Connect with us
'Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire' review: New life breathed into an iconic romance

Comic Books

‘Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire’ review: New life breathed into an iconic romance

A fresh new take on the classic couple.

[amazon_link asins=’1302911600′ template=’AiPTProductAd’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3b64f1e7-88fb-11e8-bfe0-ffe7f40f4966′]

Ever since ResurrXion, the X-department at Marvel has taken chances on characters who don’t usually get much time in the spotlight. Iceman and Jean Grey both impressed, as did the beginning of a team-up series between two X-Men with a sporadic history of solos: Rogue & Gambit. I enjoyed the miniseries’s first two issues, but I never got around to reading the rest. Thankfully, the entire five-issue story has been reprinted in trade paperback form with Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire. Does this volume breathe new life into the classic on-again-off-again relationship? Is it good?

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

This series accomplishes its most important–and perhaps most difficult–task: it makes Gambit and Rogue’s romantic relationship seem important and worth reading about. In their worst moments, the couple’s relationship has seemed unhealthy, largely due to Gambit’s skeevy behavior. Here, though, writer Kelly Thompson delivers a take on the characters that is more wholesome while still staying true to their voices and motivations. She references several moments from the couple’s pasts and weaves them together with the present day to craft a sense of how their lives have played out and how they got to where they are now.

'Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire' review: New life breathed into an iconic romance

This is one hell of an opening page.

One of the volume’s strengths is its excellent dialogue. Rogue and Gambit’s banter is frequently both funny and charming. The more heartfelt moments are also effective; I’ve never believed more in the pair’s affection for one another than I do in this series. Part of the premise is that Rogue and Gambit have to go undercover as a couple seeking therapy, and as a result they end up confronting their actual problems. It’s a deep dive into the pair’s troubled history, and it makes that history feel organic and purposeful rather than like the poorly written repetition that it sometimes was depending on the era in question.

A lot of this series’s success is also due to its art. Pere Perez’s line-work is thin and clean throughout, and the characters are well-rendered. Facial expressions and body language both contribute to the comedy, and the page compositions are fantastic. One particularly good two-page-spread features Rogue and Gambit arguing, and each of their speech bubbles contains artwork of a classic moment in their shared history. The action scenes are also well-drawn, with a solid sense of motion and clear sequences of events. Colorist Frank D’Armata delivers bright work that is fun to look at, and VC’s Joe Caramagna does a good job on the lettering.

'Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire' review: New life breathed into an iconic romance

God damn.

[amazon_link asins=’1302911600′ template=’BottomAdAIPT’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’36630db3-88fb-11e8-87fc-aff4d6cc3891′]

My main qualm with this volume pertains to its villain. The antagonist is named Lavish, and unfortunately I had to go back and check to remember that. Needless to say, she isn’t a very memorable villain. She has plenty of Rogue and Gambit duplicates at her disposal, and the scenes where the heroes fight their cybernetic selves are entertaining. Unfortunately, Lavish herself doesn’t add much to the drama that any other villain with similar powers couldn’t. The volume’s pacing also gets a little wonky toward the end. Everything wraps up very quickly and conveniently, and while it’s not bad enough to be whiplash-inducing it’s still notable.

Overall, Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire is a fun and emotionally resonant ride. The titular characters are more interesting here than they have been in years, and their love has never been more touching. All members of the series’s creative team deliver strong work, and the only major downsides are with the villain and the semi-rushed ending. Neither of these cons hinders the volume’s overall quality too much; this series is ultimately a breath of fresh air in the midst of the X-lines more typical action-heavy team books.

'Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire' review: New life breathed into an iconic romance
Rogue & Gambit: Ring of Fire
Is it good?
A fun and emotionally resonant book that makes the titular characters' relationship more relevant than it's been in the last twenty years.
The artwork is pleasing to look at throughout
All the best parts of the characters are recognizable, while their more skeevy sides don't ruin the romance
The pacing is solid throughout the majority of the series
The ending is rushed a bit
The main antagonist is forgettable
8
Good

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup