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Quick Critiques for 9/1
There's no way that Randy and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
GAMBIT #1
by John Layman, Georges Jeanty & Don Hillsman II
(Marvel Comics)
 The more things change, the more they stay the same. Of course, little has changed in the world of Marvel's "ragin' Cajun." He's still all about being pretty and playing the role of thief and rogue when he's not being a hero with the X-Men. Hell, if memory serves, he's even got one of his former regular pencillers bringing his adventures to life this time around. There's nothing particularly bad about the storytelling here. John Layman delivers exactly the sort of Gambit story X-Men readers and editors are expecting. That's the problem, though. We've seen this before, and it just doesn't hold my attention. Is Layman to blame? No. I know he has more original and off-the-wall fare than this up his sleeve (see Puffed). This is what Marvel thinks its readers want (even though they didn't sustain it the last time), so this is what they get. Jeanty's art brings an appropriately soft look to the dashing title character, but his style and the colors fail to capture the edgier, underground feel of the setting and premise. 5/10
JUBILEE #1
by Robert Kirkman & Derec Donavan (Marvel Comics)
 The New Girl in School genre cliches are embraced and beaten to death in this new series as Marvel works its way toward a publishing scheduled that features a solo series for anyone who's ever been associated with the X-Men. The title character's new supporting cast is a series of sterotypes, from the instant best friend in the form of a bookworm to the principal who gets on the heroine's case so as to establish yet another artificial conflict in her life. The one shining light in the book is Jubilee's aunt, whose profession brings an edge to the book. Of course, Jubilee's easy acceptance of a relative she's never met doesn't ring true. The art is capable, but it doesn't exactly grab the reader either. The backgrounds in the latter part of the book are distractingly sparse, and teenage characters all look rather adult. Those looking for more compelling and better crafted teen drama should turned to Mary Jane instead. 4/10
UNCANNY X-MEN #448
by Chris Claremont, Olivier Coipel & Scott Hanna
(Marvel Comics)
 Given the number of loose plot threads Claremont left hanging over the course of more than two decades' worth of X-Men stories in the 1980s and '90s, and how many new ones he's created in just five issues of his new run on this title, I have to wonder if the writer has some kind of attention deficit problem when it comes to plotting. he opened his run on this book with teleporting terrorists who have yet to turn up since. Now he opens this new story arc at Braddock Manor, only to abandon it to a Murderworld plot we've seen far too many times before. The script is also surprisingly lean in terms of exposition. There's not a lot of information here for readers who may not be up on Excalibur v.1 history or Captain Britain lore. Though I'm not a fan of Claremont's writing, I was looking forward to sampling Coipel's artwork on this title. Unfortunately, Scott Hanna's softer inks detracts from Coipel's style. He needs someone with a darker approach to enhance his work. The unique quality of Coipel's work is partially lost here. 2/10
Y: THE LAST MAN #26
by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra & Jose Marzan Jr.
(DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 Vaughan offers up another strong issue of this series, but instead of exploring an unlikely social structure, he peers into one character's past and how it all contributed to a broken and abnormal psyche. It's easy to relate to Hero, because one of her key, defining traits is a desperate need to be with someone, to be a part of something larger than herself. She wants to feel special, to feel different, and now she's faced with a world in which her sibling is the most unique and special figure of them all. Those who have been following this series will be completely engrossed by this character study, but there's a problem. Those new to the series might feel a little left out of the loop. This is far from the most accessible issue of the series. Guerra's artwork, as usual, offers an interesting dichotomy. There's a softness to her work that's in keeping with the grounded tone of the characters, but that's in contrast with the harsh tone of many plot developments. 9/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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