‘The Fall of Ultraman #1’ Review (Marvel Comics)

Written by Kyle Higgins, Matt Groom | Art by Davide Tinto | Colours by Rachelle Rosenberg | Letters by Ariana Mahler | Published by Marvel Comics

There are some pop culture loves that never quite leave you. For me, Ultraman sits right alongside late-night Channel 4 showings of Godzilla movies: all rubber suits, miniature cities and that glorious, earnest tokusatsu madness. That same affection that made me fall hard for Power Rangers as a kid is exactly why Marvel’s The Fall of Ultraman instantly had my attention.

And yes, I was that kid who rented the Super Nintendo Ultraman game far more times than was remotely healthy. People told me it was terrible. I did not care. I loved it anyway.

So, when Marvel says they’re expanding their Ultraman line? I’m in.

What The Fall of Ultraman #1 does really well is not rush. If you’re expecting beam-spam and kaiju being hurled through skyscrapers every other page, that’s not quite what you’re getting here. Instead, this opener leans into atmosphere. There’s tension. There’s unease. Ultraman doesn’t feel like a bright, shiny Saturday morning hero – he feels big. Powerful. Slightly unknowable.

And that works.

The human side of the story takes centre stage for much of the issue, which gives everything a grounded feel. It’s less “giant hero saves the day” and more “how does the world actually cope with something like this existing?” That shift gives the book weight without losing the core appeal of seeing a colossal silver-and-red icon towering over the Earth.

When Ultraman does appear, the scale hits. You feel it. The creative team understand that less is more here – they’re building intrigue rather than emptying the toybox in issue #1. It’s confident storytelling, the kind that suggests there’s a bigger plan in motion.

And speaking of bigger plans… the closing pages make it clear Marvel isn’t just telling one Ultraman story. The Fall of Ultraman #1 doesn’t deliver wall-to-wall kaiju carnage. Instead, it lays foundations, carefully expanding Marvel’s Ultraman universe and teasing the arrival of Ultraman Ace on Earth as the issue closes. That final beat? It genuinely feels like the universe is widening in real time.

For someone whose fandom started with rubber-suited monster fights and questionable 16-bit gaming decisions, this feels like a grown-up evolution rather than a nostalgia cash-in. It respects what Ultraman is, but isn’t afraid to give it a slightly darker, more modern edge.

And crucially, it made me want Issue #2 immediately. Which is exactly what a first issue should do.

**** 4/5

The Fall of Ultraman #1 is out now.