• Written by: Peach Momoko
• Art by: Peach Momoko
• Colors by: Peach Momoko
• Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
• Cover art by: Peach Momoko
• Cover price: $4.99
• Release date: April 10, 2024

Ultimate X-Men #2 continues Hisako’s creepy horror journey to uncover the truth behind a shadow figure’s connection to her schoolmate’s death. This time, she gets a little help from fellow mutant Maystorm.

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Is Ultimate X-Men #2 Good?

Previously, readers were introduced to Hisako Ichiki as a young student tormented by the appearance of a shadow figure somehow connected to the recent death (suicide?) of a classmate, Tsubasa. The shadow’s increasingly aggressive attacks awakened a power within Hisako, which will eventually lead her to become the mutant known as Armor.

Now, Hisako connects with a new student named Mei. Hisako believes the shadow figure is connected to the death of a teacher who may have had a hand in Tsubasa’s death (suicide), and she asks Mei to go with her to a location on a note she received from the shadow figure. When Hisako and Mei reach the location of an old, abandoned school, they find the shadow figure, a creepy security guard, and a heap of trouble.

When the shadow figure attacks, Mei shows she also has powers (Mei will eventually be known as the mutant called Maystorm), which she uses to help drive the shadow away with the help of Hisako’s Armor. The issue ends with the hint that the shadow figure is a remote manifestation of a fellow student’s mind, a student seeking revenge for Tsubasa’s death.

What’s great about Ultimate X-Men #2? The same positives I pointed out in the previous issue apply to this one. Peach Momoko has come the closest to telling an effectively creepy horror manga set inside a version of the Marvel universe. The fallout from Tsubasa’s death (suicide?) is becoming increasingly dire, and Hisako’s plight immediately garners sympathy from the reader.

What’s not so great about Ultimate X-Men #2? The issue suffers from two oddities that could be a deal breaker for new readers wanting to get into the Ultimates.

First, there’s nothing in this issue remotely connected to the Maker or the Ultimates universe in general. It’s as if the Marvel editorial told Momoko to write whatever and ignore the context. The whole point of this series is to reinvent the genesis of the X-Men in a new Universe created by the temporarily exiled Maker, so Momoko gives you something new but wholly disconnected.

Second, the pacing is a slow burn. For a new title in an out-of-continuity environment, this series needs to pick up the pace for wherever it’s trying to go. It’s fine if you know you have a limited series that only intends to tell a one-off story, but per the criticism above, this tile presumes the X-Men will have a place in the eventual conflict against the Maker when he returns. At this rate, the Maker will have returned and been defeated before anything remotely resembling an X-Men team comes together.

How’s the Art? If it wasn’t obvious, Momoko is a true blue Manga artist, and the work here reflects that style. If you like Manga art, you’ll be in great shape. If you want your X-Men titles to have a more traditionally Western art style, you may find the shift jarring.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Ultimate X-Men #2 continues the creepy, atmospheric Manga horror tale about a schoolgirl confronted by a dangerous shadow figure connected to a schoolmate’s death. Fans of Manga Horror may find this extreme take on the X-Men a refreshing change, but readers looking to make the connection between this title and the greater Ultimate universe or anything remotely resembling an X-Men comic (in story and art) will be left wanting.

7/10