Rise of Ultraman (featured image) Reviews 

“The Rise of Ultraman” #1

By | September 11th, 2020
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

With 42 pages of great content by three different creative teams, “The Rise of Ultraman” #1 is a jam-packed, rollicking read. (Warning: may contain minor spoilers.)

Cover by Alex Ross

Written by Kyle Higgins
and Matt Groom
Illustrated by Francesco Manna
Colored by Esepen Grundetjean
Lettered by VC’s Arianna Maher

In darkness there lurks Kaiju – terrifying and unfathomable monsters. Between Kaiju and the rest of us stands the United Science Patrol! But who are these enigmatic defenders, and how do they perform their miracles? Shin Hayata and Kiki Fuji have spent half a lifetime trying to find out – and their quest is about to drive them toward a decades-old dark secret and put them on a collision course with a mysterious warrior from beyond the stars! Kyle Higgins (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Mat Groom (Self/Made) and Francesco Manna (AVENGERS) reimagine the classic origin of a pop culture icon as THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN begins!

From “Captain America” to “Batman: War on Crime,” “Rocketeer Adventures” and “Star Wars,” Alex Ross has done more than his share of iconic covers. This week, you can add “The Rise of Ultraman” #1 to list, because it’s as good as cover art gets. I’m pretty sure all Marvel needed to do was put was put 1 on the front and the book would sell itself. Go ahead and linger on the cover as long as you want, but once you get inside, you’ll be equally impressed. This over-stuffed debut issue has got everything.

After the main story comes the first in a series of one-page comics called “Kaiju Steps” (illustrated by Gurihiru). Ostensibly, these eight or nine panel stories are produced by the United Science Patrol’s People & Culture Division. Featuring Cadet Pierre and his weird little sidekick Pigmon, each of the stories follows the same basic formula. First, there’s some sort of crisis. Then, there’s a teachable moment, followed by a two-panel kicker. They function as a sort of Public Service Announcement style, but they’re fun and funny as hell, with a sense of humor along the lines of “Monty Python” or “Mr. Show.” In one, Cadet Pierre exclaims, “My hands! They have become discourteous lobsters!” and sure enough, they have.

There’s also a great back-up story called “Ultra Q.” In a style that’s markedly different from both the main story and “Kaiju Steps,” it’s a period piece that takes place in Paris in the mid-1950s. With an elegant, monochromatic look that reads like a noir, it gives us a glimpse into how the USP was originally formed. With two great characters that echo those in the main story, you might feel compelled to pick up issue #2 to read the next installment of “Ultra Q” alone. The lettering by VC’s Arianna Maher is also outstanding and adds a wonderful texture. Finally, don’t overlook (not that you could) the awesome two-page splash that shows us “Things to Come.” Back in sixth grade (or maybe later tonight), I’d definitely tear out these two pages and tape them to my bedroom wall. The composition is stunning and tells a story all on its own.

Okay, yeah, you’re thinking, enough about all the backups. What about the main story?

Well, in terms of the narrative, I thought the book was great. Not exceptional, mind you, but it did most everything a first issue needs to do. Sure, I’d like to have gotten a better look at Ultraman in the final sequence, but I can live with that. The thing that I can’t let go – and honestly, can’t quite fathom – is the inconsistency seen in some of the art.

In one two-page spread (when Captain Muramatsu tells Kiki to suit up), she almost looks like she was drawn by three totally different artists. In the top left panel, she looks pretty young, maybe in her late teens or early 20s. Also, her affect is nothing but wholesome. With a sweater vest over a collared shirt, she could be a prep school student. Then, a few panels later, near the bottom of the page, she suddenly looks much older. Peering out from under her bangs – with smoky eyes and black lipstick – she looks mischievous and sensual. On the next page, lower right corner, she looks like a kid again, someone we might see in the halls of Gotham High.

Continued below

To a lesser extent we also see it in Shin’s character, too. When he first makes his appearance, he’s got the swagger and style of a gun fighter in the Wild West or maybe someone who makes their living as an interplanetary smuggler. Later, as he drives Kiki home, Shin looks an extra who wandered over from “Archie.”

To be clear, there’s a lot of great stuff: an incomprehensible (to us) alien language written in beautiful, flowing script; tight visual sequences with great angles that create lots of drama; redacted bits of narration that nicely underscore the mystery and weirdness; and vibrant colors that crackle with energy. It’s unfortunate that a handful of inconsistent panels yank you out of the story, if only for a moment, because the rest is dynamite.

Final Verdict: 7.8 Come for the main event, but be sure to stay for the extras, they make a decent debut much better.


John Schaidler

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