Manga Review: Ultraman, Volume 8, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2017

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 6. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fighting to protect his childhood friend Yuko from the shadowy group that sent the Ace Killer Squad after him, Seiji Hokuto has his work cut out for him. Shinjiro, Jack and the alien Red also join the fight. But the members of the Ace Killer Squad are more ruthless than any enemy Shinjiro has ever faced. Taking down these villains is going to take some help from an older and very upset Ultraman!

Review:

I missed a volume, and suddenly we're in the middle of a battle, and it appears that Seiji is being killed, though he is holding on for a surprising amount of time, and he has a trick up his sleeve. This leads up to Shinjiro stepping up, and possibly proving himself as the next real Ultraman.

It's odd seeing Shinjiro fighting so seriously, and seeing how he's grown and taken control in his position as Ultraman, and then skipping to a scene where's he trying to impress this pop idol while hiding his superhero identity.

We get a skip after all that, and suddenly we're in New York, and this photographer is growing suspicious of aliens in the city and wants to find out if they're behind all these attacks. There appears to be some dangerous drug, or something, being passed around, turning people crazy, maybe? We're left with a cliffhanger, so it should be interesting where this leads.

I don't really follow this series very closely, and have only read a few volumes, but I don't mind it. If I read more, I'm sure the fights would be more interesting, in particular. I am curious about the aliens—they don't seem to be everywhere, or just walking around town. Are they secret, or are people fighting them? Or is only Ultraman? Because sometimes we get scenes where these aliens are at a bar and thinking up havoc, and it just confuses me. I suppose they're at an underground bar?

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!