Not All Victims are Innocent
It has been a while since I was back in that '90s place of the X-Men, when Wolverine did not have adamantium and Comicraft's lettering dominated (it has a nice nostalgic appeal, now), so returning to it on a whim from the library was a nice experience, even though this brief story is rather dark. I'm sure many would like to comment how comics in the intervening 20 years have become far more dark, gritty, violent, intense, bloody, graphic, and "realistic," but none of that refutes the fact Wolverine/Gambit: Victims is dark (nor is it something about which to brag or take comfort). It's a good story, even in its concision and somewhat neatly-wrapped-up conclusion, but as with many of the better stories of the '90s (and before), the real point of this mini-series is giving us a chance to spend time with 2 seemingly-different characters away from the demands and limitations of a team story. As this series points out, though, Gambit and Wolverine are more alike than we often realize consciously. The denouement makes their similarities overt, but the dialogue between them does not come across as heavy-handed: it's probably the best scene of the story, and there is some pretty good competition for that honor (even with several pages featuring mainly black, empty space).
Gambit and Wolverine have difficulty with relationships, which surprises no one, but this series emphasizes it's not for lack of sincere effort on their part (though they are also quick to flee when the relationship progresses, especially Gambit). The intriguing perspective of this series, though, is that the women in their lives aren't always as real as they want them to be, and perhaps the failure is not always their (the men) own: Rogue can't commit either, Yukio is a slippery thief with even less honor than Remy, Mariko loves Wolverine but she also has a stronger commitment to Japan, their rescuer is not real either, and Mastermind's daughter (whom we meet for the first time) is also a master of fabricating reality. It's hard to have a strong relationship in the X-Universe for many reasons, apparently.
As I said, the conclusion is wrapped up rather neatly and quickly, but the fine amount of strong character moments more than makes up for it: Wolverine proves the strength of his humanity a number of times, made all the more impressive considering the era, especially when rescuing Gambit in the river; Gambit reflects on his failures yet continues to strive to do right; both acknowledge their failures and shortcomings, yet both are optimistic about the future of their struggles. There are a number of humorous moments in this dark and chilling tale, considering it's a retelling of the Jack the Ripper story X-Universe-style. This is a fine story well worth reading, especially if you like Gambit and Wolverine and want to see them together, a fairly rare occurrence at the time.