Peach Momoko: Revolutionizing Marvel
From her series Demon Days to endless cover art, Peach Momoko is everywhere nowadays.
“I swear she is not real. She is probably 5 different people because there is too much content coming out. Every week you see handfuls of Momoko variant covers and then her social media is full of art she does in her “free time”. It’s remarkable.” My local comic shop owner gives me his weekly soapbox as I purchase the week’s new releases.
Peach Momoko is a Japanese comic artist whose work has been changing Marvel Comics. Her artwork is easily recognizable due to her use of watercolor and cultural influences that produce work that resembles anime. Labeled as one of Marvel’s Stormbreakers, Momoko is creating a legacy.
Art Style
Momoko’s works are incredibly detailed and a sight for sore eyes. Most people associate comic art with pop art and dramatically drawn onomatopoeias and while that is true in some cases, comic art has truly evolved as worthy of being in a gallery.
The piece “hannya and girl” portrays Momoko’s original content and horror style of art. Momoko includes lots of eyes, blood, and skeletons throughout her own personal work and in her comic variant covers.
Demon Days
Demon Days is a 6 part series that introduces what is dubbed as the “Momoko-verse”. These issues read more as manga as they transport you into a world full of oni (demons) and a plethora of other magical creatures from Japanese folklore. At the end of each issue, there is a section that goes in-depth about the folklore characters referenced in the issue. If you love Japanese culture and learning about folklore, this is the comic series for you.
Classic Marvel characters such as Psylocke, Black Widow, and Wolverine are rewritten and redesigned in this story that focuses on a new character created by Momoko named Mariko Yashida. Mariko has an incredible character design that includes stunning jaw armor. If you’re interested in the process behind the creation of Demon Days, check out Demon Days: X-Men Creator's Cut (2021) #1.
Mariko discovers her mother is an oni, meaning she is part demon. Now, she is on the path of finding her mother to learn more about who she truly is, which of course is not an easy path to trek. The series has been a fascinating read that I highly recommend. The final chapter “Blood Feud” releases in March 2022.
Below are character designs for the main character Mariko and Momoko’s versions of Storm and Thor in the issue “Rising Storm.” Momoko’s versions of Storm and Thor were siblings, which was a nice play on the fact that she is the goddess of rain and he is the god of thunder.
In an interview with Marvel, Momoko provided a list of songs she had been listening to on repeat. Now, you can listen while admiring her art and reading her work.
“Machi” (Quruli)
“Jishaku” (Aiko)
“Tsuyogari Mashita” (Aimyon)
“Strawberry Moon” (Daoko)
“Ai No Kotodama ~Spiritual Message~” (Southern All-Stars)
“Suna No Wakusei” (Yuuming Matsutoya)
“Kisui” (Yuusari)
Be on the lookout for this symbol (Peach Momoko’s signature) on comic covers when you’re out supporting your local comic shop!
Alexa