Last week was a fascinating development in the world of Ultraman stories, as we got two, technically unrelated Marvel and Ultraman series crossover comics. Between Ultraman X Avengers and Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man, any mix of Marvel and the Giant of Light is available for you now!
As of today, Along Came a Spider-Man Chapter 3 has dropped, and we’re starting to properly understand where the storytelling choices of the two books is diverging. Let’s go highlight those differences so that you can decide which of the two you want to check out first! (But definitely check out both)
Let’s start with the option closer to home — Marvel’s homemade Ultraman X Avengers, written by Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom, with art by Francesco Manna. In this story, tied inextricably to the previous Marvel Ultraman books as a direct continuation, the fugitive Ultra Guard find themselves linking up with Spider-Man — that is, Miles Morales — when he hops into this universe following the trail of a threat to everyone — that being Galactus, who has somehow found his way into this universe, even picking up a new herald in Alien Zarab.
Joined by a larger roster of Avengers, consisting of Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, the Wasp, and Peter Parker Spidey, the story is, to put as simply as possible, deeply Marvel in its storytelling. The universe is Ultraman’s, but the tone is much closer to that of the Avengers, mixed with the American interpretation of Ultraman’s own setting.
A primary point being raised already is that, well… by the standards of Marvel, Ultraman isn’t a superhero. He’s Ultraman — he isn’t in a position to just punch bad guys, even when written by Marvel. He has his own rules, and exploring those differences is sure to be a major part of the narrative.
As for Along Came A Spider-Man, near-identical circumstances are portrayed very differently. Sure, Spider-Man finds his way to Ultraman’s universe, but this is Peter Parker, not Miles — and young Peter, at that. Taken alongside the marauding Doctor Doom onto the Train from the Vary Diension, this is a Peter that, in the inverse of that point about Ultraman not being a superhero by Marvel standards, wants to be more like Ultraman! He wants to not have to choose who he saves, to not be bound by his own circumstances. The book is written by Tomo Hirokawa, with art by Shigenobu Matsumoto, and the creative staff being Japanese seems to highlight just how western Ultraman X Avengers is.
Neither is better or worse than the other, but they’re both highly representative of their part of the world, and how that part interprets Ultraman. Hirokawa and Matsumoto have the full legacy of Ultraman underpinning their work, almost 60 years of Ultraman being a household name. Meanwhile, Higgins, Groom, and Manna are continuing their work to establish a new legacy for the series here, with new audiences, and are making use of the Avengers’ credibility to do so. In many ways, it’s a testament to the enduring flexibility of the series, with two teams able to tell very different stories from similar circumstances.
Both Ultraman X Avengers and Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man are available now, with the former in comic shops everywhere, and the latter being available on the Viz Manga app. Read them both, and compare for yourself — and when you’re done, come back to Ultraman Connection to hear our thoughts!
