Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Features » The Legacy Of Ultraman In Comics

The Legacy Of Ultraman In Comics

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings01/18/20234 Mins ReadUpdated:08/07/2023
Ultraman Comics
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Ultraman Comics

Ultraman is probably one of the most iconic figures in tokusatsu history — and there have been plenty of Ultraman comics that reflect that. Alongside Kamen Rider and Super Sentai (or as we know it, Power Rangers), he’s responsible for shaping the genre into what it is today. And that legacy has extended across multiple shows and feature films, including Shin Ultraman from the creative duo of Shinji Higuchi & Hideaki Anno. Here’s a look at the silver savior’s history in the world of comic books.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Ultraman (Harvey/Nemesis Comics)

Ultraman comics

Ultraman’s first foray into comics came from the now-defunct Harvey Comics and its Nemesis imprint. Both imprints used the Ultraman: Towards The Future series, produced in Australia for inspiration, and featured an astronaut named Jack Shindo becoming Ultraman. However, the Nemesis comics ran into several problems. First and foremost, the creative team thought they were working on a comic based on the original Ultraman series rather than Towards The Future. This led to Shindo being killed off, with martial arts master Ace Kimura replacing him as the new Ultraman. In contrast, the Ultraman miniseries that preceded the Nemesis comics was more faithful to Towards The Future and even boasted the creative talents of the late, great Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie would also work with artist Ernie Colon on the series, with the duo later reuniting to create Damage Control for Marvel.

Ultraman Tiga (Dark Horse Comics)

Ultraman Comics %E2%80%94 But Why Tho 5

 

The next Ultraman comic would come courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. While the publisher is best known for creator-owned comics, including the Hellboy universe, it also regularly puts out licensed comics centered around film and TV. Ultraman Tiga was no different: the comics were originally published in Hong Kong before being translated into English for their Dark Horse release. And in fortuitous timing, an English dub of Tiga was airing at the time on 4Kids TV. Unlike the Harvey comics, the Tiga maxiseries would hew more closely to its source material, with the first few issues outright adapting events from the opening episodes! Considering that Tiga was one of the most popular installments in the Ultraman saga, it’s not surprising.

Ultraman (VIZ Media)

Ultraman Comics

In 2011, a new Ultraman manga would launch and take the character in an entirely new direction. Written by Eiichi Shimizu and illustrated by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, it is a direct sequel to the original Ultraman series. It follows the son of the original Ultraman Shin Hayata, Shinjiro. Discovering that he has gained superhuman powers due to his father’s bonding with Ultraman, Shinjiro dons a hi-tech suit of armor and battles alien invaders as the new Ultraman. The Ultraman manga often goes to far darker places than its source material, tackling themes of xenophobia and terrorism. And it also finds new ways to play with the Ultraman mythos; even though this is a direct sequel to the original Ultraman, other Ultra characters, including Ultraseven and Ultraman Taro, get their time to shine. The manga’s even inspired an anime series on Netflix!

Marvel’s Ultraman Saga

Ultraman Comics %E2%80%94 But Why Tho 3

Finally, there has been the recent miniseries that Marvel Comics has been putting out. These series include The Rise of Ultraman, The Trials of Ultraman, and the recently completed The Mystery of Ultraseven. They come courtesy of a deal that Tsuburaya Productions struck with the House of Ideas to give Ultraman a bigger footing in the states. And all three series improve on the work that came before. Like the manga, they go deeper into elements of the Ultraman mythos while modernizing it for the current era. And unlike the Harvey series, actual research was put into the series! That comes courtesy of writers Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom, who are no strangers to the world of tokusatsu. Higgins previously wrote Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for BOOM! Studios and helped shape the Massiveverse at Image Comics.

The legacy of Ultraman has been a major part of comic book history, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon. In fact, later this year, the worlds of Ultraman and Marvel will finally collide! Given the response to the previous series and Shin Ultraman, I wouldn’t be surprised if even more Ultraman comics show up in the future.

Shin Ultraman is currently playing in select theaters and will arrive on VOD and DVD later this spring.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Batman: One Bad Day – Bane’ Issue #1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Dark Web: X-Men,’ Issue #3
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

08/14/2025
Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

08/08/2025
John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

08/08/2025
Street Fighter 6 Sagat

Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

08/07/2025
Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

07/31/2025
Battlefield 6 Multiplayer Reveal promotional image

Battlefield 6 Classes, Maps, And More: Everything You Need To Know

07/31/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here