Jason Bardyla of Happy Harbor Comics and Toys in Jasper, Edmonton, and Calgary, Alberta saw the announcement on the revamped Rawhide Kid (see 'Marvel's Rawhide Kid Is No Straight Shooter') and retailer Steven Bates comments (see 'Steven Bates of Bookery Fantasy on Rawhide Kid') and let us know that he thinks the revamp is a good idea:
I'm not offended by a gay Rawhide Kid and I don't believe Marvel's revamping is for the sake of controversy. I think Marvel is putting a spin on a character (who wasn't too far off having that spin anyway) to give reader's something different. Face it, if Marvel relaunched Rawhide Kid as a continuation from the old series, it wouldn't sell. Westerns are not in vogue. If Marvel introduced a brand new Western hero who was gay, no one would be interested in this non-established character and it wouldn't sell (don't think new characters don't work, read Heidi MacDonald's column in CBG #1512).
The readers constantly demand change, something different, something new. Marvel is supplying. Let's see what the readers think but give the book a fighting chance.