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jehilew · 6 years

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Me and Mr. & Mrs. X #4

So, MMX4 and I had a day together. We met, and we didn’t quite get along at first. We had some disagreements, and there were some disappointments to hash out.

But you know, she’s one of those issues you gotta kinda chill with a minute, and get to know. She’s not everyone’s cup of tea right off, and she can be a little off-putting if you let her, but... we had us a little sit-down this afternoon, spent some quality time together. Me and MMX4, we came to an understanding. We still don’t see eye to eye on all things, and I still have my bones to pick, but she’s alright. We’re okay now. And I have some things to say about her!

Alright, so, I’m going go ahead and say this issue had some developmental beats I was looking for, and needed, but I didn’t necessarily love how some were brought in/handled. I definitely appreciated the intent behind them, and while it sounds a whole lot like I’m about to give a negative review here, no, I’m not.

I didn’t hate this issue. I didn’t even dislike it.

I was expecting something bigger, thanks to warnings and those glorious opening pages letting my Marvel husband show off for my Marvel sister-wife, but I’m not mad at it. I was expecting Remy to carry through with that panache throughout the issue, and although he didn’t quite do that, he did have his solid gold star moments. I was a little irritated by the spinning door tossing out and pulling in new cast, and yet another separation of our couple. I am absolutely going to calm my tits for a month and see what kind of resolution KT’s got in store for us in the next issue, though.

Alright, so I have to start out with my favorite parts of all, because they are stunning!

I mean, what’s not to love about this first page? It picks up right where the last issue left off, with our newlyweds strung upside down, and all the flirty wit and banter with it! We also get to see how clever these two are, sharing a kiss to pass on a lock pick (though how she wound up with the pick in the first place instead of him is a question, but I’m not really caring, because making those two kiss is never a bad thing!).

And then, we have this little gem of a spread that plays up some of Remy’s thieving and acrobatic skills. And shows Rogue practically drooling as she watches her very athletic and very hot husband grunt and sweat as he pulls himself up to pick the cuffs.

I... can’t blame her there. And if she should so happen to swoon just a little as he flips and catches her for a very swoonworthy kiss...?

Well. She’s allowed.

Honestly, I dig this entire page for Rogue’s shoes alone. Say what you will about her lack of finesse, but the girl cannot be faulted for her taste in Shi’Ar heels and accessories. Or her poses, for that matter, because you know Remy’s taking a second longer than he should at her ankle, and you know he’s taking the opportunity to check out his wife’s legs all the way up!

And then we have our action! Bazaldua and D’Armata continue to hit it with these action sequences and gorgeous space scenes, and this issue is packed with both.

This scene, where the Starjammers mistake the ship for baddies and take fire happens right before a couple of pretty pivotal moments in this issue--and the arc at large, as well as the trajectory of our couple as the titles continues. While these panels aren’t terribly important in and of themselves, the art is beautiful. Check out those central BOOM panels. How can you not love them?? For one, this is the second time Remy’s face is attractive in this series. (The first was on the first page, with the upside down lock pick kiss. Mmmm, that scruffy jaw, too...). Two, those surprised/alarmed faces are perhaps the most real expressions we’ve seen out of our heroes yet, so much love and kudos to Bazaldua! Three, the design jars you and almost rattles your teeth right along with the hits, an effect conveyed with the blur and the edges around the words.

Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

This spread jumps forward a little, skipping past one of those pivotal moments I’d mentioned earlier to kick off the other. Here, the ship has crashed, and the Starjammers have jumped.

Guys? This design is just...wow.

Listen. I understand there’s likely better action scenes done somewhere else in the comics world in all the forevers that comics have been alive. I get it. But this? You can’t take away from this. It’s a fluid, epic, powerful fight scene where everyone is a badass and no one is a weak link. It beautifully depicts the sheer scope in size with Titan in the background (getting his massive ass handed to him by Rogue, I might add) encompassing nearly the whole spread. The layout is clean, it’s not fussy, and despite all that’s going on in it, it’s not ‘busy’, it’s super easy for the eye to follow. D’Armata’s brilliant use of colors makes this an outer space scene, and when you pair that up with strong inks like this...

I just might be saying the art is really, really pretty.

And then, you’ve got these last two pages. Simple, not a lot of things in it, but they aren’t any the less dramatic for it.

I mean, Rogue and Xandra just got blown to smithereens right in front of a stabbed Remy, and next, you have everyone picking their teeth out of the sand and gasping in disbelief in the aftermath.

I’d say that’s pretty fuckin’ dramatic, y’all.

Of quick note, the above page, bottom panel, marks the third decidedly handsome Remy in this run. Bazaldua is getting better at those faces!

And god, those colors... Marvel, anytime you do outer space, please do call on your man, D’Armata.

Second quick note, Rogue’s death. Look. We already know she’s not dead dead. Like, no shit. This is an ongoing title, we’ve seen all kinds of evidence of a future Mr. and Mrs. clear into a third arc. But seriously, these poor guys...

It’s their honeymoon!! They should be somewhere breathtaking and tropical, with the only worry they have being sand getting in the wrong places because they decided to have sex on the beach, not oh shit, my husband just got stabbed in the guts and my wife just got blown to bits.

Poor things...

Anyway, moving on, here’s a spot I honestly love/hate, that other pivotal scenario:

This all took place right after the Starjammers shot them out of the sky, and right before they descended in attack. And this is a part in the book that both was needed and fell flat for me.

Alright, so KT has already made it crystal clear that Rogue is going to work on gaining that power control. Which, yay!! And goddamn, about time, Marvel! Goes without saying I’m super excited by this, and I’m practically peeing myself waiting to see how KT goes about it. So, for that, this excited me.

I was also pleasantly surprised on two other counts here. First, the Legacy ‘fix’ on Rogue’s mutation was addressed. I’d hated it when it’d happened, because she hadn’t done it herself, and I’d been ready to set fire to something when, of course, that had flopped. And I’m not going to lie, when Xandra made a similar offer, I was ready to bash my head into a wall, because really? Again? (Should have known better, because of course KT wasn’t going there!) Not to mention, it all felt a little...forced, her offering. As I said, I loved that the ‘fix’ is called out for the band-aide that it was, but it felt a little odd to shove that talk in right here.

Anyway, second, I was happy to see them having their first spat as a married couple. We see Remy snipping at her for sliding back into her old “bUt mAH pOwERs..” angst, and basically clamming up on him when he’d asked her further about it.

(And do not even try to act like he’s being a jerk because he can’t get laid--he’s not. He’s talking to her, and rightfully expecting her to talk to him. She shut him out, crossed her arms, slid back into her old, safe, isolating drama, and he snapped at her. She doesn’t get to do that anymore, right?)

Then we see her fuzz up at him, walls immediately slamming into place as she bites back about being too difficult, and he can just leave if she’s too much. Yes, she butt-clenched super hard. Yes, she was being a bitch. And yes, I expected this, it’s in character, it’s a defense mechanism. And in order to put that old habit to bed, you have to bring it out and deal with it.

All extremely cool with me, but next is where this scene also irritated me. Because after the stick rammed itself so far up her butt, it poked out her throat, he, too, predictably fell back into his old rut of backing off just so when she got all obstinate on him. Which, again, yes, to square it away, it has to be brought up. Except he came across very doormat-y here. He could back off without laying down and taking hits. He had nothing to apologize for.

Remy is, without doubt, his sexiest when he’s got a backbone with her. He’s been exhibiting one since he sent her off with the harbor speech. He had one in the mini, when he refused to let her take easy ways out. He’s had one in this series, too, and he backboned the hell up when he’d flared up at her just before she snapped his face off. I absolutely appreciate what’s happening here, but... I am disappointed that he was slapped so far down, so easily.

At any rate, despite my feelings on how he was handled, I am thrilled that the whole thing accomplished what it’d set out to do: marked a little growth as a couple, and a bit of character development (admittedly, mostly hers--which I get). We see that with the last four panels, where he opens up first, and then she uses her words like a big girl! And then--gasp!--they...they hugged it out and said sorry and figured out they can work shit out.

Who knew, right??

Good for them!!

Anyway, all in all, I’m not giving this issue the bad rap I initially did on the first read-through. It’s not my favorite in the series so far, but it’s not my least favorite, either. There are some nice elements here, some progression happening in it, and I hope to see lots more of that to come with Rogue and Gambit, both as a couple and as individuals!

Many thanks to Kelly Thompson, Oscar Bazaldua, and Frank D’Armarta for all you’re putting into this series, I’m ready to see what’s next!

#mmx4 #mr & mrs x #mr&mrsx #mr. and mrs. x #Rogue #Gambit #Anna-Marie LeBeau #Remy LeBeau #comic review

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