Review: Gambit #1

SPOILERS BELOW!!!



What: Gambit #1

Who: Writer- James Asmus
          Penciler- Clay Mann
          Inker- Seth Mann
          Colorist- Rachelle Rosenberg

Sitting at number two on my all-time favorite comic book characters list (just behind Spider-Man) is the ragin’ Cajun, Gambit. So, going into the first issue of his new ongoing series, there were definite high-hopes. Even more so after the spectacular Hawkeye debut.

Boy did the team of writer James Asmus and penciler Clay Mann deliver. The series kicks off with Remy doing what he does best, pulling off a heist in broad daylight at a fundraiser, charming a new lady-friend and doing it all with style. Asmus gives you just enough exposition so that if you’re new to the character or don’t follow all of the X-titles you know where Gambit’s coming from. He’s clearly got Gambit’s voice down and I found myself laughing aloud a couple of times, which doesn’t happen too often for me outside of the Spider-Man books.

Gambit has always been, in my mind, James Bond with mutant powers and Asmus really plays that up here. One great sequence in this issue is Gambit getting into Cich’s vault of “artifacts.” Surrounded by an arsenal of weapons he has to get past a voice-print recognition test, a handprint scan, retina scan and finally a password test. We get flashback of how Gambit recorded Cich’s voice, acquired his handprint and obtained a retina copy to pass the first three security measures. Then, when it comes to the password which he doesn’t have, he simply asks, “Please?” and the password is accepted. That last bit was pure Gambit and got a chuckle out of me. By the end of the issue they’ve given you enough to keep you wanting issue two.

What is that starfish and what’s going to happen to Gambit after it went into his body? Just who is that mysterious tattooed woman? What will Cich’s next move be? Even if I weren’t such a fan of Gambit, this promising start to the new series would definitely have me adding it to my pull list.