Toku Tuesday Review: Ultraman Vol 1
Not your father’s Ultraman!
Coming at you on this Toku Tuesday is the first volume of the recently released Ultraman manga. Originally debuting on Nov 1, 2011 in Shogakukan’s Monthly Hero’s magazine, VizMedia has been generous enough to bring it overseas! The book serves as a sequel to the 1966 Ultraman series, and is written and drawn by the team of Eiichi Shiizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, creators of the Linebarrels of Iron series.
The first chapter sets up the series very well so here’s the short version:
It has been decades since Shin Hayata and Ultraman parted ways. He is currently Minister of Defense but does not have clear memories of his time as Ultraman, although he still possesses some superhuman strength and speed, dubbed the “Ultraman Factor”
Shinjiro, Shin’s son, has seemingly inherited the “Ultraman Factor” as shown by a toddler Shin falling three stories only to emerge unharmed.
After witnessing Shin’s strength and Shinjiro’s fall, Shin’s friend and former partner in the Science Special Search Party Mitsuhiro Ide reveals that he has secretly kept the SSSP operational since Ultraman’s departure and informs him that a new alien threat has presented itself.
We flash forward 12 years later, where we learn that Shinjiro has become aware of his abilities, but has not revealed that fact to his father. In an attempt to protect a classmate, Shinjiro accidentally breaks the attacker’s leg, even as he was attempting to control his strength. Seemingly having been stalking Shinjiro, the threat from 12 years ago presents itself and attacks the unarmed teen, who is rescued at the last moment by his father, ULTRAMAN.
I’ll stop my summary here, leaving something for you all to read yourself but i will mention this, unlike the Ultraman show, this series will revolve around Shinjiro and his human- sized Ultraman exosuit, not a giant sized monster puncher. This fact leads me to believe we will get a story that deals with more human stories, giving us a science fiction drama, rather than a monster-of-the-week series. The writing in this first volume feels very strong and concise, with no wasted pages.
The art in the series is very clean and deliberate, even in the high-paced fight scenes. The artist’s use of shadow works to emphasize a feeling of action, and determination, which especially helps convey Shinjiro’s attitude while in the suit.
My only nitpick would be the ‘colored’ pages at the beginning of a few chapters. They probably looked amazing in the original magazine, but the black and white reproductions leave a bit to be desired.
Overall, this first volume works well as an introduction to this new Ultraman world, and I am looking forward to reading more. We get a backstory, and introduction to the antagonist, protagonist, and the supporting characters.
I give this book four out of five Specium Ray blasts!
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