REVIEW: ‘The Mystery of Ultraseven,’ Issue #1

The Mystery of Ultraseven #1 is written by Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom, illustrated by Davide Tinto, colored by Espen Grudentjean, and lettered by VC’s Ariana Maher. It’s published by Marvel Comics. After the end of The Trials of Ultraman, Shin Hayata had his Ultra energy stolen by Dan Moroboshi, who’s transformed into the mysterious Ultraseven! With Ultraseven roaming the world and battling Kaiju, the United Science Patrol races to learn more about the new Ultra on the scene. Hayata is also plagued by memories from Ultraseven’s past, which hint at a mystery surrounding the appearance of Kaiju.

Much like Power Rangers, another franchise both Higgins and Groom are familiar with, Ultraman has featured a shifting roster of protagonists, and Ultraseven is one of the more beloved. This comic starts to reveal more about his past, including the principles the Ultra live by and how Ultraseven encountered Moriboshi in the past. Considering that this is called “The Mystery of Ultraseven”, it only makes sense that said mystery is set up in the first issue. And like any mystery, the ending will have readers shocked and coming back for more. Higgins & Groom seem to excel at writing Tokusatsu heroes, whether it’s established properties or their own original creations in the Massiveverse, and doing so in a way that appeals to readers old and new.

Tinto is new to the Ultraman saga, as Francesco Manna previously illustrated Trials and The Rise of Ultraman. However, he still keeps the same sense of toku action and sci-fi wonder. A key example of this comes toward the middle of the page, which is split in half. One half features Ultraseven delivering a massive high kick to a kaiju while the bottom half features the USP discussing what his intentions are. It’s a great way to both advance the story and keep the reader interested, and Tinto even uses the flashback sequences to pepper the comic with appearances from other Ultraman characters. Grudentjean helps in a major way, as his colors make certain scenes feel otherworldly. The Land of Light, where all Ultras reside, is depicted as a crystalline blue palace and the Ultras themselves are perpetually glowing with a soft golden light.

As with Trials and Rise, Mystery of Ultraseven #1 comes with two backup stories. “From Rise To Fall, Part 2” is illustrated by David Lopez and colored by KJ Diaz, and another “Kaiju Steps” strip is illustrated and colored by Gurihuru. Higgins & Groom continue to handle scripting duties, while Maher handles lettering. The “Kaiju Steps” remain a nice adorable PSA for dealing with Kaiju incursions, but it’s “From Rise To Fall, Part 2” that’s the most interesting part of the comic. Higgins & Groom set up a story with a surprising connection to the present, and Lopez and Diaz present the art in a way that feels like an old Ultraman episode. Even Maher’s lettering switches to reflect the time period, going from uppercase to lowercase.

The Mystery of Ultraseven #1 takes Marvel’s Ultraman saga to the next level, living up to its title as the mysteries surrounding the Ultras & Kaiju begin to unravel. If you’ve enjoyed Higgins and Groom’s prior work, or you love Ultraman, this is definitely worth a read.

The Mystery of Ultraseven #1 is available wherever comics are sold.