Demon Days: X-Men #1: Breaking Barriers (SPOILER FREE ADVANCED REVIEW)

Stormbreaker Peach Momoko pulls us into a world filled with samurais, oni, and folklore from the past. And while the storytelling is intriguing and flows together, it is the art style that catches your attention with each turn of the page. The blend of neutral/cool tones and the stroke of each design of these different characters that grace the pages catch your breath and your eyes. Demon Days: X-Men pulls you in from the very first page with the blend of an old art style and a modern visual language, resulting in pages that, in my opinion, should be framed and put in a museum. And this is where it breaks the barrier between comic and manga style. While moving through these pages, I even had to rewire my brain to stop myself from reading right to left. Being an avid manga reader, this style was breathtaking to see in an American format. To be able to see these styles blend together so preciously, as only a handful of people have been able to do this and keep the story going.

As we know, Peach Momoko grew up listening to Japanese folklore and wanted to reimagine the X-Men world in this stunning take. We know that the story will continue and it does have a bit of a twist to it in the end. I can’t help but wonder what else is in store for our favorite characters that will be pulled into Demon Days. Understanding and seeing the way that the story blends with the art style, and to see the way she has created these characters… It was hard to put down, knowing that the end was nearing, I had to go back to the beginning just to reread this marvelous story.