Peach Momoko's Ultimate X-Men presents a captivating and refreshing take on Marvel's mutants, featuring stunning watercolor artwork and unique interpretations of lesser-known heroes. Momoko's transition from cover art to sequential interior work has allowed her to demonstrate her storytelling abilities and showcase her talent beyond just creating covers. Ultimate X-Men delves into real-world social issues that modern-day kids face, exploring the impact of phenomena like social media, both the positive and negative aspects. Here's an image from the comic: 
Peach Momoko recently discussed the new Ultimate X-Men series, touching on topics such as the character Armor, the use of body horror and the theme of adolescence. In interview with Screen Rant, she talked about transition from doing cover work to more sequential interior work in comics and how she felt pressured to prove herself as an interior artist. She also shared her journey from artist to writing and creating comics.
PM mentioned that they never intended to do interior work or comic covers, but they started going to Comic Cons and got published in a magazine. The Chief Editor invited them to LA Comic Con, where they discovered comics and started doing more shows at Comic Cons. They didn't expect to be published for covers, but they made connections and things just kept going. Eventually, Marvel offered them the opportunity to do interiors. Although they are still optimistic about doing gallery work and fine art, they are currently 90% focused on comics, especially Marvel projects like Ultimate X-Men. They are also continuing to work on their own original fine art style projects on the side.
Regarding Ultimate X-Men, PM said that the opportunity to write it as part of the Ultimate Universe came about randomly. They were at Disney Paris doing a mentorship when C.B. Cebulski called them and asked if they wanted to take a break from the Demon series.
We were initially planning to take a break from our usual work when we were asked if we wanted to work on Ultimate X-Men. This was a very random and unexpected. Although it is part of a larger shared universe, I still feel independent in my process. There is not much overlap between my story and Hickman's, so I been given the freedom to tell the story how I want. Even though Demon Days and Demon Wars are part of the Momoko-verse, there are still certain rules that need to be followed in order to represent Marvel accurately.In the Ultimate X-Men series, there are certain characters that Marvel doesn't allow us to use because they're already being used in other comics like Ultimate Black Panther or Ultimate Spider-Man. However, I actually enjoy having these limitations because it allows me to explore different avenues while still staying true to the Marvel universe. As for why I chose Armor as the central figure for the start of the series, I was researching X-Men characters and came across Hisako who has the power of "Armor". I felt that the armor was symbolic of a girl in her own shell, always protecting herself and unable to fit into the world. This concept really interested me, especially when it comes to exploring adolescence and the struggles of being a teenager. The cover of the first issue, with Hisako curled up and protected by her armor, really set the tone for the series and inspired me to use her as the main character.SR: Wow, it's fascinating to hear about the creative process behind Ultimate X-Men! It seems like the themes of adolescence and metamorphosis have always been important to you. Can you elaborate on how these themes influenced your work in Ultimate X-Men?
PM: Absolutely! Adolescence is a period of great change and self-discovery, and it's something that resonates with me personally. I find it natural to tell stories about the challenges and growth that young characters go through. In the case of the X-Men, it's a recurring theme for many of them. So, incorporating adolescence and metamorphosis into Ultimate X-Men was a natural fit, and it allowed me to explore the characters' journeys in a meaningful way.
SR: Another exciting aspect of Ultimate X-Men was the introduction of Maystorm, who originated from the New Champions cover. Can you tell us more about how Maystorm made her way into Ultimate X-Men?
PM: It's an interesting story! When I was working on the Champions Variant cover, I had already developed Maystorm as a character with her own unique traits and design. Little did I know that later on, while I was drafting Ultimate X-Men, Marvel approached us and offered the opportunity to introduce a new character. It was almost serendipitous because I had already envisioned Maystorm fitting into the story. So, when Marvel suggested creating a new character, I was thrilled and immediately incorporated Maystorm into the narrative, specifically in the relationship between Armor and Maystorm. It all came together very naturally, and I'm grateful for the chance to bring Maystorm to life in Ultimate X-Men.PM was thrilled and honored when Marvel approached her to redesign Storm for Ultimate Black Panther. She loves designing outfits that show movement and make sense in the real world. Marvel knew that this is the kind of stuff she likes to do, which is why they approached her to design the Ultimate Storm character.
Regarding the preview pages for Ultimate X-Men #1, they are beautiful and a bit terrifying, especially with Hisako pulling on the ingrown hair on her forehead. It seems to be inspired by the body horror genre. PM may speak to this inspiration, but it's unclear if this type of body horror will be seen throughout her Ultimate X-Men.PM: Growing up, I was heavily inspired by Japanese manga, body horror, and horror in general. So, when I write books like Ultimate X-Men, I always try to incorporate what I love and understand. While I don't want to overwhelm the story with body horror, I do like to sprinkle it here and there. By doing so, it keeps things interesting because you never know when it will appear. I'm consciously including elements of body horror throughout Ultimate X-Men. So, you can expect to see glimpses of it throughout the series.
SR: That sounds really exciting! Jonathan Hickman once mentioned that the original Ultimate Universe resonated with readers because it reflected the world outside their window. With Ultimate X-Men, what real-world issues or experiences do you hope to address or explore?
PM: I make it a point to incorporate real-world problems and social issues that kids face into my stories. I believe that even though times have changed, many of the problems kids face today are similar to those faced by kids 30 or 40 years ago. The difference lies in how information is accessed and shared. Bullying and the stress caused by the overwhelming amount of information are still prevalent themes. However, with the current generation and the rise of social media, information is now more easily received and disseminated.Nowadays, social media numbers hold great importance for kids. In my Ultimate story, I aim to depict the social media stress and numbers that kids are going through in the real world. However, I am not portraying social media as a bad thing, but rather highlighting the fact that kids are facing some challenges due to its easy accessibility and the abundance of information available. I am also showcasing the positive aspects of social media, where kids can get inspired by people and use it as a core of everything in their life. In issue #3, readers will see how Maystorm got inspired by Storm on a particular social media platform. Peach Momoko's Ultimate X-Men will be a fresh take on the beloved mutants of Marvel, exploring themes like adolescence and the impacts of social media, all while taking place in Japan. The comic will feature lesser-known heroes like Armor and new characters like Maystorm, giving readers a unique perspective on the mutant experience. Ultimate X-Men #1 from Marvel Comics is set to debut on March 6th, 2024.