Gambit so much, Rogue would come in to defend her man. They would bond over their mutual frustrations.

[Dipter]

Kind of a weak start, not gonna lie. No real hook to make me invested in the plot so far. I’ll stick with it of course, give thins time to develop.

I found Manifold’s decision at the end of the comic to be quite silly. The three of them together should be totally capable of kicking ass without their powers. Especially against normal dudes with guns.

[Zoks]

I don't agree with you guys. This is a series about a married couple, not just a buddy adventure book. So this is very much a Gambit comic. It's just not a classic Gambit comic. This is a situation where Gambit married into a family and has to put up with their toxicity while he's treated as the bad guy. Rogue does something wrong? Not in that family, it's always Gambit's fault. Notice how Rogue is not even remotely apologetic about blowing Gambit off even though all she had to do is text him that something is up so she'll be late. And from the context we get, this isn't the first time it happened. If you are in a relationship and don't show up for a reservation (and not even bother to send a text to say you'll be indefinitely late) do you think that relationship will survive? Obviously only one of them is interested in putting the work in to maintain a marriage, and fruitless efforts are starting to take a toll as Gambit is now a heavy drinker. He needs out of this relationship ASAP.

[Muffinman]

This was a really weak start on one hand and on the other an OK set up for the mini. The relationship angst here seems absurdly forced. No flirtation other than Remy's texting and the fact that Rogue scolded him there and in person just feels so inauthentic. I agree that it was not a good issue for Gambit fans due to the obvious, but it wasn't really a good issue for Rogue fans either. Who wants to read their fav character being a condescending heckler of moral superiority against her husband? This just wasn't good characterization of their relationship. The plot set up, however, is decent. Not great, but just ok.

[Malachi]

I hear ya on the negativity - I abandoned a fandom because of the heaps of negativity piled on this book months before it was even released. Unfortunately the fears were warranted, which was becoming all the more clear as the solicits emerged.

There are a couple of Krakoa era writers that focus on amazing feats and world-building and forego characterization and history. The world you build can only be as interesting as the characters that populate it. And I am not interested in Gambit and Rogue as they are now. They have no chemistry or charisma or charm. it seems editorial is extending a premise of a sitcom-based mean mother-in-law joke into a series - so much so that the original premise of that story beat is abandoned two pages later in favor of a new plot involving missing supers.

The data page of the texts might have been the only interesting part, though Gambit is teasingly asking Rogue to wear something sexy, her lack of receptivity just makes him look like a sex pest. Though I low-key inferred anti-mutant racism in that Remy is seated in the back near the toilets though there are other tables open, and that after an hour he’s told to leave. Maybe it’s because he wore his pink chest plate to a restaurant, who can say. But Rogue was not 20 minutes late, or an hour late, but HOURS late by her own admission, then complains that Gambit is not sitting waiting like a good little boy for her to show up. If my SO left me waiting for hours incommunicado, I’d assume he was DEAD and if he wasn’t, I would murder him. Gambit just goes to get sauced because by now, her standing him up is just par for the course.

Rogue, though on vacation, leaves on a mission for “reasons.” Gambit is attacked by Guild members for “reasons.” Rogue agrees to listen to Destiny for “reasons.” There are no mighty feats or worlds to build, all of these things have already been accomplished. We should have space for characters and relationships now. Instead we get a running gag and cardboard cutouts.

Negativity, warrented or not, should never keep people from posting. If I have contributed to that I apologise.

I couldn't understand Rogues position either. Yes Remy drunk and in a brawl isn't great but why did she expect him to stay in the same restaurant without even letting him know she would be late/might not show up? This was supoose to reflect how adults in a long term relationship bicker and act.

[Zoks]

I hear ya on the negativity - I abandoned a fandom because of the heaps of negativity piled on this book months before it was even released. Unfortunately the fears were warranted, which was becoming all the more clear as the solicits emerged.

There are a couple of Krakoa era writers that focus on amazing feats and world-building and forego characterization and history. The world you build can only be as interesting as the characters that populate it. And I am not interested in Gambit and Rogue as they are now. They have no chemistry or charisma or charm. it seems editorial is extending a premise of a sitcom-based mean mother-in-law joke into a series - so much so that the original premise of that story beat is abandoned two pages later in favor of a new plot involving missing supers.

The data page of the texts might have been the only interesting part, though Gambit is teasingly asking Rogue to wear something sexy, her lack of receptivity just makes him look like a sex pest. Though I low-key inferred anti-mutant racism in that Remy is seated in the back near the toilets though there are other tables open, and that after an hour he’s told to leave. Maybe it’s because he wore his pink chest plate to a restaurant, who can say. But Rogue was not 20 minutes late, or an hour late, but HOURS late by her own admission, then complains that Gambit is not sitting waiting like a good little boy for her to show up. If my SO left me waiting for hours incommunicado, I’d assume he was DEAD and if he wasn’t, I would murder him. Gambit just goes to get sauced because by now, her standing him up is just par for the course.

Rogue, though on vacation, leaves on a mission for “reasons.” Gambit is attacked by Guild members for “reasons.” Rogue agrees to listen to Destiny for “reasons.” There are no mighty feats or worlds to build, all of these things have already been accomplished. We should have space for characters and relationships now. Instead we get a running gag and cardboard cutouts.

I missed your post earlier but I'm glad somebody else noticed the problem. I agree that a lot of the setup is way too vague but if you look at it at as a series about a relationship there is a lot to read into. Rogue is living in a "superhero" world, where saving the world and fighting bad guys always takes priority over everything else. The people she surrounds herself with are the same so she sees nothing wrong with her behavior. Gambit is part of that world, but because of his ongoing relationship with the Thieves Guild he still operates in the normal world. He understands completely what it's like for a waiter who lives off tips to stare at him as he hogs one of their tables for a dinner that doesn't happen, causing that waiter to lose out on a lot of money. Compare it to back when Gambit ran off to Otherworld because Rogue was busy with X-men duties. At least Rogue left a letter, so Gambit knew what she was preoccupied. Now she can't even bother to send him a text? And she expected the table to be waiting for her when she was done hours later? Rogue looks absolutely awful in this book.

[NicoPony]

Negativity, warrented or not, should never keep people from posting. If I have contributed to that I apologise.

I couldn't understand Rogues position either. Yes Remy drunk and in a brawl isn't great but why did she expect him to stay in the same restaurant without even letting him know she would be late/might not show up? This was supoose to reflect how adults in a long term relationship bicker and act.

Nah - not you somewhere else, and it was more about people judging a book 5 months before it’s released, trashing the author having never read her stuff. At least I paid for and read the book before trashing it, lol.

The last time I recall G in a drunken brawl was All New XFactor, where he beat up everyone for talking smack about his hometown, unconscious bodies are laying around, Lorna casually walks in like, ‘sup, and he’s like: Hey Lorna long time! And gives her a hug.

[Nicoclaws]

Yeah, so much wrong with this issue. I'm really disappointed, and most of all I am so, so tired of Gambit being a baby about Rogue's duty as an X-Man and hero. That is not Gambit, I don't care what Howard and Phillips say. I am also with everyone that thinks a lot of the drama between Rogue and Gambit in this issue is off and a bit manufactured. Gambit was happy that Rogue made the X-Men and for all the talk about them not being together during her time with the X-Men, it sure seemed like he was hanging around the Treehouse a lot during that series and even managed to go on a mission with Rogue between his jaunts to Otherworld. I mean his being in Excalibur and in Otherworld so much would seem to be a much more reasonable reason for them being apart so much if they really want to push that angle(but that would require Rogue to be the needy one and I don't want to see that either).

Another thing I didn't like about the issue was this not just being a one time thing with Gambit getting drunk. Per Rogue, "Unfortunately, there's nuthin' new about having to save you from yet another drunken misunderstanding, Remy". Sigh. Apparently Gambit just gets drunk a lot now. I really don't want this to become a thing for Gambit in the comics after this. I don't want him becoming the new Boom Boom. Also, are we to assume that Gambit went to the restaurant for a romantic date dressed in his uniform? Really!? Like I know they are really pushing the mutant clothes thing pretty hard right now, but that just seems odd. Remember when Gambit used to dress like this for a romantic date-


Or heck, I would have even taken one of these looks-


Anyway, pretty much the whole issue, aside from the main driving plot of trying to get Manifold and the mind control thing, was just about dumping on Gambit it seems like. With even Rogue, in the lowest point of the issue for me, joining in with that mean, "That's not just today, Cajun", line. Like I am very well aware that Marvel editorial and a lot of Marvel's writers see Gambit as a joke, but I don't think it is too much to ask for one of the title characters of a series to be treated with at least a little respect. I honestly don't know who they were trying to appeal to with this kind of stuff, but it sure isn't half the supposed target audience for this series. Well, hopefully Gambit will be given a chance to shine later on in the series. I want to see him being smart, competent, and integral to completing the overall mission, and I don't think that is asking too much for a series called Rogue & Gambit.

I had been really looking forward to this comic, but this wasn't a fun read. I am still giving the series a chance, and I'm getting the next issue, but this one definitely did not land for me at all.

the two bikers looks would definitely have him thrown out of a fancy restaurant.

But he could have at LEAST put on his GALA outfit (and SHOULD BECAUSE WE WERE ROBBED AND I'M STILL PISSED)

[Devaishwarya]

The relationship drama is forced AF. And unnecessary. You can tell a good story without resorting to Claremont-level soap opera because...Claremont she clearly isn't.

The writer is taking her cues from the nonsense Tini wrote about Gambit in Excalibur and whatever personal issues Destiny may have with him which we still have no clue about as it's all occurring off-panel. Who wants to read a book about a couple going through personal drama and not being kind to each other? A couple that up until this LS were actually fun to read. Now "all of a sudden" there's trouble in Romy paradise? Who signed up for that? For 5-issues?

[carmoc1234]

so the villains plot here is to abduct a bunch of high profile super criminals and enslave them? they really do deserve for that to backfire on them. you draw the attention of super heroes (as proven by manifold), and the second one of these psychos gets loose they will kill whoever you've sold them too and probably you as well.