Peach Momoko’s first story arc ends this week on Ultimate X-Men #6. The slow unveiling of what mutants have been up to in Japan has allowed the concept of superpowers to emerge, while a cult of mutants has reared its head. Between good mutants and bad ones, Ultimate X-Men #6 puts them head to head.
If you’re looking for action, Ultimate X-Men #6 has it. It also has a cast guide to start, which is handy given the ensemble has grown quite a bit. This issue also fleshes out the cult Shadow King is part of, Shadow King himself, and the connections it has to other characters. It feels incredibly important to the larger tapestry while also letting Armor stretch her legs and be the hero she was born to be.
Ultimate X-Men #6 opens with Armor, Maystrom, Fledling Psychic, Mori, and Natsu unpacking a diary that holds clues to the mutant cult. It’s a hot summer day, yet two of the characters want to play basketball. Momoko captures the childlike demeanor of these characters as well as the rather grave info they’re about to learn.
The meatiest bit of this issue involves Shadow King, who gets a full flashback origin story. A somewhat removed kid in school, we learn he had an abusive mother but the ability to change how she feels and thinks with his powers. This leads to a direct confrontation with the main heroes and a battle on the basketball court you won’t want to miss.
Momoko’s art continues to be a major selling point of the series, with cool effects when it comes to the Shadow King’s powers and armor. The final page is quite harrowing, thanks to the use of background imagery blending with a grave scene in the foreground. This version of the Shadow King may go down as the creepiest ever put to page.
Be sure to read the Lexicon at the back of the comic for translation on the diary.
Credit: Marvel
The visuals of the criminal cult are a big reason they are established as villains. Momoko uses wires connecting to their heads unnaturally, like something out of The Matrix, while Shadow King’s goopy black smoke is unnatural and evil in its depiction. Like some kind of evil oil. Pair that with the ideas of religion, blood, and cultural elements as far as how the evil mutants view themselves, and it’s interesting stuff.
As far as the story, it does feel like it has taken ages to get this far. By the end of the issue, the friend group that makes up the heroes is feeling firmer, while the foil to their group, the cult, is all the more realized. Still, the plot progression continues to be very slow, and the series would do well to speed things along to hold the reader’s attention.
Also contained here is a lexicon detailing Japanese culture, practices, and translation for American readers. It continues to reinforce the cultural significance of the series.
Ultimate X-Men #6 firmly establishes the good guys versus the bad guys in an enlightening final issue to the first story arc. The plot continues to move slowly, but it’s hard to deny the compelling new take on mutants and the X-Men.
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