Ultimate X-Men has been a series that marches by the beat of its own drum. Over seven issues, we got to know Hisako, aka Armor, quite well, with a merry band of teen mutants joining her side. Now she and her friends are aware of a cult called the Children of the Atom, and a body has been stuffed in a suitcase. Things are really heating up in the series, with Ultimate X-Men #8 setting the plot to a healthy boil.
Ultimate X-Men #8 opens with a streamer investigating Hisako’s school, the site of multiple suicides and other curious activity. She serves as a channel for the public to learn all about mutants, who have been mostly hidden away in this universe. It seems the lid is coming off very soon in that regard.
This issue bounces around a bit, from the streamer to Hisako and her friends to Psylocke and her police officer brother to Nico’s friends. All the while, the Children of the Atom cult is trying to keep the very idea of mutants a secret. By the end of the issue, the villains have new motivations to act, and two new mutants are revealed. For most, that’ll be enough to make this a must-buy.
Streaming enters the equation.
Credit: Marvel
Something that permeates this issue is a sense of dread and weirdness. The series has had horror-style scenes, but here, we get a suicide that turns quite freaky. The suicide is pretty intense, played down by the rather unsurprised Noriko, who witnesses it. Peach Momoko renders his transformation in a surrealistic way, making you wonder what’s happening. Is he dead, or is this some kind of power? In another scene, fire powers seemingly kill a person, and it’s pretty horrific.
Generally speaking, Momoko’s art feels like it’s for a younger reader, with the teen characters’ more hopeful looks, but the content is adult. This series isn’t for just anyone, which is obvious since it feels so unique in its fresh take. There’s an almost dreamlike way of how the story unfolds at times, making you feel a bit confused as to what is going on and why, which is a negative at times but also a positive as it opens up your imagination.
Things are getting pretty serious in Ultimate X-Men #8, with new mutants being revealed and the Children of the Atom cult pushed to act. The series is nearing a dramatic crescendo, and this issue does a lot to get us there.
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