X-Men Monday #322 – Peach Momoko and Friends Talk ‘Sai: Dimensional Rivals’

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

Sai, writer and artist Peach Momoko‘s Demon Days twist on the X-Men’s Psylocke, returns this January in Sai: Dimensional Rivals. But for this five-issue limited series, Peach isn’t tackling Sai’s adventure across the multiverse alone — she’s bringing along a few very talented friends: fellow creators Natacha Bustos, Iban Coello, Jim Mahfood, Mike del Mundo, Stan Sakai, and more.

Of course, Sai: Dimensional Rivals #1’s release date of January 14, 2026, is still over a month away, but Peach and a few of her collaborators were willing to answer a few questions — and share some art — to tide you over. Let’s see what they have to say.

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Peach! Sai: Dimensional Rivals seems quite different from your soon-to-conclude (and incredible) 24-issue Ultimate X-Men run. What made you want to revisit Sai as your next Marvel project and share art responsibilities with other creators?

Peach Momoko: Marvel approached us to tell a story centered around Sai and Marvel Rivals. And we felt Marvel Rivals was all about a mash-up of many different characters from different backgrounds fighting and teaming up against each other. So for the comic, we wanted to focus on that concept with Sai as sort of a dimension jumper. But I felt that in order to have a true feel of “different dimension,” instead of me drawing every page in a different dimension, I thought it would be fun and unique to have different creators per dimension Sai enters. That way, readers will also see a difference in dimensions easily. 

This Sai story is based on Marvel Rivals. But I do want to revisit Sai in a different approach (story) after this, too.

AIPT: What do you love about Sai as a character?

Peach: I love that Sai is a wandering ronin. Because she isn’t grounded and is constantly traveling, she sees and experiences many things freely. She is also strong and confident. She is what I consider an ideal way of living. 

AIPT: Sai: Dimensional Rivals has been described as an “almost dreamlike work.” Could you expand on that and share what readers can look forward to in the pages of this 5-issue limited series?

Peach: Sai: Dimensional Rivals is about Sai looking for the seventh stone. Each world Sai enters will tell a different story by a different artist. How she interacts with other characters, how she finds the stone, how she evolves… it is a true visionary-focused book. So I hope everyone enjoys Sai: Dimensional Rivals as a simple story filled with an explosion of art.

AIPT: Thanks for taking the time to chat, Peach! And now for a few words from Peach’s Sai: Dimensional Rivals collaborators.

Welcome to X-Men Monday, everybody! As an artist, what makes contributing to a series like Sai: Dimensional Rivals so appealing?

Stan Sakai: This project was a nice turn from my usual animal characters, but I love the feudal Japan aspect of it. “The Kami in the Bottle” was both a change for me, but still very familiar.  

Natacha Bustos: What’s most exciting is the incredible creative freedom that Peach’s concept offers and the opportunity to reinterpret Sai. On a collaborative level, this comic really reminds me of the “exquisite corpse” exercises we used to do back when I was studying Fine Arts — one person starts a drawing and the next continues it. The results are always surprising, original, and a lot of fun, and that’s something that truly thrills me.

It will also be my second original story for Marvel, following my contribution to Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1. It’s always a challenge for me because I usually work strictly as an artist, so being able to both write and draw my own story feels especially exciting.

Jim Mahfood: This is a really creator-friendly project, where we’re being encouraged by Marvel to be ourselves and have fun doing our best, most unique work. Plus, we get to work with Peach, and she’s the best. 

Iban Coello: Being part of this project let me try different things in the way I approach my work. And it’s really fun!

Mike Del Mundo: So many things. First off, Psylocke has been a childhood favorite of mine, so having the opportunity to play with her story is a pretty big deal. 12-year-old me would be losing it. On top of that, I really love the world Peach has built, so being able to add my own creative piece to that lore is very exciting. 

AIPT: What can readers look forward to in your Sai: Dimensional Rivals story?

Stan Sakai: I love that Japanese folklore plays a big role in the Sai series, so I did a very Japanese-type story involving yokai, vengeance, and retribution.  

Natacha Bustos: In my story, I wanted to take Sai to a high school — but not just any high school. The setting is inspired by a British boarding school, though this particular academy hides more than a few peculiarities. Sai also runs into a rather familiar character or two. Honestly, the whole thing is a wonderful excuse to draw them all younger and wearing school uniforms, haha.

Jim Mahfood: Super fun action and adventure, with mind-bending, tantalizing artwork and storytelling! 

Iban Coello: I tried to embrace my Japanese manga influences, and people will see it in these pages!

Mike Del Mundo: I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s gonna be a lot of butterflies. 

AIPT: What do you enjoy the most about Peach Momoko’s Sai as a character?

Stan Sakai: Sai is such an interesting character, and her time period really appeals to me. I love Peach’s character design. It has both a traditional and modern feel. It’s a wonderful idea to open up Peach’s world to other creators.

Natacha Bustos: Sai is a beautiful and incredibly versatile character. Peach’s interpretation gives her nuances that make her appealing to a wide range of readers. This Sai is adventurous and confident, traveling through dimensions not only in search of the stones but also in search of herself — and that was something I wanted to reflect in my own story.

Jim Mahfood: She’s got attitude and she’s a wanderer-type character, kind of like Lone Wolf and Cub. That’s extremely cool. 

Iban Coello: Sai is a really fun character to draw! Peach did awesome work with the design

Mike Del Mundo: Seeing Psylocke reimagined as Sai in feudal Japan fighting demons is a breath of fresh air. I love when creators put their own spin on existing characters, and I’m a huge fan of the Japanese folklore, so this was a perfect combo. 

AIPT: Finally, how was it collaborating on this series with Peach Momoko?

Stan Sakai: Peach and Yo are such great people to work with. They are very accommodating to my ideas, but still thoroughly professional.

Natacha Bustos: It was a fantastic experience. Peach and I were both Stormbreakers the same year, and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the first Marvel Art Atelier, where we served as mentors for new Marvel talent. Later on, we crossed paths again at a convention in my hometown of Málaga, and she has always been incredibly kind and approachable.

I’ve followed her Marvel career from the very beginning, and she’s one of my favorite artists. Working with Peach is always a joy because her ideas are innovative, refreshing, and full of personality. It’s truly an honor to be among the artists she selected for this project.

Jim Mahfood: Amazing! Peach rules. We’ve been friends since 2016, so we’re big fans of each other’s art and expression. I knew her before she was a rockstar. It’s been incredible to see her rise like the fiery phoenix and kick tons of butt with her work! 

Iban Coello: Collaborating with her was amazing. We have a really good relationship since our time as Stormbreakers, and I was really glad when they asked me to be part of this project.

Mike Del Mundo: It’s been amazing, Peach basically told me, “You can pretty much do anything in this story” so it’s been a great experience from the jump. I’ve worked on a few covers for Demon Days and Ultimate X-Men, so getting the chance to jump in and handle some interior pages, too, is the icing on the cake. 

AIPT: Thank you, everybody, for stopping by X-Men Monday!

Remember, X-Fans, Sai: Dimensional Rivals #1 goes on sale January 14, 2026. As you no doubt noticed, Several eXclusive pages from the series were shared throughout the above conversation. But as one final treat, here’s an eXclusive look even further into the future at the cover and solicitation for Sai: Dimensional Rivals #3, on sale March 25, 2025.

SAI: DIMENSIONAL RIVALS #3 (OF 5)

Written and Drawn by PEACH MOMOKO, MIKE DEL MUNDO & More!

Cover by PEACH MOMOKO

METAMORPHOSIS!

Sai continues her journey through an artistic Multiverse, landing this issue with creative master MIKE DEL MUNDO! Witness some of the trippiest artwork you’ve seen, all woven into the narrative of Sai’s hunt for the mystical stones!

On Sale 3/25/26

Next X-Men Monday – December 1, 2025

In the next edition of X-Men Monday, writer Steve Orlando returns to discuss The End 2099, featuring Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Weapon X, and other X-characters!

Until next time, X-Fans, stay eXceptional — and have a Happy Thanksgiving!