A Bold New Take: Reviewing ‘Ultimate X-Men’ #1

Take everything known about the mutants of Marvel and cast it aside. A new universe requires a totally new perspective.

A singular focus eschews the usual team aspect as Ultimate X-Men #1 paves the way for a new mutant story. This story is written and drawn by Peach Momoko, script adaptation by Zack Davisson, and lettering by Travis Lanham.

To say I was excited about this series when it was announced is an understatement. This excitement was boosted by the knowledge that through sheer luck of the draw this title was mine to review the moment it existed. Well, I say luck of the draw, but it was more than that. My colleague and friend Tony Thornley wanted to review Ultimate Spider-Man (we’re both big webheads) and promised I could cover whatever X-book came from the line. That’s a deal that very much worked out.

Either way, clearly it was meant to be, and I’m so glad that it was.

It’s almost hard to believe that Hisako Ichiki/Armor has been around for almost twenty years. Part of that comes from her having a place in the X-Men realm of characters who only feature in things sporadically. The same handful of (mostly white) characters tend to get the major screen time in any X-Men comic or adaptation.

Momoko has changed that.

Building a brand-new X-Men comic not just around Hisako but from a Japanese perspective is a brilliant move.

When thinking about the idea of the Ultimate universe, tearing down what is known and doing something new, this series takes the cake. While the main Spider-Man book of the line is great, it plays only loosely outside of the bounds of the version we know (616). Black Panther’s book is very much the same too, same pieces we know just slightly moved around.

While this is very much in line with the work Momoko has done for Marvel previously, it’s a big swing for a flagship-type X-Men series. Especially since it’s such a slow burn, where it’s all about Hisako here with not even a glimmer of mutants or any other familiar X-characters or features.

It’s not a series you can easily step into, though. Some very sensitive topics including death, grief, and suicide are at the forefront. Yes, the powers and someone finding out they are different are still there, but the wrappings are so different. In a very good way.

It helps that her artistic style is just so gorgeous and beyond the normal type of superhero style.

One moment things are bright and fun, with plenty of whimsy to be found. The next they are horrific and dark, the body horror and terror almost tangible. Character and emotion are paramount in Momoko’s approach. Every bit of the emotion is felt through the page. There is no denying what we’re supposed to take away from any given panel.

Watercolor styling brings a more natural effect to things. The chosen palate skewing towards more neutral and even toned down in a sense. Even the big moments are low-key, the Armor moment being translucent. Heavy shadows ramp up the horror moments, helping with the sharp transitions.

Kudos to Davisson in adapting the script, without losing any meaning or feeling. It allows the series to be explored by a wider audience but makes sure that Momoko’s particular flavors are still clear. This, of course, is not their first work together, as Davisson played the same role with the Demon Days series. Which in a way was almost like a dry run of sorts for this series, with it being a very Japanese-centric look at the X-Men (and wider Marvel) mythos.

Capturing the voices presented falls to Lanham, who does such solid work. Placing captions and dialogue in the most appropriate of spaces, letting the words do their magic. Little flairs here or there which give tone or volume their due. Big giant font for louder moments and small little font for the quieter ones. All of it wraps around and works in tandem with the rest of the artwork to create the most effective and beautiful storytelling experience.

Ultimate X-Men #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.