Ultraman Faces New Challenges In Sequel Series This March From Marvel
by James Ferguson
This year saw Marvel Comics partner with Tsuburaya Productions for The Rise of Ultraman from writers Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom and artist Francesco Manna. The team is getting back together again in March for a follow-up series, The Trials of Ultraman, furthering exploring the pop culture icon’s mythos.
Picking up right after the conclusion of The Rise of Ultraman, the new series follows our hero as he has narrowly averted a catastrophe decades in the making. The world was saved, but changed forever. With much of the populace regarding their defenders with suspicion, enemies hiding in plain sight, and those closest to Shin Hayata not necessarily trusting the Giant of Light, what could possibly come next? A comrade long thought lost mysteriously returns, setting up Ultraman for his greatest challenge yet.
“In The Rise of Ultraman, we had to create a whole new universe (built on the powerful concepts and characters of the original television shows). Then, in the final issue of Rise, we turned that world upside down.” says Higgins and Groom.
“Now, in The Trials of Ultraman, we get to really explore this new universe– the consequences of decisions made in Rise, and the possibilities (as well as tensions) of a newly-fantastical global community.” they continued. “The introduction is over… now, we’ll be diving into the real meat of our Ultraman saga. And the stakes and scale will only continue to grow.”
“We’re so grateful that so many existing Ultraman fans embraced our new interpretation, and that new fans took a leap of faith to join us on this journey. It’s a privilege to continue to contribute to the wider Ultraman canon, and we’ll never take for granted that we’re only able to do so because of the support of readers. We hope everyone will join us for the next step– there are big things ahead!”
The Trials of Ultraman #1 features a cover by Arthur Adams. It’s set for release in March 2021.
