Demon Days X-Men #1 Review

Demon Days X-men #1

When I first started this book I didn't know what to expect. I was initially drawn in by the Art on the cover showing Psylocke prominently before an image of Venom. The title proudly exclaims Peach Momoko Demon Days X-Men #1. Before reading this I was unfimiliar with Peach Momoko's work. I was familiar with the X-Men name. And this was the main reason I tried this comic. 

Shortly after begining the book I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not a typical X-Men book. This was a whimsical tale drawn with a stunning manga like art style, using X-Men and other Marvel characters as inspiration for new, vastly different characters. In a vastly different world. 

This story takes place in a village at the foot of Kirisaki mountain in ancient Japan. This is a time when humans live amoung beasts called Yokai. The villagers are fueding with a race of ogre like Yokai called Oni. 

The story begins with a young girl with a warrior spirit named Tsuki taking on an Oni that resembles red hulk. In pursuit of this Oni she meets a ninja girl named Sai. This girl resembles a young Psylocke. She is accompanied by a wolf named Logan. 

During their adventure they meet a shaman like girl named Juju who has traits of Jubilee. Together they take on a version of Venom terrorizing the village. 

This adventure is brilliantly drawn and written and the watercolour like visuals really spark the imagination. While the relation to X-Men characters seems to be based on resemblance only, I was not disappointed with this story once I realized this was another entirely different world. 

If you are reading on Marvel digital unlimited, there is also a creators cut of the book available. This is the same story with extra content, and depicts this tale in a raw penciled black and white version, similar to manga. It included a few extra scenes as well as sketches and character profiles of the Demon Days cast. 

This was a fun read. I encourage any Marvel fans looking for a whimsical tale to pick it up. Don't let the X-Men title fool you. This is an original concept full of fresh ideas and a fresh perspective on established characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the Demon Days saga, Mariko #1, and see where Peach Momoko goes from here. Look forward to a review of that book as well.