Topic: Gambit Watch 2023

[andresa]

Isn't this a modern issue in general in the comics? Seems to come from a feminist agenda where men have to be weak, inept, and dumb in order to prop up the female characters. Which in turn makes the females seem like insufferable b****es. It's all over Hollywood as well. For the record, I really didn't have a problem with how Kelly Thompson portrayed Gambit for the most part. She was just too focused on Rogue of course.

I agree 100% with this.

[ES113]

Yeah it’s hard not to agree with this. 

[X-fan73]

Been a long time. Obviously, it’s quite rare to read any good comics these days. I did enjoy most of Kelly Thompson’s Rogue and Gambit. Gambit really shines when he is written as a respectable human being. So I was not pleased when I read the new series opener that the author has chosen to tie Gambit to alcoholism. Gambit the comedic drunk is not something any common character needs to be. Hopefully the series can be a little bit more positive as it goes along, but I think a trope is best not used on establish character. what a contrast, though, between this and captain Marvel, when it comes to Gambit.

[WhiteVeils]

I read the issue for Rogue and Gambit.  If you read the little in between pane, it has a set of text messages  between the two that explains why Gambit was drunk.  It wasn't alcoholism....he and Rogue were on vacation, had reservations at a fancy restaurant, she was late, and while Gambit was waiting he ordered a bottle of wine for the table and then she kept getting later and later and he was drinking it. 
Not great, but....Not completely gone.  Worth noting, anyway.

[DonPriceTag]

I read the issue for Rogue and Gambit.  If you read the little in between pane, it has a set of text messages  between the two that explains why Gambit was drunk.  It wasn't alcoholism....he and Rogue were on vacation, had reservations at a fancy restaurant, she was late, and while Gambit was waiting he ordered a bottle of wine for the table and then she kept getting later and later and he was drinking it. 
Not great, but....Not completely gone.  Worth noting, anyway.

If it were one thing - it wouldn't be a big deal. In a vacuum, it really isn't. But we don't read or ingest this content in such a place. This is frustration that stems from this bozo characterization being forced on him under the pens of lesser authors. Gambit the clown. Gambit the comedy relief. Gambit the moron. Gambit the clumsy. Gambit the weak. Gambit needing to be saved. Gambit has nothing else to do but get busted playing cards in the X-Treehouse basement, being "househusband" or stealing for attention (their words exactly). This isn't a singular problem - it's a straw and camel-back situation. But that on top of in-universe characters like D-listers the likes of Rictor (#$#%# Rictor?!) ragging on him - Rogue squirting juice in his face as if that's funny, Destiny... Destiny's attitude makes sense. Can't keep handwaving away the mistreatment of a fan favorite because the people in charge would rather focus on others that can't carry their own books while continuing to use him as cover bait because his image moves units.


I ask you... did Rogue apologize for showing up late? Or did she belittle his concerns and dump it all in his lap like he's a screw-up? Could it be addressed in the book going forward? Sure. Will it? I doubt it. I don't think we'll loop back on this at any point. I think the book is about them trying to relate to each other - but nothing I saw set up so far tells me this particular issue will be revisited. I think Phillips will just move forward because no editor there will check her on it. We don't even know why the Thieves Guild all of a sudden wants to kill Gambit. What the #@$# was that? That told me all I needed about how Phillips writes her plots. To loop back on this would put Rogue in the wrong - and the current-day X-Office is NOT about that life. I hope I'm wrong - but I have to blame Phillips for poorly setting up her story out of the gate.

[X-fan73]

I read the issue for Rogue and Gambit.  If you read the little in between pane, it has a set of text messages  between the two that explains why Gambit was drunk.  It wasn't alcoholism....he and Rogue were on vacation, had reservations at a fancy restaurant, she was late, and while Gambit was waiting he ordered a bottle of wine for the table and then she kept getting later and later and he was drinking it. 
Not great, but....Not completely gone.  Worth noting, anyway.

I did miss that. It would have been much better illustrated than in a dialogue box. But yeah, I read Gambit the drunk, then Gambit the hung over with Destiny over him and taking the opportunity to lambast him. Not a great starter... I'll give the second issue a shot now, lol.

[DonPriceTag]

I did miss that. It would have been much better illustrated than in a dialogue box. But yeah, I read Gambit the drunk, then Gambit the hung over with Destiny over him and taking the opportunity to lambast him. Not a great starter... I'll give the second issue a shot now, lol.

Doesnt really explain anything. This is Gambit. In NOLA. Not Bobby Drake. I don't think Gambit is above drinking because he's pissed - but it doesn't make much sense for Gambit... in New Orleans. It makes less sense for him to be fighting Thieves Guild hitmen. He's on the floor drunk - because he couldnt find anything else to do? Listen - it could get better. But this is a bad start.

[X-fan73]

By no means is it a great start for Gambit. Hopefully, there is an improvement from here.

[WhiteVeils]

I didn't say it was a great start, and I know the ongoing problems.  It saddens me but I know I might not be the target audience for every Gambit comic...and I'm liking Captain Marvel.  I just wanted to point it out in case people missed it.

[andresa]

I didn't say it was a great start, and I know the ongoing problems.  It saddens me but I know I might not be the target audience for every Gambit comic...and I'm liking Captain Marvel.  I just wanted to point it out in case people missed it.

I had completely skipped it, so thanks for pointing it out. To be honest, though, the text messages made me hate the whole thing even more. I read it in 5 min and tried to give it a second reading later but couldn't bring myself to do it. It's plain awful.

[DonPriceTag]

lol how did y'all miss that full page of nonsense the first time?


But yeah, it was a quick read which means there was plenty of opportunities to write something functional. I don't think Phillips is a bad writer, I just don't see how she got this assignment. Because she says she's a fan? What comic writer is going to turn down the opportunity to get paid to write an X-Men book? That's like making a big deal about an actor that wants to act. I don't like the idea of editors solely coming up with book ideas and pitching it to writers. It should be the other way around generally. That's how you get mismatched situations like this. No one will turn down work, so they'll take the job, scan a couple wikis and twist the characters they only know on the surface to fit into their head canon.

[Icefanatic]

Doesnt really explain anything. This is Gambit. In NOLA. Not Bobby Drake. I don't think Gambit is above drinking because he's pissed - but it doesn't make much sense for Gambit... in New Orleans. It makes less sense for him to be fighting Thieves Guild hitmen. He's on the floor drunk - because he couldnt find anything else to do? Listen - it could get better. But this is a bad start.

Hey now...
Kidding.
Even Bobby has been shown better at handling his booze. A bottle of wine is what, about 5 drinks, over the course of a night waiting(probably a few hours), and a guy in good health is going to metabolize about a drink an hour... No way do I buy Gambit getting Freshman-girl-at-college-drunk over that bottle of wine.
In a vacuum it was mildly funny, but all the humor came at the expense of Gambit looking pathetic... again.

Pass.

[DonPriceTag]

I wasn't referring to anyone's ability to handle alcohol more than inferring that Gambit of all people would have more to do or get into in NOLA other than getting drunk while waiting around for hours and then get jumped by his own organization on top of that. It doesn't make sense for Gambit in that particular setting. Nothing about that sequence made much sense come to think about it.


There's so much more that could have been done there but this is X-Men today. Sitcom level of writing.

[wantutosigh]

So I went to the comic book store the other day and I picked up; Xtreme X-Men#3, Captain Marvel#46, and yes... Rogue and Gambit#1. I can't help it. If I see Gambit and Rogue's name in the title and they are on the front I have to get it.


Rogue&Gambit#1: Just like everyone said, absolute trash. Gambit is a complete dummy who can't even keep up with the conversation. I love how the people who attack Gambit(seemingly for no reason) are called the "Thieves Guild" then later they are referenced as "assassins". Didn't they think that might be confusing? And I don't care how drunk Gambit is he can get out of that situation by himself one way or another. Just terrible stuff.  It's just not Gambit's words on the page.


Captain Marvel#46: Some good stuff here. I can't help it, I really like Polaris and Gambit together on the same team. It does something for me. A really nice refreshing moment when Polaris and X-23(can't call her Wolverine) both show their respect and trust in Gambit. The way it should be. I don't really know exactly what's going on in the story but I'd like to read more of this group. Gambit also seems like the only man here and he's not mocked and is actually leading. Well done KT.


X-Treme X-Men#3: Again, I don't exactly know what's going on in the story here but you can count on Claremont for giving you a badass and confident Gambit. Love the pissing contest between him and Wolverine. CC also loves his Gambit and Ro friendship. Which is cool.


It's nice to see Gambit being portrayed well in multiple titles. Unfortunately though, just not in the one with his name in the title.

[cajunpirate]

I see Rogue heading to an Avengers book this Fall with Captain America, Quicksilver, Deadpool and Psylocke. Wonder what that means for Gambit.