Ultimate X-Men #3: Dark And May-Stormy Night

At its best, the X-Men (and by extension most superhero comics) thrive in the world of soap operas and melodrama. A lacking element on both the page and the screen is a lack of melodrama between characters, trading the thick tensions and dramatic irony with a larger focus on pure adrenaline and spectacle. The best of the cape genre is a mixture of both, but the streamlining of ongoing series into minis and a reduction of supporting casts has seen the qualities drop from titles. That deficit in most of the Big Two books is beginning to be rectified in the pages of the still-expanding Ultimate Universe. 

Ultimate X-Men #3 – written and illustrated by Peach Momoko with script adaption by Zack Davisson and lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham – offers more clues into both Mei and Hi-Chan’s pasts, building around two flashbacks in between a ballgame being played at school. After the explosive action of the last issue, the main plot for this installment is restrained. In its place is a quieter, more subtle expression of the traumas that both girls are carrying. Also introduced in the issue is the next supporting character previously teased, with Nico Minoru (famed magic user and Runaway) showing up as a classmate of the lead duo. 

Even as the issue works at a slower pace, the story remains a compelling introduction to the mutant side of the new Ultimate Universe. A simmering tone is present and Momoko’s scripting proves that quiet introspection does not have to mean less compelling or glacial pace. Structuring the issue around the two flashbacks, a shorter one for Hi-Chan up top and then the longer one leading into the Nico introduction makes for a well-plotted issue. The pacing leads into a speedy story that wrings its leads for drama, taking the typical soap opera tone of the X-Men and switching it for the slice-of-life manga flavor. It’s an excellent transference that channels a general approach that then filters to a specific viewpoint. 

The inclusion of the sideline conversation framing story is an excellent choice that allows Momoko to move the plot forward as the central cast grows with Nico and some hints to other characters. The dynamic between Hi-Chan and Mei is still developing, with fast friends holding back information. As they learn more about each other, plenty remains unsaid between the duo. Momoko’s control of the dramatic tension establishes the conflict and drama between the two while teasing a possible upset in the form of Nico and her possible revelation. Jostling friendships, sudden revelations of mutants, and teenage culture data pages lie at the issue’s heart. That makes for a compelling read beyond the use of powers or possible mystical elements. 

Momoko’s art works in perfect tandem with the writing to convey that pace, as the fluid panels flow organically. The flashbacks are well introduced, signaled though smaller panels on the previous page as mini cliffhangers that create consistency between timelines. The first uses a tight, vertical panel that establishes Mei’s childhood home, indicating the tiny, oppressive space that will be seen in the flashback. That little choice spirals into the scene as Mei is depicted in a series of either medium or close-up shots. Only when her mutation flares up (indicated through some type of possible magical/mystical infection) does the paneling open up, showcasing an explosive double-page spread. 

As Mei grapples with the possible corruptive or infective influence of the shadowy substance, the coloring drains from the book. In one interpretation, it could be viewed as a stylized depiction of shadows of the evening, with curtains closed for the bedroom. On the other hand, the shadows creep into the scene and make a specific change to the texture of the world. Mei is changed by these shadows, both metaphorically and literally on the page, and Momoko pays close attention to it in both the coloring and visuals. 

The explosion of the double-page splash is a visually arresting moment that Momoko depicts with breathtaking emotion. The eruption of rain and storms is an excellent case for the reflection of emotions using superpowers. The Maystorm name is fitting and the depiction of the outburst does a lot to sell the character and her personality beyond the mysterious classmate. There is a volatile undercurrent to her character that feels in step with Hi-chan’s defensive demeanor (itself a reflex of the armor power). These two alternating personalities and their respective visual manifestations allow Momoko to create opposites that share an underpinning of loneliness. Maystorm pushes (or blows) people away while Hi-Chan builds her emotional walls and Momoko evokes those visuals in a way that speaks to the strengths of superhero comics.