Ultimate X-Men #42 pg 3 - 1st appearance of Karma in Ultimate Universe (Finch pencils, Thibert inks, Bendis story)

Enter Karma!

Making her debut in the Ultimate Universe Series, Xi’an Coy Manh (known as New Mutants codename KARMA) enters the scene for her first appearance (the previous page being her “born” page, 2004). She is a beloved character first introduced in the Marvel Team-Up #100 (1980) and featured prominently in the New Mutants comics. For some odd reason the only original NM member not in the movie adaptation. In this page she is part of Fury’s elite team checking to see if the President is being artificially influenced by Xavier, there is some fun banter between the President, his staff and his wife. Some extra unnecessary tension that really helps make these characters living breathing entities.

My first piece of Finch and Thibert art, ideally not my last, from Bendis’s epic run on the Ultimate X-Men series. This page features some fun art techniques, you can see Finch’s perspective horizon pencil lines and the middle panels only feature the new art to be used on top of the repeated upper panel. I really enjoy seeing these behind the scenes art techniques and how each creator has their own formula.

I really love the Finch/Thibert details we get to see, the expression in the faces and the beautiful close up on her eyes in the last panel, when we get to see her eyes all glowed up activating her power (can see it more in the published colored page). It’s nice to have a little piece of Karma’s history in some manner.