Originally Posted by
R0d
I was finally able to read this issue and it was just as bad as all the previous ones, this book is train-wreck. Honestly, I no longer care about the plot of this book, because it is so bad that I even trying to make sense of it seems like a complete waste of time, so I'll simply focus in my favorites characters and how Tini has mistreated them.
Betsy was advertised as the leader and star of the book but she just comes across like a stooge of Apocalypse. And it's not only that, it seems that the bad-ass warrior side of her remained in her Asian body and what was left here is just as an empty shell of her former self.
Jubilee is just Shogo's mom, nothing more nothing less, there's all there is to the character and to this point I don't even know why she is even in the book.
Saved the worst for last, man Rogue and Gambit are unbearable in this book, when a writer makes you hate your favorites characters, you know things are beyond bad.
First, I think it's too soon for them to have a baby, I don't want to see it happening so quickly and even less so under Tini's awful writing. So I for one, I'd be glad if it doesn't happen yet, I'm open to the idea in the future as long as it is well written (which let's face it won't happen with Howard in charge). But given Tini's fanfic style of writing I wouldn't rule the pregnancy out yet, she might be going for a surprise+drama situation.
That said and leaving all the speculation aside, the way she handled that conversation left me with the impression that Rogue is much closer to a stance of "I never want to have kids" than something along the lines of "not right now, I'm not ready, but in the future is possible" and I actually disliked that very much. It always seemed to me that starting a family is something both, as individuals characters, would want, seem quite out of character for Rogue to say that.
Talking about Rogue, she seems cold and uncaring towards Gambit, making it all the more jarring given that Gambit acts in the exact opposite way. That difference makes Gambit look completely emasculated and just pathetic.
Tini's Gambit is so bad that it's hard to believe that the editors allowed this to be printed, I mean this is not Gambit, I don't know who this guy is but it is not the Gambit that I know and love. Gambit has charm, confidence, charisma and a witty sense of humor but this guy has none of that. What's worst is that he doesn't have any personal agency, everything revolves around Rogue, even during the baby talk he doesn't even state his own opinion. Does he want a child or not? What are his desires besides his wife well being? Would the love for her wife be enough to stay with her even if he really wants to start a family and have kids? Come on Tini, give us at least some introspection! SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
I'll rate this issue a 2/10, exclusively because of To's beautiful art which is the only good thing in this book. I'm done with this book and I won't be reading this book anymore.
PS: For those in the Gambit and Rogue pro-divorce camp, if the baby ain't happening then this might be an easy way out in the future and it's pretty simple actually, Gambit wants to have kids at some point but Rogue is determined that she would never want that, then boom clean divorce and no one comes out of it looking like an awful person or a cheater or dead.