The King of Thieves - Gambit Appreciation 2023

[Gripstir]

I'm not mad at any of these ideas! I would read them all!

Were the numbers on the Claremont Solo good? If so, that might mean editorial is more likely to seek out a writer for another Gambit series rather than wait for someone to pitch..

Here’s what I got on the solo. The numbers came out kind of late

Gambit #1 we all know started out in the 20 spot in sales for paper comics. Decent start. It even carried over and got the 74 spot in it’s second month. Which was August.

Gambit #2 on the other hand released late so numbers aren’t really reliable. In August, #2 dropped down to 113 spot. Pretty bad but not reliable numbers

Gambit #3 bumped up a bit to 105. So not as bad as #2 but still out of the top 100.

Gambit #4 is where it got really interesting. It shot all the way up to the 59 spot! Didn’t quite get top 50, but did get top 75! So that’s probably still a good sign.

Gambit #5 the final issue dropped slightly from #4 but still stayed top 75 and finished at the 66 spot.

Overall a lot of fluctuations for the solo. But since #2 and #3 were so low it’s possible people were waiting to buy the issues a couple at a time. Or maybe issue #3 was really that good that it made people get #4.

Overall decent showing for a nostalgia comic with no other A level characters involved besides Gambit and Storm.

Edit: We just gotta remember this doesn’t count digital sales. It only counts how many issues some comic stores bought to stock the shelf.

[Krakoa]

I'm not mad at any of these ideas! I would read them all!

Getting another writer who really wants to champion Gambit as a character and give him purpose is what is most sorely needed I think to make this happen.

Were the numbers on the Claremont Solo good? If so, that might mean editorial is more likely to seek out a writer for another Gambit series rather than wait for someone to pitch.

Much as I appreciate Remy living his best life on a tropical island with his cats and wife and best pals around and taking gates to wherever he wants in the world for a poker game or a drink, cooking, shopping, baseball etc ... I just keep thinking he needs something to focus his energy on.

I wonder how much they read into the sales for series like Gambit as an appetite for Gambit vs. an appetite for nostalgia series in general.

That being said, I think the sales for the Rogue and Gambit mini next year will be huge in showing the appetite for those two.

[anyajenkins]

Here’s what I got on the solo. The numbers came out kind of late

Gambit #1 we all know started out in the 20 spot in sales for paper comics. Decent start. It even carried over and got the 74 spot in it’s second month. Which was August.

Gambit #2 on the other hand released late so numbers aren’t really reliable. In August, #2 dropped down to 113 spot. Pretty bad but not reliable numbers

Gambit #3 bumped up a bit to 105. So not as bad as #2 but still out of the top 100.

Gambit #4 is where it got really interesting. It shot all the way up to the 59 spot! Didn’t quite get top 50, but did get top 75! So that’s probably still a good sign.

Gambit #5 the final issue dropped slightly from #4 but still stayed top 75 and finished at the 66 spot.

Overall a lot of fluctuations for the solo. But since #2 and #3 were so low it’s possible people were waiting to buy the issues a couple at a time. Or maybe issue #3 was really that good that it made people get #4.

Overall decent showing for a nostalgia comic with no other A level characters involved besides Gambit and Storm.

Edit: We just gotta remember this doesn’t count digital sales. It only counts how many issues some comic stores bought to stock the shelf.

I think the ‘method’ for figuring out the store sales is also different, since there are different distributors now, I believe. And with all that, those are some wildly different numbers. I don’t know what it would mean… Also, a Storm ‘nostalgia’ mini was just announced, so the retro minis must be doing alright sales wise.

[anyajenkins]

I feel the same. Magneto’s dying words to Storm were basically ‘look out for Xavier, he’s going to kill us all.’ Maybe they will write something that isn’t a ‘pride goest before the fall’ parable with Xavier as the fall-guy. maybe they will surprise me. I don’t know why I’m willing to forgive X and not Magneto, maybe because I reject writers’ pet characters and adopt the rejects. But seriously, if Xavier decides they need another Omega to fill Magneto’s empty purple boots and resurrects Joseph, X will go on my shit-list for life and I will wash my hands of him, lol.

Probably because magneto and Xavier have pretty much the same character flaws, controlling, hubris, self righteous, ‘sacrifices’ (of mostly other people) for the greater good, but magneto is more murdery and more self righteous, without the ‘trying’ to do ‘better’. So a lot of the writers seem to approach it as Xavier being ‘worse’, because he’s a hypocrite for trying to do better, but often failing. But it’s just, no, ‘trying’ to be better does not make someone ‘worse.’ Plus, magneto can do more ‘badass feats’ which comic nerds (including writers) just eat up and try to rationalize as good character traits. But bringing Joseph back would just be ridiculous, lol. Just bring back regular mags and have be upset with Xavier for making him lose the respect of the ‘martians mutants’, much more and better drama there.

[K7P5V]

Agreed. Also, I would enjoy and appreciate him living his best life a lot more if we could actually see more of it. The quiet, downtime issues in the 90s were always my favorites and I wish we could get more of those today.

I don't mind the quiet, downtime issues. However back in the '90s, I thought there was too much of it & not enough action.
Sadly when there was any action, I felt it was a bit lackluster. That's the reason why my interest always gravitated towards the satellite titles
(Alan Davis' Excalibur/Jeph Loeb's Cable/FabNic's Gambit) over the main one (Lobdell's X-Men/Waid's Dark Beast Saga).

[thjan]

[center]I don't mind the quiet, downtime issues. However back in the '90s, I thought there was too much of it & not enough action.

That is actually why the 90s are my favorite decade for comics. I LOVED all the introspection, the downtime and breather issues, and the character work. I have always been drawn to more character focused stories over action or plot focused stories. I hate that the writers are not allowed anymore to do whole issues(and/or he majority of an issue) where no fighting happens at all and it is just the characters living their lives like we got back then.

Not that I didn't also enjoy action in the comics though. And yes, I too loved those Gambit action scenes, along with Skroce's work on Spider-Man, Cable, and X-Man. Gambit(1999) #5 is probably my all time favorite comic(for it's mix of character work and action). Nobody can do action quite like him in comics. He was the master of it.

I feel the same. Magneto’s dying words to Storm were basically ‘look out for Xavier, he’s going to kill us all.’ Maybe they will write something that isn’t a ‘pride goest before the fall’ parable with Xavier as the fall-guy. maybe they will surprise me. I don’t know why I’m willing to forgive X and not Magneto, maybe because I reject writers’ pet characters and adopt the rejects. But seriously, if Xavier decides they need another Omega to fill Magneto’s empty purple boots and resurrects Joseph, X will go on my shit-list for life and I will wash my hands of him, lol.

Today's Immortal X-Men issue certainly had some interesting developments in relation to Xavier. I greatly enjoyed his narration boxes throughout the issue even if the end of the issue has a twist that put a lot of things into question. Gillen did a really great job with the issue even though as always I was disappointed to not see Gambit in the group shot(Rogue is there though).

And Ha! Yeah, if they resurrect Joseph I will not be happy!

[NicoPony]

Today's Immortal X-Men issue certainly had some interesting developments in relation to Xavier. I greatly enjoyed his narration boxes throughout the issue even if the end of the issue has a twist that put a lot of things into question. Gillen did a really great job with the issue even though as always I was disappointed to not see Gambit in the group shot(Rogue is there though).

Color me surprised then. It’s super interesting that current writers are playing with the Chronos protocols Carey set up in Legacy with the Xavier/Gambit story. I mean, it certainly captured my imagination. While Gambit hasn’t gone through the Resurrection protocols it seems unlikely that Sinister hasn’t messed with Gambit’s DNA at some point. Or maybe he recognized perfection and left Remy alone. Is it March yet? I’m desperate for Gambit to have some role in current Krakoan stories and I despair that it will never ever happen.

[anyajenkins]

I just read some of the spoilers for immortal and it does sound more interesting than some of the things they have been doing.

[jwatson]

I've done my part and subscribed. Im now subscribed to like 9 series. lol. I figure what i don't keep or get a hardcover for later *looking at sins of sinister* i can just donate to like a library or something.

[jwatson]

Gambit gets a great showing in captain marvel #45. I have to say the art on the first 8 -10 pages is rough, like the faces are rough but when he gets to the second half of the comic the art is leaps and bounds better, i was surprised it was the same artist. Like the first few pages the faces looked kind of stock or pasted on but he must have really found that stride near the end because those last 10 pages were just really good. Gambit basically saves the day here and i love his voice here. This was far better than i thought it was going to be and got me re-interested in the run after the preview had me feeling a little cold on it. Really looking forward to 46 and more gambit. Polaris easily comes off as the second mvp in this and you can see Carol sees her as powerful and a leader as she defers to her to take care of a lot of heavy work, almost like a second in command. With a few shake ups on the roster this could actually be a good team.

some of my fave scenes.
spoilers:

expandcarol.jpg groupshot.jpg

end of spoilers

[Sandmans_Raven]

Yeah, issue 45 was great for Gambit. It was nice seeing him be the one to get free and help everyone else.

[K7P5V]

Not that I didn't also enjoy action in the comics though. And yes, I too loved those Gambit action scenes, along with Skroce's work on Spider-Man, Cable, and X-Man. Gambit(1999) #5 is probably my all time favorite comic(for it's mix of character work and action). Nobody can do action quite like him in comics. He was the master of it.

Hell, yeah! Now you're talking!! I'll always love when there's an effort to balance both character work & action...

[NicoPony]

FB0E2B0C-4DB3-48F3-BF78-75A158CA2A31.jpg
6B8E4DFC-ECB8-4187-8A14-3BC50ABD3C11.jpg

Mr. Gomez bringing fire to the Insta feed this AM. Yow, HOT.

that better not be Rogue’s hand shoving him away. I’m so f-ing sick of that dynamic.

[Romy134]

FB0E2B0C-4DB3-48F3-BF78-75A158CA2A31.jpg
6B8E4DFC-ECB8-4187-8A14-3BC50ABD3C11.jpg

Mr. Gomez bringing fire to the Insta feed this AM. Yow, HOT.

that better not be Rogue’s hand shoving him away. I’m so f-ing sick of that dynamic.

It could be another “No, you can’t go. It’s not safe” situations.

[Sandmans_Raven]

On the plus side, Serena on Twitter pointed out that Gambit appears to be fighting Thieves Guild members in that preview for R&G. So, that's something.