The Good

While this is technically just a filler issue, it's still a decent amount of fun. This chapter basically boils down to Gambit trying to rescue a group of kids from a bunch of super evolved animals (which are pretty much super dinosaurs). So, if you're fan of the Ragin' Cajun, odds are you'll find this to be an amusing read.

Writer James Asmus does a fine job with the X-Man, even diving into a little interesting tidbit of Remy's earlier days (very early). The reflection is done through captions, though, so it doesn't interrupt the pace of what's going on. In fact, it compliments the scene quite well and adds a little more to his dark past while loosely connecting to his current dilemma.

There's 3 people on pencils so the style undergoes drastic changes, but the very rough appearance does work at times. The first interaction with the creatures looks fantastic, particularly the coloring. The rough edges feels especially fitting for Remy and his unshaven appearance when supported with enough detail.

The Bad

I have no idea what's going on with the green liquid during the battle. It's clearly supposed to be saliva, but then the very same thing erupts from a creature's back when Gambit kicks it there. Then, when a massive creature chokes on a piece of gum (don't worry, I'll get to that), an inordinate amount spews from its mouth. Don't get me started on how ridiculous the amount of snot was, either. I get it "evolved" shortly after, but the immediate sneeze was absurd. It's just too over-the-top for me.

Yes, Gambit beats one of these creatures by tossing a chewed up piece of gum into its gigantic mouth. At first I thought he'd charge it (because he can charge organic objects), but nope, he just throws it in there. This thing is essentially the size of a T-Rex -- if not bigger -- and this makes it freak out. This is something that's so beyond ridiculously lucky that even the likes of Longshot or Domino would be impressed. Plus, why didn't Gambit use his powers at all during this fight? He obviously has cards (used to create a hole in the door), so what gives? Yes, they're "innocent animals," but he has no gripe using cards in a non-lethal fashion against humans, so why not here? I just don't understand why he didn't use his powers to his benefit. It seems out of character.

The art is all over the place because there's multiple people working on it and it doesn't flow well. It goes from looking like a colored sketch to smooth, then to a very low detailed sketch again. There are some pretty good panels, but overall I wasn't the biggest fan of this issue's look. One example that stood out to me is a student talking. She has her mouth wide open yet her entire mouth is filled in with teeth that are touching. It just looks silly and doesn't make sense.

The Verdict

Look, I'll be the first to admit that I probably enjoyed this more than I should simply because Gambit has always been one of my favorites. There's no denying this issue is filler (unless we return to what's going on in the Forever City, and that feels unlikely at this point since it's being passed off to Beast), but it's definitely a fairly entertaining distraction. The cliffhanger establishes a bigger plot point ahead and that's something that totally has my interest piqued. I'm looking forward to seeing Gambit encounter some familiar enemies (ZE LEAPER!) and where his interactions with Joelle will take us.