Uncanny X-Men #37 is a great change of pace from the previous storyline, taking a much slower approach to the characters. The comic follows two distinct perspectives: Rogue and Gambit, and Wolverine and the X-Men. The former follows a slower, more romantic plotline, while the latter delivers the action. It’s a good balance that allows readers to truly grasp what makes each of these characters shine, along with what makes Simone’s interpretation of these characters unique.
Gail Simone’s writing truly shines in this issue. Rogue, Wolverine, and Jubilee all receive moments of internal dialogue, and each of them sounds completely distinct. Simone has perfected Rogue’s Southern-belle accent; the mutant sounds caring and motherly, always concerned with others before herself. Logan’s internal voice has this underlying anger to it; he’s insulting, demeaning, yet loving. Jubilee’s youth and humor pop out during her scene.
Juan Frigeri’s art and Matthew Wilson’s colors excel as singular panels. Each panel looks like a photograph, with picturesque detail and perfect lighting. Frigeri’s renditions of Wolverine and Nightcrawler truly make these characters look larger than life, with their defined muscles and distinct statures; Wilson’s colors make every mutant pop on the page. Rogue and Gambit share a full-page spread together; the use of blue lighting by Wilson makes their page have this romantic, ethereal feeling to it. However, when it comes to action, this comic sorely lacks excitement. What makes the slow moments look special makes the fast ones look stiff. Wolverine’s battle with Sarah Gaunt looks slow and clunky; there are not enough small panels to convey motion, just big ones that convey actions.
As shown on the cover, the big action set piece of this story is the rematch between Wolverine and Sarah Gaunt. In Uncanny X-Men #3, Sarah Gaunt brutally defeated Wolverine, leaving the X-Man battered and blinded in the woods. Now, thirty-four issues later, the mutants clash again, and it’s… underwhelming. The majority of their interaction is spent talking rather than fighting. While Simone excels at this type of character writing, the long build-up deserves a proper execution, which this comic lacks.
Interestingly, the comic advertises itself as part one of a new story arc, “Soul Deep.” However, it doesn’t really end on a cliffhanger. Instead, it feels like a very textbook X-Men one-shot. The storyline is developed and concluded in one issue.
