Tokyo — February 29, 2020 — Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd is thrilled to announce the story details and artist lineup for the Marvel Comics ULTRAMAN series “THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN” launching later this year. Revealed to a packed house by Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski today at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN #1 will revisit Classic Ultraman, the first generation of the worldwide phenomenon. Series will be co-written by Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom with art by Francesco Manna.

Both known for their talents in world building, Higgins (Power Rangers, Winter Soldier) and Groom (Self/Made) will combine their acclaimed storytelling skills with the stunning style of superstar artist Francesco Manna, who has drawn for some of Marvel’s biggest series like Jason Aaron’s Avengers and Dan Slott’s Fantastic Four. As fans of the Ultraman series, they will introduce Ultraman to new fans young and old and revisit the iconic era – and spirit – of the Ultras longtime enthusiasts know and love.

“A few years ago, thanks to my time on Power Rangers, I was able to discover and learn more about Tokusatsu. With its wildly different conventions and inspirations, tokusatsu—and Ultraman in particular—has been a huge source of joy for me,” said Higgins. “It’s a genre so ripe with possibilities, even down to what we conceive of in the structure of super hero storytelling. It’s both an honor and a privilege to bring Ultraman to Marvel.”

“Monsters in fiction have been embodying all that is dark and scary in our world for as long as we’ve been telling stories. But I don’t think anybody understood the immense scale of our most pressing problems quite like Eiji Tsuburaya,” shared Groom. “He imagined the darkness looming overhead as tall as skyscrapers—alien and unknowable and ANGRY. But he also imagined us being able to stand up to those monsters, by rising above our worst impulses and embracing a nobler way of being. He imagined ULTRAMAN. What does that mean in this complex, contradictory world of lies? We’re going to find out…”

At the end of last year, Tsuburaya Productions and Marvel Comics announced a landmark collaboration to produce all-new stories based on the classic Ultraman series starring the beloved pop culture icon, Ultraman.

Stay tuned for more details about what can you expect from Ultraman’s adventures when THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN #1 hits stands later this year!

The promotional Ultraman artwork accompanying this release is by Ed McGuinness.