Soss' Pull-List Reviews 9/13/12

Gambit #1 

One of the more popular goofballs from the 90's gets his own limited series. It's been well documented that I hate Remy Lebeau, stupid accent and all. Attempting to be open minded about this I decided to give Gambit a try. 

The story follows Mr. Lebeau as he attends a charity function hosted by a super villain arms dealer. Of course we get to see how smooth Gambit is with the ladies as well as how cunning a thief he is. 

I've never heard of either James Asmus or Clay Mann but both do a fine job in their respective roles. Asmus keeps the spirit of the character in tact while making him actually likable. If you like James Bond with a touch of Cajun flavor then this is your book. 

Batman: The Dark Knight #12 

Batman finds himself in the hands of the Scarecrow. Dr. Crane has a new fear toxin made from children's sweat (yuck) and figures that the best subject to test it out on is the Dark Knight. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear was his first choice, but beggars can't be choosers.  

David Finch presents the most terrifying looking Scarecrow in recent memory. His dark shadowy style fits this story perfectly. There is a retelling of Scarecrow's origin that looks like it was ripped right out of a great horror film. Creepy stuff. 

My only issue with this story is that we have about five pages hashing over Batman's origin. It felt like this was placed in the story simply to eat up pages. 

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-6 

The opening arc for this all new Spider-Man introduces us to Miles Morales and his supporting cast. Unlike Peter Parker, Miles' mother and father are alive and involved in his life. Miles even has a living uncle who is not quite the shining example of virtue that Uncle Ben was. In fact his uncle turns out to be a super villain and is partially responsibly for Miles' spider powers. 

The real tragedy in this Spider-Man's life is the death of Peter Parker. The first Spider-Man was his hero and when he learns more about how Peter sacrificed his life to save his loved ones it only makes the decision to carry on in his name that much easier. 

Sara Pichelli draws the shit out of these books. I love that she captures the youth of Miles in both his face and his frame. When he is standing next to other costumed heros he doesn't appear to be just short. He clearly is a teenager. Her design for Miles' costume is also excellent. It's updated  but maintains the classic Spider-Man vibe. -Soss

Panel of the Week: A hero is born