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| Gambit #1 preview art by Clay Mann |
By Jim Beard
An inquiry into Asmus for a quick question-and-answer session on the book revealed the writer’s enthusiasm for the project and for giving us a few hints on what’s in store for Rèmy LeBeau, the
Marvel.com: James, in your opinion, what originally put Gambit over the top to make him a star character in his own right?
James Asmus: A lot. [Writer] Chris Claremont really went all out with Gambit. He didn't just get a unique power and an accent; even in his first story, Gambit showed loads of swagger, mystique, and devious skills. He was shown as a master thief, fighter, and seducer all in 20 pages! That's something we made sure to deliver in our first issue of GAMBIT, too.
Marvel.com: What aspect of Rèmy’s character will play up in the new series?
James Asmus: He's the rarest kind of anti-hero. Sure he's haunted and flawed, but he still has a sense of humor and joie de vivre. So his exploits let me play with some more complex moral questions without losing the electric energy and pop thrills that comics can deliver better than any other medium.
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| Gambit #1 preview art by Clay Mann |
Marvel.com: What’s Gambit's own opinion of himself, to your mind? What or who does he try to be every day when he gets up?
James Asmus: I actually think he believes himself to be a much worse man than he really is; Catholic guilt is a very real thing, even in New Orleans. And even for lapsed Catholics. So on his good days, Gambit tries to make up for it by doing some good in the world. And on his bad days, he distracts himself with the same vices that got him into trouble in the first place.
Marvel.com: What kinds of adversity or threats will he be facing in the months to come in GAMBIT?
James Asmus: Gambit's about to have a whole string of problems that all stem from one time he lets himself go back to being a crook to blow off a little steam. What he thinks will be one night of bad behavior is going to bring an ancient curse, foreign super-spies, a cosmic threat, a new femme fatale, and more crashing into his life. But Gambit's biggest threat is going to be himself and his own worst impulses.
Marvel.com: Will what you're doing in the new series touch upon events in any other X-title?
James Asmus: The first few arcs are designed to be all you need as a reader. We're trying to be very friendly to people who love the character but may have fallen away for any reason, including an over-full pull list. But also, the stuff Gambit will be up to in this book are things he does not want his fellow X-Men to find out about. I do hope as things ratchet up later in our first year, you'll see signs of it in the other titles. But I want to deliver complete, tight, and fully satisfying stories in GAMBIT itself.
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| Gambit #1 preview art by Clay Mann |
Marvel.com: As a professional comedian, what weight will you allow humor to play in the series?
James Asmus: It's a tool in Gambit's arsenal for sure. But Gambit is still much more suave than he is a jokester. So I try to keep the comedic touches as a seasoning rather than using it as a main course. There is a bit I had to cut from the second issue, though, for which I'm now dying to find a new home!Marvel.com:
What's artist Clay Mann doing on the book that you love?
James Asmus: Clay is maybe the most easy-going and generous artist I've worked with. He's game for whatever craziness I throw at him, and the first issue alone required an insane amount of craft and imagination on his part. You'll know what I mean when you see it. But beyond the specific challenges I throw at him, Clay supremely delivers the grounded, heist-style feel that we wanted for the book. His characters—male and female –are always the sexiest, coolest versions you could possibly imagine, which basically makes him the perfect artist to bring Gambit to life in all his thieving, charming, escaping, seducing, and exploding glory! You should check it out. I really believe you'll be glad you did.
