ULTRAMAN Volume 1 Review

Ultraman is one of the most popular TV/toy properties in Japan right now. Since its debut in 1966, it has remained consistently a hit over there. The actual quality of the shows has waned in recent years, but that's an article for another day. Interestingly, there hasn't been that many manga for the series. (Or at least, some we can find out about!) That's part of the reason why ULTRAMAN was highly anticipated. After being out for four years in Japan, it has surprisingly been licensed over here. Volume 1 nicely establishes the story and provides plenty of references to the original series while being something intriguing for new fans.

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined Shin Hayata of the Scientific Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters known as Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero—a new kind of ULTRAMAN…
Shinjiro is an ordinary teenager, but his father is the legendary Shin Hayata. When he learns that his father passed on the “Ultraman Factor” to him, and that he possesses incredible powers, nothing will ever be the same again.

What I found most appealing about the story is that it places itself in continuity after the original series. The intro was great, giving us a rather intriguing scenario: a future where Ultraman is only a memory. The Science Patrol museum was a lot of fun, showcasing Ultraman's final fight with Zetton in figure form. Interestingly, we have Hayata straight from the original show. It's really cool how it looks like he'll be an ongoing character. Then we have Ide also. If you're a fan of the 1966 series, there's a lot to like here. The beginning introduces us to Shinjiro, our main character in child form. There's a nice slow buildup of intrigue as we see he has certain abilities. This leads us to Hayata himself revealing to Ide that he too has powers. "The Ultraman Factor" the manga is calling it. It's quite fascinating, though explained rather quickly. Hopefully in the next volume it'll go into that a bit more.

In modern day the story really heats up, and also where we find at least one negative. Shinjiro might have been a happy kid back then, but here the writer (Eiichi Shimizu) goes out of his way to make him the stereotypical high school student. I suppose with not comprehending his powers it could be understandable. Still, it was grating to get through some of those school scenes. He seems to pick up later on when he's given the Ultraman armor. The pacing is very good. The slow unveiling to the antagonist is great. Is that Ultraman? Why does he have a center hole like him? That's why when Hayata says "That's NOT Ultraman" the reader is extra intrigued. So then who is he?

The answer to this day is still one of the coolest scenes in the first volume. This alien revealing himself to be Bemular changes things quite a bit. Longtime Ultraman watchers will remember Bemular to be the very first monster Ultraman fought. This adds a mystery element to the story: has this monster transformed into an alien? Is this a new Bemular? His dialogue is a bit confusing when he says, "My name is Bemular...and I'm your very first enemy!" Is he referring to the fact that he was Ultraman's first foe? Or that he's the first to come? It seems like the latter, so it should be interesting to see how this Bemular connects to the original.

The art by Tomohiro Shimoguchi is definitely very good, even great. The Ultraman armor looks really well done. Bemular however deserves even greater recognition. The art succeeds at making him appear mysterious and ominous. The fight in the climax between them was fantastic and if that's any indication we have many more incredible fight scenes to look forward to. The ending leaves us with a nice cliffhanger, introducing Alien Z-Ton to the mix. These guys have been a fixture in Ultraman since the original show, so it's a really neat ending. Plus, the art nails the design perfectly.

Overall, ULTRAMAN starts out strong. The writing is very good. It's obvious that both the writer and artist care about the source material. It is a must-read for longtime fans. It connects in a fascinating way to the first TV series and continues the story of Hayata, arguably the best Ultraman human host. Shinjiro I'm more mixed on as the protagonist, but it's only the first volume so we'll see where character development takes him. Bemular is firmly established as a great antagonist. Combine that with an intriguing cliffhanger and you have a reader greatly anticipating the next installment.

4.5/5

Ultraman Manga: Chapter Fourteen Review

This chapter in the Ultraman manga could be the biggest yet. It's also one of the longest, coming in at 33 pages. The previous chapter had Shinjiro confront Alien Adacic. The latter managed to catch our hero off guard by making him think if he really was Ultraman. It took some kind words from Rena (supposedly an up-and-coming love interest) to get him back in action. This chapter ends Volume 2 on a high note. Great dialogue, awesome fight, and more foreshadowing of what's to come.

Here we have Shinjiro ready for action. Alien Adacic is taken aback by this situation and presides to put an end to Ultraman. Meanwhile Alien Z-ton talks to Ito about 'wrapping this up.' And finally...looks like there are bigger things at work there. It took a long time, but I can safely say Shinjiro is making for a fine protagonist. In this chapter we see him talking back to Alien Adacic with style. There's also a human side thanks to the thinking boxes. It gives us insight into how Shin is feeling about the current situation, something I don't think that's been fully explored in past Ultraman shows. Alien Adacic has some of the best dialogue, he's mean and humorous at the same time. It's a shame he's gone now, I would have liked some more appearances.

The fight is appropriately climatic and epic. There's beams and some melee for good measure. Rena gets another appearance, and once again she's does nothing to impress me. The art is pretty strong. Granted, the fight could have had a little more detail, but no true problem. Alien Adacic looked really creepy and deranged in some panels, props to that. Even more so a shame we probably won't be seeing him again.

Overall, a blockbuster chapter. It has it all, emotion, a big fight, and a fantastic ending. While it may have started off simple this manga is getting bigger now. With Bemular making a return soon, the story will be heating up even more.

4.5/5

Ultraman Manga: Chapter Eleven Review

The Ultraman Manga has passed double digits. The previous chapter was light on the story, it simply was about Shinjiro getting acquainted with being Ultraman. Not bad, but it was time for some plot progression with a villain. This chapter gives us that. The story is interesting, there's a great fight, and the ending will have you very intrigued of what's to come.

Here we have Moroboshi, whom was about to take on the alien threat inside the warehouse. But Shin arrives on the scene. He goes into the warehouse and makes a startling discovery...this alien is feeding off of humans. Time for a big fight that leads up to a revelation about Alien Z-Ton. This chapter is definitely the best one in awhile. The first villain since Bemular is here, and he's pretty intriguing. The design is definitely something out of the original Ultraman or Ultra7, in fact I could have sworn I've seen him before. That's how good it is, it looks so much like something out of the shows that you begin to think it is. Moroboshi comes off as a complete jerk the entire time, even saying "as expected" when he sees the alien escaping. He's an alright character technically, just extremely unlikable and probably would be the least likable if not for his ambiguous name. Shin is slowly becoming a solid protagonist. It started in the previous chapter, now it's coming full force here. I'm actually really liking Shin now, his more righteous persona is a great clash to Moroboshi's arrogance.

Regarding the alien, he's handled very well. If it's one thing mangas are good it, it's making villains cool even if they have a small appearance. This guy's personality is rather different, having a hint being slightly insane. The art captures the battle very well, it's not quite as detailed as the Bemular fight, but still isn't bad. The entertainment factor is still there. The most interesting thing about this chapter is the ending with Z-Ton. Does this guy have hidden motives? It looks that way...but is he actually evil? This will prove to be an interesting plot point in coming chapters.

Overall, a great chapter. This is exactly what the manga needed after a rather light story previously. We have a new alien established, there's a great fight and there's some really good plot progression. The Ultraman manga continues to be a great read all around.

4.5/5

Ultraman Manga: Chapter Nine Review

The Ultraman Manga takes an interesting turn in this chapter. Previously we saw a guy named Moroboshi appear. What's so important about that you ask? Moroboshi refers to Dan Morosobi, the human disguise of Ultrman 7. His being here raises quite a few questions. Besides that the previous chapter was generally just taking it easy. This time the public sees Ultraman for the first time in years. While technically kind of a filler chapter, it was still a pretty good read with a very interesting ending.

Here we have the two officers from last time that were told off from Moroboshi. They run ino a very big car accident. This accident is so big that Shinjiro himself has to jump in. Meanwhile back at Science Patrol base Moroboshi reveals he's not too big of a fan of Shinjiro. This chapter can be summed up pretty fast. Shin saves someone from an about-to-explode-truck and we find out Moroboahi is an arrogant hotshot whom doesn't like Shin. The important thing is that the public sees Shin as Ultraman for the first time. It's easy to forget he isn't giant, hence the very humorous scene when Officer Kurata said "Cosplaying?" Shin still has yet to leave an impression on me. His reluctance earlier in the chapter didn't help matters. But, by the end he seems to actually like being Ultraman, so maybe from here I can start calling him a solid protagonist.

The artwork is very strong. There are some very memorable shots, such as when Shin faces the two officers, fantastic panel. The ending with Moroboshi was quite interesting. Alien Z-Ton is still the best character in the whole thing, loved his appearance here. Moroboahi on the other hand is being portrayed either as someone very cool or very unlikable, it's up to the reader to decide.

Overall, Chapter Nine of the Ultraman manga isn't the most exciting plot wise, but still has some interesting developments. No sign of any villains, but that's how mangas work, they're usually very heavy with character development. Either way, this series is still going strong.

3.5/5

Ultraman Manga: Chapter Seven Review

Volume Two of the Ultraman Manga starts here. The previous chapter was by far the best and most important. We learned that the Alien menace was actually a resurrected Bemular. That was probably one of the most shocking twists I've ever read. This manga literally grabbed this weak kaiju from the very first episode and placed him here with dialogue and a new look. The other interesting thing? The final few pages introduced another familiar character...Alien Z-Ton. Now the manga was really going with its plot. This chapter serves as a much needed explanation of a few things. It's severely short, (17 pages) but has probably the best dialogue yet.

Shinjiro goes to see his father, whom is still unconscious. Soon Ito brings him to the Alien Z-Ton that goes by the name of AI-DE. Ever wonder why aliens haven't attacked for 40 years? We learn that here. Now Shin is called to be the next Ultraman. First off, I love the call-backs to that final episode of the Original Series. The references really help deepen the story. In just a few pages, this Alien Z-Ton has already become of the best characters of the series yet. Sadly Shin doesn't really deepen as a character here, this is just him being shocked and asking questions. He hasn't left average territory yet. This chapter is also the shortest, being just 17 pages. Thankfully there's enough satisfying content, which is really thanks to Z-Ton's dialogue and imposing stature. The art really does this guy justice. Now the manga is asking the reader a question. Is this alien really good? Or fooling everyone? Ito seems to trust him. It's stuff like that which adds to the mystery element of the story. The main thing established here is that there are aliens living among the humans, and that Bemular has somehow resurrected himself into a new form. Good stuff, though hopefully we'll see some monsters in their more kaiju-like designs soon. (Not that I don't like the aliens of course.)

Overall, despite being really short, Chapter 7 of the Ultraman Manga gives the reader some very interesting info. We get a few answers, which leads to more questions. Alien Z-Ton was definitely the highlight, I hope he becomes a regular in the story. If the ending is any indication, we're still in the prologue stage, for it looks like Shinjiro is about to finally become Ultraman. I'll be looking forward to seeing how things play out in Chapter 8.

4.5/5

Ultraman Manga: Chapter Six Review

This is the big chapter for the Ultraman Manga, it's is the end of the first volume. Looking back, it established things pretty interestingly. It started off smoothly, slowly introducing us to the characters and setting, which is in the Original Show's continuity. Shinjiro, which is abbreviated as Shin, put on the Ultraman armor two chapters ago. He's been neither a great protagonist or bad one...he's just there. The last chapter was basically just a continuation of the fight between him and the alien, nothing big happened. This changes here, because not only one shocking thing happens, but another. This is definitely the best chapter yet.

The battle has concluded. Shin is tired, but so is the Alien, whom has lost part of his body. The latter cannot fight, so he retreats, but not without letting Shin know his true identity. (Holy moly!) Shin goes to his father, but passes out. Later in a hospital bed he is greeted by Ito...and a familiar looking thing. This chapter concludes the fight, it's more dialogue based, which is a good thing since not much happened in Five. The Alien's identity is revealed to be...are you ready for this...Bemular. History lesson for non-fans, this guy was the first ever monster Ultraman fought. (Famous for his immobile arms, but that was fixed in Mega Monster Battle.) This came as a huge shock for many reasons. The main one being that if this thing is Bemular, how the heck can he talk? The author succeeds greatly in capturing the reader by surprise, this was a truly shocking (and cool) twist.

The other big thing about this chapter is the arrival of Alien Z-Ton. Another history lesson, Alien Z-Ton appeared in the final episode of the original Ultraman. They are aliens which are famous for summoning the monster Zetton. So this was also pretty shocking, and an amazing plot point. (Is that really Ito? Is he being tricked? Manipulated?) Now this manga is really going with establishing very interesting plot points. The art improves upon the last chapter, there's some really nice detail. The splash page with Z-Ton and Ito was a true highlight. But the true thing of why this chapter shines? It successfully builds suspense with great dialogue and carefully unveils the twists. This chapter was surprisingly only 22 pages, yet it managed to have satisfying content.

Overall, Chapter Six of the Ultraman Manga is a true highlight. Fans really should be checking this out, lots of great stuff. The twists are quite shocking, but aren't forced. The story is taking its time with the plot, giving us information, good action, and big reveals. After this chapter, I am officially hyped to see what comes next.

5/5