Ultraman x Avengers was a crossover I dreamed of that I never thought might become reality, but here we are! After Marvel made three new Ultraman miniseries, The Rise of Ultraman, The Trials of Ultraman, and The Mystery of Ultraseven, it was only a matter of time before the colossal hero met Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! This four issue mini-series is a direct continuation of the aforementioned titles, but it does a good job of catching the audience up that may have missed an issue or two. To be completely honest, I haven’t read those three series yet, but I followed Ultraman x Avengers no problem at all! In fact, I would even argue that this miniseries is built for people who have no prior knowledge of the Land of Light’s protagonists!
Also, for the Marvel fanatics out there, no vast Avengers knowledge is necessary either, as the book throws you in with familiar characters that everyone knows, such as Galactus, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Captain America. They are very straightforward and easy to identify, but the story unfolds in a way that allows you to get to know them alongside the Ultra Guard as exposition. But, if you know about obscure Tokusatsu, especially shows like Supaidāman (Toei’s live-action Spider-Man series from 1978), and of course, general knowledge of Ultraman lore, you’ll probably get way more out of this book! It packs some really fun references for those superfans! So, is it as exciting as you’d expect from the premise alone? Let’s find out!
The story starts with Galactus invading the Ultra Universe on Planet Zarab, and we get some exposition explaining what’s going on for those uninformed on Ultraman related lore. After devastating Planet Zarab, Galactus offers to spare the planet if he is given a new herald. Alien Zarab accepts, and the two head for Earth. This whole book is full of exposition to keep those uninformed on Ultraman or those uninformed on Avengers to fully grasp what is going on. While it’s never poorly done, it does get a little tedious during the first half of the story. The writing has a ton of world building in the Ultra universe though, and experiencing the Avengers learning about it is quite entertaining, with Tony Stark in particular having some really good character moments interacting with these characters.
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Of course, in traditional Marvel fashion, Galactus comes to Earth after the events on Planet Zarab, so the stakes right off the bat are huge. Miles Morales Spider-Man is the first Marvel character to appear in this new universe and honestly, it’s so fun seeing him snark his way through his first meeting with the Ultra Guard. Eventually, the rest of the Avengers appear, and things really start moving. The roster of the team is a bit interesting:, we have Sam Wilson as Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man (Peter Parker this time), and The Wasp. I like the dynamic team up, but I do wish we had Thor and maybe even an X-Man involved in this crossover.
As things progress, our teams of heroes are trying to find a way to stop Galactus as he feeds on Earth. Galactus is the most powerful being to ever come to the planet in this universe and that summons hordes of Kaiju. Ultraman and the Avengers are fighting a double battle against legion of Kaiju, big and small, while also trying to talk to and stop Galactus. It is incredibly fun to see the Avengers fight Ultra Kaiju while Ultraman battles with Galactus. It isn’t only Ultraman, though! Ultraman Jack appears as well, but instead of the traditional Ultra humanoid being, he’s actually a mech! Jack adds a very Super Sentai-esque feeling to this comic as a combiner mech, as well as giving Spider-Man a reason to reference the iconic Supaidaman by Toei! Peter Parker even gets a chance to pilot Jack, making him an honorary Ultra!
This comic feels more than just an Ultraman x Avengers crossover, it feels like a true Tokusatsu event with Ultraman as its core heart. One of our Ultra Guard characters also gets to be her own version of Iron Man and it’s fun to see how that plays out! This comic feels huge and epic in the same way that it felt to watch the 2012 Avengers film for the first time, or even the bigger sequels, Infinity War and Endgame. It is an absolute blast all throughout, even with the piles of exposition.
I think it’s so fun to experience characters from both franchises learning about each other. They have so many differences, and yet so many similarities. Ultraman says in this comic that the people of Earth could learn a lot from Captain America, and likewise, Ultraman teaches the Avengers what it means to be compassionate, even to an enemy like Galactus. Ultraman is a character of peace, hope, and love, in a way a lot of superhero media lately is forgetting, so to see him rub off on the Avengers is wonderful.
The humor is really well done, too! It actually got an audible chuckle out of me a fair few times! We get Captain America giving Peter and Miles a little sass, and Iron Man offers some fun commentary on the similarities between Marvel and Ultraman’s world! It isn’t just the Marvel characters with top tier characterization though, as Ultraman is fantastically well written. His constant compassion for all life is heavy throughout and he has such a strong sense of purpose. Ultraman truly is the protagonist of this story, and he’s so engaging to read. Ultraman and Shin Hayata have a great bond and I think I’ll need to go back and read Rise of the Ultraman by Marvel immediately.
We also get some other Ultra appearances too, like Father of Ultra, and my personal favorite, Ultraman Taro! Ultraman Taro gets an epic fight against Galactus where they fight nearly to a stalemate, but the battle is long from over! Ultraseven appears as well, but sadly, he doesn’t get much to do. In this crossover, he is interestingly more like an Incredible Hulk in execution. The book consistently ramps up the intensity as you get further, and the short four issue length makes it a breeze to get through!
I won’t be spoiling any more of the book, but I highly recommend it to fans of either franchise even if they have no knowledge of the other. The book explains and sets the stage perfectly for any audience to find something engaging about it. Ultraman x Avengers has depth, meaning, and most of all, it’s fun as heck. The ending is brilliantly lighthearted and brought a genuine smile to my face. Run, don’t walk, because this is a comic not to be missed!
