The major comic companies put out enough comics that sometimes it can leave your head spinning and eyes bleeding as you search the new titles each week for something worth reading. To aid in your Geeky endeavors, Speak Geeky To Me on occasion reviews new titles from the major companies to spotlight the best and worst of what’s available at your local comic shop. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a new Comic Review.

 

The Info Bit

Title: Gambit #1

Genre/s: Superhero

Writer: James Asmus (Captain America And Bucky, Generation Hope)

Penciler: Clay Mann (X-men Legacy, Dark Reign: Elektra)

Inker: Seth Mann (Magneto: Not A Hero, X-Men: Prelude To Schism)

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg (Alabaster: Wolves, X-Factor)

Letter: Cory Petit [of Virtual Calligraphy] (Nova, Ultimate Spider-man)

Publisher: Marvel

Number of Issues: 1 (on-going)

Page Count: 32

Price: $2.99

 

The Review Bit

Another week, another $3 comic from Marvel that tries to reinvigorate a B-level superhero into his own on-going series. However, unlike last week’s Hawkeye, which had a moderately big name creative team and a lot of big buzz thanks to a recent movie release, Gambit it actually quite good. Both characters have seen their fair share of failed on-going series in the past 3 decades, and this will be Gambit’s fifth self titled series since his first appearance in the summer of 1990 (exactly 22 years ago to the month). So will the team of James Asmus and twins, Clay and Seth Mann, be able to finally bring an on-going to the Cajun card thrower that out lasts volume 3’s 25-issue run? Based off this new #1 I am certainly hoping so.

I must instantly admit that any comic that can open with a line like “I like to think it says a lot about me that I can pull off a pink costume” deserves at least a 12-issue run. That hilariously awkward opening caption, laid over panels of Remy LeBeau walking around his apartment naked certainly set the tone of this fun and sexy new on-going right from the get-go. Gambit #1 does a brilliant job as a first issue and jumping on point for new readers, while still being amazing for long time fans. Unlike last week’s Hawkeye #1, Gambit immediately acknowledges the characters involvement in the current Marvel universe, with references to Gambit’s recent role as a teacher via homework assignments scattered around his desk (such as a hilarious Quentin Quire gag comparing Wolverine to Stalin). Yet the book also provides many subtle yet skillful acknowledgements of Gambit’s past and character that can give new readers an easy entrance to the character while defining him without loads of continuity heavy references. Yet at the heart of it, Gambit #1 is action packed comic of thievery, sexy bodies, and good comedy.

Gambit #1 opens with Remy preparing for a fundraiser at the swanky abode of a Croatian super villain backer (the money behind all these evil villain’s gadgets and plots) that is guised as an Empire State University fundraiser. He is of course invited because of his educational affiliation with the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters. But as Mr. Borya Cich, our Croatian villain, instantly makes it clear, everyone knows who Remy really is and his presence was not likely an accident. This only works to the truth, however, as Gambit is also there under false pretenses, hoping to return to his thieving ways in Mr. Cich’s home. You see, Mr. Cich makes a lot of money backing villains, and if the villains don’t bring him back money, he takes their gadgets for profit. So as Gambit smoozes with sexy tattoo’d women and enjoys some free champagne, he is casing the joint with a nice array of very expensive and James Bond-esque gadgets. The book truly gives off a James Bond of thievery/Thomas Crown feel that would make Thief of Thieves look like a 7-11 robbery. After setting up a good distraction and alibi, Gambit breaks into the high tech security area of Cich’s home that is far beyond your traditional household security. It makes for a bunch of great moments that also could be compared to movies like Mission Impossible or Entrapment, but that would be belittling the fun of this book. So the basic gist would be to say Remy is still a great thief and is definitely in amazing shape thanks to his time with the X-men. With a few close calls, Remy is able to get away with a nice prize and make friends with a lovely unnamed female, while making enemies with Cich. All this makes for a great opening salvo, but the sudden twist ending is what will bring readers back for #2 without question.

Now James Asmus has proven he knows how to write a story about thieves, which is great as he is the next writer to accompany Robert Kirkman on Thief of Thieves, and that seems to be a staple with Gambit comics. However, John Layman also wrote some compelling stories of Remy stealing things in volume 4 of Gambit and that only saw 12-issues. But what Asmus is doing right here is instantly revving up the sex appeal of the book with beautiful women, high octane action, and even some rather undressed men for fans of that kinda thing. On that end he also has the aid of the brothers Mann, who provide some beautiful art to the series. While Remy looks like he always does, Clay and Seth bring some rather unconventional looking supporting characters into the cast, with women in unique outfits and covered in tattoos and slight pin-up-esque hairstyles. Even Cich has a slightly more real world villainous look that what we might be used to in comics, as if this could be Batman’s Penguin found in the actual world of crime. Yet if I’m going to compliment Clay and Seth’s art on anything, it is their incredible action sequences and always dynamic posing that just makes the book seem like a high budget spy film.

Rachelle Rosenberg’s coloring in Gambit #1 also stands out quite beautifully. While it is not the high end of bright gradients we can normally see from Aspen colorists, Alex Sinclair, or Moose Baumann, it has an almost painted on style that seems to incorporate the shading beneath. Rosenberg also does a splendid job incorporating color tones to show off Remy’s high tech gadgetry and can make a dark room look dark without setting the contrast so heavy that the page is black. I could go on about the coloring in Gambit #1 for a while, but I’ll wrap it up by adding that Rachelle also does a nice job in color choices, particularly when looking at a few of the empty backgrounds which have exquisite selections of color that make the panels pop (particularly story page 16, pictured to the side). Rosenberg’s colors are not the only incredible addition to this creative team that might be over looked by many comic fans though, as veteran letterer Cory Petit also adds a touch that makes this comic uniquely more Gambit’s. The caption coloring instantly gives off a feel of Remy LeBeau, but the pièce de résistance is the ace of diamonds and queen of hearts that appear at the top of many of Gambit’s internal monologue captions. A simple yet great touch that makes the lettering of this comic stand out.

 

 

The Rating Bit

Gambit #1 is an incredible new title from Marvel that really excites me to follow, something I sadly don’t feel as often in big company superhero books as much these days. It is action packed, sexy, and extremely funny in all the right ways that makes me glad this is an on-going and not just a miniseries. Despite the low rating we gave Marvel’s last new #1, this opening to the new Gambit series easily steals a 9 out of 10. Let’s just hope it can keep up this high rating for at least another 25 issues.