- Written by: Peach Momoko
- Art by: Peach Momoko
- Colors by: Peach Momoko
- Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover art by: Peach Momoko (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: April 2, 2025
Ultimate X-Men #14, by Marvel on 4/2/25, continues the battle in the astral plane under Viper’s orders while Nico and Mori continue the search for Armor.
Is Ultimate X-Men #14 Good?
Recap
When we last left the Children of the Atom in Ultimate X-Men #13, a more mature and battle-ready group of mutants, led by Kanon and Nico, fought Armor and the Shadow King. When the fight was nearly done, we learned the fight wasn’t real but illusions in the minds of Shadow King and Armor as they floated in a suspension tank controlled by Maester.
Plot Synopsis
In Ultimate X-Men #14, the battle on the astral plane continues while the search for Armor plays out in the physical world. Viper instructs Maester to push Shadow King and Armor as hard as he can to get them compliant with the Council’s wishes. In the astral plane, the battle rages as Surge and Akihiro join the fight in various capacities. Maystorm’s rematch against a (virtual) Surge takes on deadly overtones when Surge spawns Akihiro’s claws during the battle. Armor’s commitment to the fight is distracted when she recalls her guilt over rejecting Tsubasa’s omamori because that guilt is what led her to fall under Shadow King’s control.
In the physical world, Yukio, the streamer, finds her place trashed after digging into the activities of the Children of the Atom. Meanwhile, Mori and Nico go undercover to another of the Children of the Atom’s kid refugee meetings, secretly led by Maystorm. Nico unmasks and tells Maystorm she believes Armor’s disappearance has something to do with the astral plane, and the swirling eye they saw in the sky has something to do with the Shadow King.
The issue ends with a girl with Rogue-like hair entering a diner.
First Impressions
Huh? What? What’s going on? Is anyone keeping track of what’s happening or can tell me where this series is heading? That’s about the reaction of probably 90% of the people who might see “X-Men” on the cover and pick up this issue. Peach Momoko’s combination of coming-of-age and slice-of-life stands apart from every other Ultimates title and anything remotely familiar to Marvel fans, but maybe that’s okay.
How’s the Art?
Peach Momoko’s kid-friendly, Shojo-focused form of art suits the material Momoko crafts in her scripts. The character designs and action fit within a genre of storytelling that hits the tween-girl demographic perfectly.
What’s great about Ultimate X-Men #14?
Peach Momoko has certainly picked up the pace in recent issues. Admittedly, the direction of the plot (if there is one) is still unclear, but the assorted threads are moving and taking shape as the mutant presence becomes more public and Viper steps up her plans.
What’s not great about Ultimate X-Men #14?
As if it wasn’t already clear, the average reader will have no idea what’s going on, where this story is headed, or what anything in this story has to do with the Maker, the Maker’s Council, and the Ultimate Universe as a whole. Peach Momoko’s lack of purpose, direction, and cohesion with the overall Ultimates line practically walls the title off from your average Marvel reader by acting as inaccessible (and sometimes as incomprehensible) as possible.
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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Final Thoughts
Ultimate X-Men #14 ramps up the pace and the action, albeit with a distinct lack of purpose or direction. Peach Momoko’s coming-of-age, slice-of-life actioner is a weirdly odd fit for Shojo Manga lovers, but the title, as presented, practically orders traditional Marvel fans to stay away.
6/10
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