The smoothest X-man, Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, faces his past as an unstoppable force comes to collect a debt, whether from the Cajun’s pocket or his hide. Details of Remy’s life are revealed in Uncanny X-Men #12, written by Gail Simone, drawn by Gavin Guidry, colored by Matt Wilson and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
Adam Reck: Gosh, after all that confusing “X-Manhunt” stuff, I could use a break. Maybe a standalone story with some really solid artwork.
Austin Gorton: Anything’s got to be better than X-Manhunt Omega, right?
Adam: Uncanny X-Men #12 gives us a Gambit-centric tale from his childhood, and I gotta say, especially because we give this book a hard time (mainly because it gives us a hard time), I enjoyed this issue!
Austin: Me too! And not just because it cleared the low bar I set for it above. It’s refreshingly self-contained, for the most part. I have some qualms, but all in all, a solid outing!
Get Down from There Right This Second
Adam: Rogue feels really bad she asked Gambit to knock out Jitter in the Lincoln Log Danger Room. So much so that her sleepless rolling around caused Remy to give her a new nickname — “Nightlight.” This bit is getting ridiculous, but it’s also kind of become a calling card for Gail’s writing on this book, so why the heck not?
Austin: You either need to do it or not, so if Simone is going to do it, I say go nuts. New nicknames every issue. Ask readers for suggestions. Run a contest to guess the new nicknames. Dial it up to eleven.
Adam: I think a huge part of why this issue works for me is Gavin Guidry’s art. His drawing style feels akin to Tom Reilly or Tyler Boss. It’s warm and inviting with smart layouts and a great sense of character. As much as I like the yassified X-Men of David Marquez or the exaggerated bodies of Javier Garron, I like the book better when it has grounded, down-to-earth artwork like this or Andrei Bressan’s. Especially in contrast to the credulity-straining “X-Manhunt,” this feels like a relief.
Austin: The art — which has always been this book’s strong suit, all other problems aside — is quite nice. In addition to what you said, Guidry also has a refreshing formalism to his layouts. It’s not exactly a strict six- or nine-panel grid, but each panel is clearly defined with right angles and visible gutters. It balances nicely with the warmth of the pencils.
Adam: Guidry’s work immediately shines depicting Jitter’s pre-dawn workout via De Luca Effect, and the acting on the faces of the Outliers supporting her. There’s a range of emotions and motion here. Just look at Gambit’s natural stroll through the yard versus Rogue’s march. Heck, I even laughed when Deathdream emerged from the house in Ransom’s oversized clothes.
Austin: It’s great character art. Even though I remain deeply annoyed by Rogue’s angst over trying to help train up the kids who just got attacked by racist robot dogs (they need it and they’re clearly taking to it; get over it, Rogue!), Guidry perfectly captures her emotional state as she strides across the yard.
Paying off the Marker
Adam: Flashback time! Let’s learn about an untold tale of Gambit’s youth and the smartly dressed crocodile man known as The Vig. Having not read the entirety of Gambit’s solo stuff, I thought for sure this was an existing character, but that may be because he looks a lot like Killer Croc from Batman: The Animated Series. That said, props to Simone and Guidry for making this new creation immediately feel like someone we’d already met.
Austin: Did we need another mysterious figure in Gambit’s past urging him to commit shady actions in the present? Not really. But you’re right that the Vig definitely fits into that mold well. I also appreciate the fact that he gets introduced, calls in his debt and gets beaten by Gambit all in this issue. Obviously, he could still return, but I was worried this was the start of a new subplot and we were going to get a handful of issues where Gambit worries for a page about Rogue finding out about The Vig, another where he has to sneak off to do something shady, etc. Instead, this all seemed to get wrapped up in one go.
Adam: Yes, the last thing this book needs is another ongoing subplot. “The vig” is literally slang for interest on a loan, so this dude’s whole motivation is right there in his name. The way he goes about it though, tricking kids into lifelong debts, is very much a page out of Tombstone’s playbook (a character Gambit has also tangled with previously).
Austin: I don’t know if this is intentional or a happy accident, but “vig,” short for “vigorish,” actually has two meanings. Originally, it meant the cut of a winning bet taken by the bookmaker, which is how The Vig presents his services, but it also means, as you said, the interest charged on a loan, which is how he’s actually using his services. So the two similar but slightly different meanings of the term are built into the character’s whole schtick. That’s pretty clever, accident or not.
Adam: Guidry does nice work with a kinetic fight scene in which Gambit beats up The Vig. I appreciated that Remy befriends his childhood bullies and then sics them on The Vig, tying a neat bow on the whole affair.
Crawfish Boil Sounds Yummy
Adam: I’ve heard Simone suggest this book is supposed to evoke the Southern Gothic aesthetic, and this issue probably contains what feels like the most authentic Southern detail we’ve seen so far: a crawfish boil with a panel-by-panel how-to on shucking crawfish by Gambit. A gesture so hot it has Rogue practically fainting. I’ll take moments like this every issue over any more silly pet names.
Austin: 100%. That’s the kind of thing that endears you to a character and helps give this iteration of the book a sense of identity without feeling tryhard or too cutesy. Again, did we need a seven-panel tutorial on sucking meat out of a crawfish shell? No. But I don’t mind that we got one!
Also, can you imagine Marquez drawing that?
Adam: I don’t think that’s the kind of assignment I’d give Marquez. I just appreciated this moment of downtime for these kooky kids and their dysfunctional role models. Nightcrawler didn’t even say grace!
Austin: We’re going to count that as a win.
Adam: Of course, this issue can’t end without setting up some new plotlines, delivered by one MacKenzie Deneer, who has done her own research and wants something done with the mutants.
Austin: MacKenzie is the mom of the kid Nightcrawler saved in issue #6, who showed up in issue #10 to thank Nightcrawler with cakes. She seems very pro-mutant, so even though that last page has an ominous, “We’ve got to stop the mutants!” vibe to it. Presumably that’s a feint.
Adam: The X-Mentions page keeps X-Mentioning a character in period dress who is “more important to the history of Mutantkind than you realize!” I assume this has something to do with MacKenzie’s research. Guess we’ll find out!
X-traneous Thoughts
- Did The Vig really think Gambit was just going to give him an actual person?
- X-Men in various states of undress are a core part of the brand. Glad to see some of that here.
- I dig Calico’s “Mutant & Proud” T-shirt! Somebody get on making some of those.
- Gambit’s crawfishing boots are also styling.
Buy Uncanny X-Men #12 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom. Follow him @adamreck.bsky.social.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him @austingorton.bsky.social.
