Ultimate X-Men has been a unique series for Marvel. Both from a look and world building approach, Peach Momoko has taken a more manga-like approach to the storytelling. Now what will be interesting is how Ultimate X-Men does as it is no longer the only mutant-focus series set in the Ultimate Universe. Ultimate Wolverine has recently expanded on the history of mutants in the Maker’s version of the Ultimate Universe. With that let’s see how Ultimate X-Men #11 continues the series narrative.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer & Artist: Peach Momoko
Script Adaptation: Zack Davisson
Letterer: Travis Lanham
ULTIMATE X-MEN #11 SOLICITATION
“WHO ARE THE X-MEN? RISE OF THE MASKED MUTANTS! Maystorm takes the reins! No more hiding their powers — even if it means hiding their faces! Disenfranchised and despairing after the raid on the Children of the Atom, the man-made mutants seek out leadership — and Maystorm is ready to rise to the occasion!” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
We’ve gotten to a point in Ultimate X-Men the slow play nature of the story is getting in its own. There are many scenes that come across as a Groundhog’s Day moment because many characters are in the same spot. Even when thing are happening it does lead us to a spot where there is much progress made. It isn’t until the last few pages of Ultimate X-Men #11 that we get some progress.
The biggest problem that Ultimate X-Men #11 is how many characters appear to run in circles. That largely comes from how disconnected all the characters still are from one another. We are still in a stage where Momoko is has the cast split off into pairs. After eleven issues it is time that we see the cast interact in larger groups, especially with how connected they are.
This gives a vibe that Ultimate X-Men #11 is split up into five different mini-stories. Because of that story structure there is not a lot of progress that is actually done. In most case characters are left in the same spot they were at when this issue began. The slow sense of progress in both the character arcs and greater story just isn’t cutting it anymore.
The opening is a great example of this. Keeping it to just Nico Minoru and Mori investigating Natsu Tsukishima, aka Cyclops, whereabouts makes this feel like a small story. This investigation would be more important if we had Hisako Ichiki and Mei Igarashi with them. It would’ve given more of a mystery vibe to this part of the story rather than two characters catching up to where we as the reader are at.
That said, Momoko nails create an atmosphere with Natsu’s destroyed room. There is a lot of character development done for Natsu without her being there. The destruction shows that she is not in the best emotional state and gets you more concerned about her. But since characters are all split up into pairs there is no room to show where she actually is at. Showing where she is at would’ve helped feel like there was actual progress done with Natsu’s sub-plot.
The meeting between Armor and Psylocke also is an example of how we are more reminded of how slow things are moving. Momoko uses the overly used hero vs hero first meeting plot for this meeting. While the action does showcase Momoko’s great ability at choreographing fights this feel like a third or fourth issue scene, not eleventh issue. There’s even some retroactive storytelling to better integrate Psylocke’s purpose in seeking out Armor that just doesn’t work. It made it seem that this fight was supposed to happen much earlier but did get the time because of how slow the story is moving.
It’s not until the end with Maystorm’s Secret Society of X-Men that we start seeing the vision of the greater progress of the story. Momoko does a good job at using Storm’s appearance in Ultimate Black Panther to get Maystorm’s X-Men to start acting.
Though it is not the most exciting thing that the thing getting the Secret Society of X-Men to act be the returning Shadow King. There are so many other X-Men villains that Momoko could adapt to have their own Ultimate Universe counterpart that returning to Shadow King feels like a waste. We didn’t get much time to miss this villain after Shadow King had their own dedicate story arc to kick off this series.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimate X-Men #11 continues to slowly progress the overall narrative Peach Momoko is crafting. But now that we’ve gotten so deep into the series the storytelling structure is working against the series. Even when Momoko’s artwork lifts many scenes it is not enough to mask the slow crawl nature of the story. Hopefully the hook ending is a sign that things will pick up much more in the next issue.
Story Rating: 3 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5.5 Night Girls out of 10
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