Superhero team-ups and crossovers are commonplace these days — as culture seeks to expand its multiverse, bringing big names together has become more common and easier than ever — but it’s still rare to see a cross-cultural exchange like Marvel’s latest. Ultraman The crossovers occur on the same day and offer very different approaches to the form and function of the genre.
Today, Marvel Comics and Viz Media announced two unique mash-ups that combine Tsuburaya’s legendary special effects hero Ultraman with the Marvel comic book superhero universe. On the manga side, Ultraman: Spider-Man has arrived Written by Shigenobu Matsumoto and Satoshi Hirakawa (translated by Joe Yamazaki). In Western comics Ultraman x Avengers #1, the first of a three-issue miniseries by Kyle Higgins, Matt Groom, Francesco Manna, Matt Milla, and Ariana Maher.
On the surface, they both present a similar premise: mysterious circumstances throw Spider-Man into the world of Ultraman in a typical superhero-saving-the-day sequence. Which Spider is different – Peter Parker in the cartoon and Miles Morales in the comics – is far from the only different path the two books take in terms of ideas.
in Ultraman x Avengersthe crossover situation is, of course, intrinsically tied to the concept of the multiverse. The reason Miles was drawn into the Ultraman world is because he was once in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, and during a few years of Spider-Verse shenanigans, he’s now intrinsically tied to the concept of the multiverse. Reed Richards’ plan to delay Galactus’ arrival on Earth only to have him sent to another Earth in the multiverse goes sideways (bad tactic, Reed!). Spider-Man appearsThe film relies on the more traditional tropes we’ve come to expect from alternate universe stories: Here, Peter is mortally wounded in a battle with Doctor Doom, but metaphorically, both hero and villain are run over by a train and whisked across the boundaries of reality to Ultraman’s Japan.
What’s interesting about both crossovers is their approach to continuity and their understanding of the heroes they’re dealing with. Spider-Man appears This movie portrays Peter Parker as a kind of movie-comic hybrid. In his world, he fights alongside the Avengers, who are very similar to their MCU counterparts. He is also still a relatively young man, only three years after losing his Uncle Ben and becoming Spider-Man. This is a loose approximation of Spider-Man, drawn loosely. He is a superhero, he shoots webs, he wants to save people, and that is basically all you need to know about his characterization. He is Spider-Man! And that is it. We can expect him to encounter Ultraman by the end of Chapter 2, and perhaps at some point Hayata Shin will say, “I want to save people too!” Ultraman x Avengerson the other hand, is wrapped in an intriguing layer of context and understanding that, while not intrusive, speaks to the various ways in which Ultraman and the Marvel universe try to find common ground.
in particular, Ultraman x Avengers Rooted in Marvel’s previous context Ultraman The comics of the last few years are original stories that take the broad premise of the classic Ultraman from the 60s and transfer it to its own modern continuity. The circumstances in which we meet that version of Shin and his United Science Patrol comrades rely on circumstances that arose from those countless comic series, and ultimately lead to Shin and a few close comrades breaking away from the USP after their leader, Director Morheim, is revealed to be an alien in disguise. The aftermath of those series is essential in setting the stage for when Miles appears, creating the initial distrust Shin and his friends have towards him. It establishes the first hurdle the united heroes will face in dealing with Galactus when the rest of the Avengers finally arrive. It even delves into little details like a running gag between Miles and Peter, a nod to how Ultraman Jack, the giant mecha built by Shin’s comrades, isn’t all that different from Yamashiro Takuya’s Leopardon, his Japanese spider friend who has appeared in various works. Spider-Verse The comics are wrapped in layers of understanding and continuity.
Like I said, it’s not a burden.Ultraman x Avengers‘s debut issue does a good job of introducing the Ultraman side of things for those who haven’t read the Ultraman manga. Its use of continuity is fan-esque, but that’s not a negative thing. It’s more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous works, but even if you haven’t, it’s still enjoyable. Spider-Man appearsits breadth invites commonalities between its protagonists, rather than connecting them with each other in their differences.
How long will this continue? Spider-Man appears and Ultraman x Avengers It remains to be seen how the two will continue together over the coming weeks and months, but their presence alongside one another on the release schedule provides an intriguing opportunity for the two formats to elaborate on why this kind of crossover is so appealing in the first place.
Want more news from io9? Check out everything you need to know about when the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases are due, what’s next for the DC Universe in movies and TV, and the future of Doctor Who.
