Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men series has been anything but conventional. Its slower pace has managed to draw you into the life of a young girl who doesn’t know what is going on with her ability to create holographic armor. She’s also reeling from the loss of a friend due to bullies, but it may be connected to a shadowy figure that hopes to recruit her. Ultimate X-Men #3 aims to continue her story while also fleshing out Mei Igarashi, a girl who can control the wind.
Ultimate X-Men #3 opens with a game. Three children play a Japanese form of Ouija, and a strange boy appears to be manipulating the game, maybe with his mind. Momoko is slowly seeding in new mutants while connecting things to Japanese culture. That includes a backup explanation for the game being played, adding a nice cultural element. By the end of the issue, it appears the number of mutants involved in the series is doubling, which is promising given the slower pace.
Much of this issue focuses on Mei Igarashi via flashbacks. She’s seemingly going to school with Hisako, our main character, and she divulges when she first uses her power. Similar to Hisako, we learn Mei first exhibited her power under extreme stress. In this case, we see it involves domestic issues with her parents and a cold father.
The father is quite emotionless.
Credit: Marvel
Outside these scenes, there are also more hints of a mysterious man with glasses. One might assume he’s the Xavier sort of character, as he seems to have abilities via his mind. Maybe he’s even the boy at the start. The questions you’ll be pondering do bring out a failing of the series, and that’s why it’s pretty cryptic and slow. It’s safe to say this will be best read when collected, as we’re three issues in, and we only know a handful of information.
The art helps punch up scenes, especially when Mei uses her powers for the first time. Momoko captures the coldness of the father well, which helps pay off Mei’s use of her extreme and powerful powers. In a double-page splash, we see rain and wind beautifully rendered in watercolors while the father sits emotionless. It’s a bit odd how the parents don’t react with fear or confusion, but maybe they know something we don’t.
The dialogue is wistful, possibly because layouts tend to use fewer panels. The script adaptation by Zack Davisson makes sure Mei’s attitude is clear and loud.
Ultimate X-Men #3 continues the slow-boil storytelling, but by the end, it gets ever closer to a sort of team being formed. The series continues to be mysterious while developing the need for mutant powers in times of stress. It’s a series that feels dreamlike as it fleshes out a new kind of X-Men.
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