The gender ambiguity was deliberate though i think, and i liked how it was done. But then i have a high tolerance of such things :)

Also, about the gutter issue, i hate this aswell and have always wanted a reason as for why it happens. Kurt Hassler from Yen gave me the reason:

The issue you’re referring to is more a matter of the gutter space available and is unfortunately dictated by a number of factors that go into the production of the book: the material’s original trim size, whether or not we are working off of our licensor’s original files or scanned editions of the finished Japanese editions, etc., etc. In some instances, the combination of these factors force material into what is referred to as the “gutter” area. Please know that we are very sensitive to this issue ourselves and do make every effort to edge material out of the gutter as much as possible. As with SUNDOME, though, there are simply some instances where a combination of factors can force matter into the gutter as the alternative would sacrifice art and material elsewhere on the page. We will as always, though, strive for better in the future.