By Steve Morris
In an interview with someone strangely familiar on Comics Bulletin, incoming ‘Gambit’ writer James Asmus has been discussing all the relevant topics regarding his lead character. His skills as a thief, charismatic personality, and of course his chiselled abs and willingness to be topless. Offering a counterpoint to Heidi’s belief that Marvel are not interested in courting a female readership, Asmus says:
My editor just told me that Gambit is apparently shirtless for exactly 20% of both issues 1 and 2! (Though butt shots are only in #1 so far.)
That’s right — it’s time for a comic which balances out the gratuitous female nudity in mainstream comics by offering some gratuitous male nudity in mainstream comics. And of course, this follows the recent evolution of “sexy Namor” in Uncanny X-Men, and the news that blonde bimbo Havok is set for a starring role in Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers series.
Heidi, it looks like Marvel have accepted your dainty feminine gauntlet!
In related male nudity-news, it appears that Andrew Wheeler of ‘him off of Comics Alliance‘ fame recently realised some powerful subtext has snuck into the main AvX event, as he ticked off the names of the members in Marvel’s Phoenix Five team:
- Piotr Rasputin
- Emma Frost
- Namor McKenzie
- Illyana Rasputin
- Scott Summers
Oh, Marvel! Always playing with yourself.
Around the office, they call them the Penis Five.
Around the office, they call them the Penis Five.
Oh, this might actually get me to buy the book. For real! Hey, why not! It’s about time we saw something other than breasts! LOL
Oh, this might actually get me to buy the book. For real! Hey, why not! It’s about time we saw something other than breasts! LOL
His physique isn’t sexy in the least. I was looking forward to some beefcake and got chicken wings instead.
His physique isn’t sexy in the least. I was looking forward to some beefcake and got chicken wings instead.
This also ties into something else I wrote a while ago: http://www.comicsvanguard.com/2012/02/exclusive-we-talk-with-kieron-gillen.html
Self-promotion is so much fun I love it ain’t I great
This also ties into something else I wrote a while ago: http://www.comicsvanguard.com/2012/02/exclusive-we-talk-with-kieron-gillen.html
Self-promotion is so much fun I love it ain’t I great
Well, the Phoenix Five gag actually came from my latest AvX write-up at ComicsAlliance, but that’s OK, my jokes are so good that they do deserve to wander free, like hilarious ronin. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/07/24/comicsalliance-vs-avx-round-eight-avengers-x-men-bendis-kubert/
Well, the Phoenix Five gag actually came from my latest AvX write-up at ComicsAlliance, but that’s OK, my jokes are so good that they do deserve to wander free, like hilarious ronin. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/07/24/comicsalliance-vs-avx-round-eight-avengers-x-men-bendis-kubert/
Of course, their names could also spell spine, pines, and snipe. Probably some others, but that’s all that occurs to me at the moment.
Of course, their names could also spell spine, pines, and snipe. Probably some others, but that’s all that occurs to me at the moment.
Those “It’s Coming” promos take on a whole new meaning.
Those “It’s Coming” promos take on a whole new meaning.
I read the Comics Bulletin interview of Asmus. It’s interesting how intent Asmus is on getting readers attached to Gambit as a character, rather than focusing on the story. Read a crime story, watch a heist film, or watch a CSI TV show: you’ll get a neatly packaged bit of crime fiction. Asmus might be excited about doing a mash-up of various elements, but he appears to be trying to come up with things for Gambit to do from issue to issue to issue. If someone doesn’t find Gambit immediately appealing and attractive as a character, why read about him?
There’s also the problem with his power. The description of the power on Wikipedia is incoherent. Take the first sentence: Gambit is a mutant who has the power to take the potential energy stored in an object and convert it to kinetic energy thus “charging” that item with explosive results. That use of the power matches what I saw in VERSUS #2, but it has nothing to do with potential energy. It’s closer to matter-energy conversion. The Wikipedia description of his power, if it’s accurate, makes the power practically unusable.
SRS
I read the Comics Bulletin interview of Asmus. It’s interesting how intent Asmus is on getting readers attached to Gambit as a character, rather than focusing on the story. Read a crime story, watch a heist film, or watch a CSI TV show: you’ll get a neatly packaged bit of crime fiction. Asmus might be excited about doing a mash-up of various elements, but he appears to be trying to come up with things for Gambit to do from issue to issue to issue. If someone doesn’t find Gambit immediately appealing and attractive as a character, why read about him?
There’s also the problem with his power. The description of the power on Wikipedia is incoherent. Take the first sentence: Gambit is a mutant who has the power to take the potential energy stored in an object and convert it to kinetic energy thus “charging” that item with explosive results. That use of the power matches what I saw in VERSUS #2, but it has nothing to do with potential energy. It’s closer to matter-energy conversion. The Wikipedia description of his power, if it’s accurate, makes the power practically unusable.
SRS
Sorry Andrew! I’ll go give you the credit you deserve
Synsidar: They left out the part about how his power only works within the physics of the fictional Marvel Universe. Probably just a typo…
Half naked men arn’t just for women! ;)
Maybe Marvel saw how much the Northstar wedding issues sold and decided the gay dollar is just as lucrative as the straight white male dollar!
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