X’s hands were already full with Carmine Tango . . . then Gamble reappeared! X thought he killed this suave assassin years ago, but the luck-obsessed murderer is still a player, taking his chances on revenge! Welcome to Arcadia, where the odds are bad . . . and the bads are odd!

DEEP POCKETS OF PAIN

Picking up from the previous issue, both X and Gamble have somehow survived the explosion and proceed to fight hand to hand through the burning remains of the building, with Gamble have the upper hand most of the time. The fight is brutal, and last most of the issue until X has to get creative at the end. Meanwhile, Leigh has requested a meeting with Carmine Tango, under the false pretense of wanting to write a fair and balanced book about him. But when she gets to Tango’s penthouse she’s met instead by one of his henchwomen, who holds her at gunpoint while trying to verify Leigh’s background. That doesn’t end well for Leigh, as she ends up being shot in the leg while trying to escape…TO BE CONTINUED.

So this is mostly and action issue, not much characterization, although the dialog between Gamble and X as they fight is entertaining, with Gamble making note of X’s ability to withstand insane amounts of physical punishment. But it keeps the story going. Newcomers Daniel Maia (pencils) and Mark Pennington (inks) step in for Eric Nguyen on this issue, and do a fine job. The streak continues. FIVE STARS

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