Peach Momoko’s monumental Demon Days saga has become one of Marvel’s most famous and beloved alternate reality comics in its decades-long history, blending rich Japanese folklore with iconic Marvel heroes to create a brilliant and beautiful tale. The response to Demon Days was so positive that Marvel worked with Peach to create the “Momokoverse,” a continually expanding universe set within the world of Demon Days, focused on the half-oni hero Mariko Yashida. Momoko’s latest saga, Demon Wars, is a creative retelling of the classic Civil War crossover event. It is wonderfully captured in a new trade paperback collecting the entire story.
The Demon Wars trade paperback includes every issue from The Demon Wars Saga: Iron Samurai, Shield of Justice, Down in Flames, and Scarlet Sin. Each issue focuses on Momoko’s reinterpretation of iconic heroes – Iron Man, Captain America, Phoenix, and the Scarlet Witch – as they engage in fierce warfare within the Ikai, or Spirit World. Unsurprisingly, Peach Momoko’s art is stunning, evocative, and enthralling, while Zach Davisson’s English translation and “Yokai Files” writing are top-tier.
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Personally, my favorite issue of Demon Wars is Scarlet Sin, because I just feel like Momoko’s reimagining of the Scarlet Witch as Momiji, the vengeful, chaos-filled controller was a fun interpretation of Wanda’s MCU journey in Multiverse of Madness (which I know a lot of folks had issues with, but still). However, I think I liked the character designs for Phoenix and Cyclops the best, from Down in Flames, because they just so hilariously represent an alternate version of Jean and Scott. Aosagi, the regal, godlike, and ethereal bird of flame, with her needy, desperate cyclops Hitotsume-Kozo. Simply hilarious, in my opinion.
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The Demon Wars trade paperback has such a stunningly gorgeous cover – terrifying, inspiring, and rich with detail – that I wish it was a hardcover so I could more easily display it on my shelf. The Yokai Files are a lovely addition to the comic, adding in real Japanese folklore with beautiful art from Momoko. There is only one full-page variant cover in the back, The Iron Samurai variant from Alex Maleev, which is a shame, but they do cram a bunch of quarter-page variants into the trade. The entire look and feel blend perfectly with Demon Days, and will certainly become an instant Peach Momoko classic.
Other writers have spent a lot of time reviewing the individual issues of Demon Wars, most to much acclaim. When I was reading Demon Wars I felt like there was a disjointed nature to the tales, even though they were direct continuations, perhaps because the release dates were so far apart. Reading them all together, back-to-back, in trade paperback form, really elevated the story’s emotions, stress, and intensity, making it a much more enjoyable and satisfying read. Anyone who liked the individual Demon Wars issues but didn’t love them will almost certainly change their mind when reading them as a collection.
Peach Momoko’s art is truly spectacular to witness, and Demon Wars shows off the complexity, movement, and vibrancy that make Momoko’s illustrations so special. It is astounding how creative Momoko is with her character reimagining and design, with the Demon Wars versions of Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Magik, and Captain America – plus so many others – making the alternate universe feel unique in a way that few are able. To be honest, I would have purchased this trade paperback just because of the epic cover… but as soon as I opened the comic and dove into Mariko’s next adventure I would have quickly realized just how worth it Demon Wars is.
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