With the arrival of Marvel's Demon Wars (by Peach Momoko and Ariana Maher), fans are treated to a visually stunning and beautifully drawn story exploring Japanese folklore with influences from Marvel's extensive catalog. Demon Wars is a sequel to the popular Demon Days (by Peach Momoko, Zac Davisson, and Ariana Maher) story and is a re-imagining of the Marvel Universe, blending Marvel characters and elements with traditional Japanese folklore. The story follows Mariko Yashida as she accepts the truth of her Oni heritage and is drawn into a potential war between opposing Yokai factions.
And now, Demon Wars is a Momoko-Verse retelling of Civil War, with Mariko taking center stage in this strange and beautiful world now occupied with Yokai and Oni. A truly stunning tale blending traditional Japanese folklore with Marvel's existing characters, Demon Wars is a breath of fresh air in the ever-changing multi-verse of Marvel.
The story begins with Mariko Yashida as she explains the truth of her heritage, being the daughter of an Oni, and now living in a world where Yokai legends and creatures exist. As Markio navigates the depression brought on by being able to see these strange and sometimes terrifying creatures all around her, she is mysteriously drawn to a mystical gate one night that transports her to the spirit world. Inhabited by Yokai and Oni, she is brought before countless interpretations of Marvel characters like the Iron Samurai who is this world's version of Iron Man, and Hayabusa, a falcon version of Captain America.
Upon her arrival it is explained that she is the descendant of a great and powerful Oni, Kigandoshi, who once terrorized the human realm before being decapitated and sealed away for centuries. Kigandoshi's power had been protecting the Yokai dimension until Mariko inadvertently set him free by using power derived from part of his missing head during the events of Demon Days. Now with the power of the Yokai waning more than ever and the deadly Kigandoshi being none too pleased about his missing appendage, Yashida is tasked with returning the severed head in an effort to calm the enraged Kigandoshi.
The quest to return Kigandoshi's head has the Yokai community split in two, with some Yokai believing that returning the head will restore the Yokai to full power, while the others believe that Kigandoshi will engage in his deadliest rampage yet if he's restored to his former glory. With only a descendant of Kigandoshi being able to return the head, both sides of the community attempt to entice Yashida to their side in order to fulfill their own agendas. The groundwork for the Yokai civil war has been established with Mariko directly in the middle and likely to see her choose a side.
Peach Momoko's re-imagining of Civil War will see Mariko embark on a journey like no other through the immaculately drawn Momoko-Verse with the fate of not only the human world, but the Yokai dimension as well, resting in her hands. The divide between these opposing factions opens the way for the Yokai Civil War to commence, and Mariko will have to muster every ounce of courage and strength if she's to stay the course and ultimately determine the destiny of the spirit world and her own.
Another exciting entry in the incredible Momoko-Verse, Demon Wars is shaping up to be an even more exciting version of a classic Marvel event, told through the eyes of a heroine unlike most that are typically seen in the publisher's titles. Fans will have to wait until November 16th for the next installment, Demon Wars: Shield of Justice, but if this first issue is any indication of the quality of the series, it will be well worth the wait for the exciting second entry in this visually stunning world of Japanese folklore with a Marvel twist.