Ultraman narrowly averted a catastrophe decades in the making. The world was saved - but, also, forever changed.
Now...come the consequences.
Much of the populace regard their defenders with suspicion. Enemies hide in plain sight, and even those closest to Shin Hayata don't necessarily have faith in the Giant of Light. But at last, a long-thought-lost comrade has mysteriously returned!
That's a good thing...right?
The RISE is over. The training wheels are off, and the stakes have never been higher. THE TRIALS OF ULTRAMAN begin here!
Rated T+
The Trials of Ultraman #1returns to the Ultraman universe its creative team has set up, featuring new challenges for the titular Tokusatsu hero. With the ending touching on another thread fromThe Rise of Ultraman, Ultra fans are in for more Kaiju-filled action and new takes on elements of the Ultraman mythos. Read Full Review
The United Science Patrol steps out of the shadows, but still keeps some secrets. Read Full Review
Final Thoughts:The Trials of Ultraman #1 has good art and good action but is mostly a setup issue to set the stage for the story to come. Shin is portrayed with a wholesome Peter Parker/Spider-Man vibe, and the copious exposition isn't slowed down at all with the brisk pace. Read Full Review
The Trials of Ultraman #1 is setting up a different kind of story while reminding us of how we got here. For that, it works well as an introduction to the series and a setup issue. It does feel short, though, especially with the backup stories padding out the thickness of this book. It's not so much a decompression problem since there are many plots set up or revisited, but simply not enough happens within each plot to totally hook the reader. Fans of the original series will dig it, though, and it's setting up Shin and Ultraman for all sorts of trials. Read Full Review
Writers Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom kick off their second volume of Ultraman comics with Marvel and have already exceeded their work on the "Rise of Ultraman." Read Full Review
The public rollout of the USP goes poorly. Shin chafes at the fact the new transparency doesn't extend to Ultraman. And the OG Ultra-Guy from the 60s gets kidnapped by sinister forces. This issue's script follows the pattern set by the art: Individual moments are quite strong, but the issue as a whole doesn't gel into a cohesive story.