Summary
Japan’s transforming icon,Ultraman, will be teaming up with the equally renowned Marvel Comics’Spider-Manin an upcoming manga, titledUltraman: Along Came a Spider.This particular collaboration will have the Japanese creators handle the brunt of the work this time, with Marvel engaged in even moreUltramancrossovers. The first two chapters will be released on the Viz Media app on August 13, while print versions will be published summer 2025.
The news, which was broken byAnime News Network, reveals that Viz Media partnered with Tsuburaya and Marvel to create the manga. Attached staff include Tomo Hirakawa, artist for variousSword Art Onlinemanga, who will be drawing the new work, while Shigennobu Matsumoto, who’s written extensively forDuel Masters, will pen the manga.
These team-ups continue to boost Ultraman’s presence in international media in the wake of several other notable productions, including Netflix’s original works.
Rooster Fighter Anime Announced at Viz Media SDCC Panel
One of the freshest action parodies around, Rooster Fighter is finally getting the anime adaptation it deserves.
Ultraman Meets Marvel This August
Both Spider-Man and Avengers Crossovers to Release Soon
Tsuburaya Productions’synopsis for the upcoming collaborationdescribes a conflict whereSpider-Man and Doctor Doom are swept away into Ultraman’s universe. There, Spider-Man and Ultraman will team up to defeat Doom, who has joined forces with Mefilas and various other monsters to steal Ultraman’s power.Along Came a Spiderisn’t the only impending crossover featuring Ultraman alongside Marvel’s cast of characters: In 2023, it was announced thatthe Kaiju-fighting hero would be teaming up with the Avengers inUltraman x Avengers, with preview art showcasing Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain Marvel. This, too, is expected to launch on August 14.
TheUltramanfranchise has been seeing a recent push in international media and streaming platforms, starting with the Netflix-hosted adaptation of Eiichi Shimizu’s manga in 2019, which depicts a timeline where new heroes don transforming power armor. Netflix also releasedUltraman: Risingonly earlier this month, which received positive critical reception.Along Came a Spider,however, follows a more traditional depiction of the hero and his universe. With these two crossover stories following hot on the movie’s heels, Tsuburaya Productions has been busy increasing its IP’s recognition beyond the classic Tokusatsu fanbase, where it remains a venerable, though old brand.
Marvel Continues to Court Tokusatsu Genre
While the collaboration is a bit unexpected, Marvel has always been open to including Tokusatsu references in some of its stories, especially given the genre spawned aSpider-ManTV series of its own in 1978. The greater curiosity will be seeing how the Japanese interpret Spider-Man and Doctor Doom inAlong Came a Spider, since they will have more creative control.One of the more interesting choices revealed already is the inclusion of Doctor Doom, who’s not seen often outside comics despite his infamy. Whether one followsUltramanor Marvel,Ultraman: Along Came a Spidershould be an August highlight.
