Monday, September 3, 2012

I Reads You Review: GAMBIT #1 (1999 series)

GAMBIT (1999) #1
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Fabian Nicieza
PENCILS: Steve Skroce
INKS: Rob Hunter
COLORS: Shannon Blanchard
LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Emerson Miranda
COVERS: Steve Skroce and Rob Hunter with Liquid Graphics; Carlos Pacheco and Mezino with Richard Isanove; Adam Pollina; Brandon Peterson and Tim Townsend with Liquid Graphics; Tim Bradstreet; and Steve Skroce and Rob Hunter with DV
48pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Gambit is a Marvel Comics superhero character best known for his association with the X-Men. His civilian identity is Remy LeBeau. Gambit was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee and made a brief first appearance in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 (1990), before making a fuller appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266 (August 1990).

A mutant, Gambit possesses the ability to mentally create, control and manipulate pure kinetic energy; this is best exemplified when he “biokinetically” charges objects (such as cards) and turns them into small explosives. In addition to playing cards, his other signatures are his Bō staff, Louisiana heritage, and thick Cajun accent.

Gambit received his first ongoing comic book series in 1999. Gambit #1, cover dated February 1999, was written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Steve Skroce (pencils). Entitled “The Man of Steal,” this first issue finds Gambit trying to pay off some kind of debt he owes to New Son. At this point, Gambit’s payment plan to New Son pits him against Elysian Enterprises, a military research firm headed by Anwar Anubar.

Anubar is seeking the treasures of Garbha-Hsein, an ancient Chinese warlord who legends say ruled for a thousand years. The legends also say that Garbha had an extraterrestrial vessel, which he took apart and buried in his 12 tombs. After Gambit successfully obtains one of the pieces, Anubar brings in The X-Cutioner, killer of bad mutants, to deal with Gambit. Also, we see into Gambit’s past and the X-Men (including Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Rogue) guest star.

With a cover date of February 1999, Gambit #1 probably arrived in comic book stores in December 1998 (or a little earlier). That was just about four months before the film, The Matrix, debuted in theatres. I imagine that not many people who picked up Gambit #1 when it was first released knew that series artist, Steve Skroce, had drawn the storyboards for The Matrix. Apparently, it was Skroce’s storyboards that helped executives at Warner Bros. understand the screenplay for The Matrix, written by directors Andy and Larry Wachowski and thus, approve its production.

Here, the art team of Skroce and inker Rob Hunter does not work. Skroce’s busy and crowded compositions turn into a murky mess under Hunter’s inks, and the clumsy coloring and color separations don’t help. This is not the polished post-Matrix Skroce that would emerge in a short run on Wolverine and at the Wachowski comic book company, Burlyman. As for the story, Fabian Nicieza wrote an action movie screenplay, with a wooden plot and a cast of wooden characters (plus a pointless origin sequence).

I remember reading this Gambit series for at least a year. [Gambit would get a second series in 2004 and another, which just launched as of this writing]. I was not a fan of Nicieza, at the time. Perhaps, I bought this comic book because of Skroce; for most of the 1990s, I only bought comics drawn by artists I liked. Whatever the reason, I wish I could get back the money I paid for these Gambit comic books.

C-

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Introducing PeoplePerHour

Written by Rodrigo Martucci

PeoplePerHour, the largest online community for freelancers in Europe, has just launched a brand new product that's changing the way the freelancing industry works. I thought it would be great to share with you guys, so here it is:

Hourlies are online listings that allow anyone to easily sell their services or skills on a small project basis, starting with as little as one hour. They take just minutes to create and the idea is that people with something great to sell can connect with buyers all over the world, fast! The concept is taking freelancing mainstream and they're seeing some pretty amazing Hourlies posted like Lydia's, who can create an illustrated version of you doing anything, in 8 hours. There’s also James, who can produce an interactive 3D model of a house in 5 hours. Or there’s Siobhian’s, where she can restore old damaged photos in 2 hours. For the complete list of Hourlies, go to http://peopleperhour.com/hourlies.

It’s pretty cool stuff and it’s super easy to use. Graphic designers and illustrators in particular have already been using PeoplePerHour and achieved some great things! Marcus was able to find his true calling with PeoplePerHour’s help; Liz is able to earn while taking care of her family and Lauren is a successful full-time artist who dazzles clients from all over the world. Check out all of the success stories here: http://blog.peopleperhour.com/group/user-stories/
The next step is for you to try it out by going to http://peopleperhour.com and signing up!

I'm About to Read September 2012

Welcome to I Reads You, a blog about comic books, comics, related books, and sometimes personal stuff. Occasionally, there will be posts about other subjects such as books, politics, and entertainment.

All images and text appearing on this blog are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Review: THE EARL AND THE FAIRY Volume 3

THE EARL AND THE FAIRY, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Ayuko
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: Mizue Tani
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4170-9; paperback, Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S. $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Mizue Tani is a Japanese author of several fantasy novel series. One of her series is a collection of light novels entitled, The Earl and the Fairy. Manga creator Ayuko has adapted these novels into a shojo romantic fantasy manga also entitled, The Earl in the Fairy.

The series focuses on Lydia Carlton, a young woman living in 19th century England. She is a fairy doctor, a specialist who can see and talk to fairies, an ability which allows her to resolve problems (or attempt to) between fairies and humans. During a trip to London to visit her father, a young man, Edgar Ashenbert, rescues Lydia from kidnappers. A nobleman sold into slavery, Edgar is also tied to the Fairy Realm as the Blue Knight Earl.

As The Earl and the Fairy, Volume 3 opens, London is in the grip of fear. Someone (or something, of course) called the Fogman is snatching up children and young people all over town. Lady Doris Walpole has been missing for three days. Is she a victim of the Fogman? Lydia has been asked to help find her, and her investigation leads her to think that the Fogman has ties to Edgar’s dark past.

Every now and again, I come across a manga title that is new to me, but seems tailored made for my reading tastes. The Earl and the Fairy manga is one of those titles. To semi-quote Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, I love this manga the way a fat kid loves cake. Why do I like The Earl and the Fairy so much?

I think I love the London setting, and the role that fog plays in the series (at least, in this part of the narrative). I like stories about fairies, and I have to admire the restraint in which Ayuko uses actual fairy creatures in this story. Judicially using flashbacks, Ayuko builds the mystery around her characters, making even the little details about them intriguing. Plus, Ayuko makes excellent use of Nico the cat/fairy as a kind of Greek chorus and quasi-narrator.

A