VIZ Media brings the action-filled adventures of one of Japan’s greatest superheroes to English readers later this summer as it announces the acquisition of the Ultraman manga (graphic novel) series.

Ultraman depicts a new story inspired by the original classic Japanese superhero TV show that ran in the late 1960s. The Ultraman manga series was created by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi and launches in print on August 18^th under the VIZ Signature imprint. In Japan, the series currently appears in Hero’s magazine.

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined Shin Hayata of the Scientific Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters known as Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero – a new kind of ULTRAMAN… Shinjiro is an ordinary teenager, but his father is the legendary Shin Hayata. When he learns that his father passed on the “Ultraman Factor” to him, and that he possesses incredible powers, nothing will ever be the same again.

For more than 40 years, Ultraman has been Japan’s quintessential sci-fi superhero and has enjoyed massive popularity around the world.