Review: X-Men Unlimited Latitude #1

X-Men Unlimited Latitude #1 is a great comic and interesting story. It is a fun jaunt although not necessarily a vital piece of the X-men puzzle. It does show that Hickman can write an epic Wolverine tale as we see Logan take on A.I.M. in an attempt to free three captured mutants. It does feel a bit incomplete at the end as one of the mutants remains captured. But there is a promise that that will be wrapped up in another issue down the line.

This book also showcases Declan Shalvey’s extraordinary skill as we see a battle in space given all the scale it demands. Wolverine must deal with the abduction of three mutants taken from The Peak which is the S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters. Logan is released as a one man retribution and rescue team. Wolverine tears into A.I.M. in dramatic fashion. The A.I.M. ship reveals to Logan they wanted Mutant samples for their research before starting a self destruct sequence.

Logan is burnt to a crisp but escapes to the accompanying A.I.M. dreadnaught. He interrogates an agent in hilarious fashion and then is lead to a trap taking him right to the M.O.D.O.K. mainframe. Wolverine tears into the mainframe until it gives up and leads him to the first captured mutant, Nightcrawler. They then work together to attack A.I.M. in Antarctica and free Chamber. Seeing the two old friends bouncing off each other is extraordinary fun.

The entire issue feels like a lighthearted caper. This makes the rapid ending with an epilogue simply saying there third mission was a failure and the final mutant remains captured feel so jarring. Fun capers rarely end with failure, and especially with failure that seems to occur off camera. The story will clearly continue but the momentum of this issue comes to such a screeching halt that it draws into the entire tone of the issue. Hopefully the issues to come will revisit this shift.

We clearly have to see this mission as a massive failure in spite of Logan’s bravado. But for readers this is a really fun and well done classic mutant action tale. It is full of small character moments and massive battles exactly as we’d wish for in a great Wolverine epic.

Writing: 4 of 5 stars
Art: 4.1 of 5 stars
Colors: 3.8 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.0 of 5 stars

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Declan Shalvey
Letters: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.