James Harren charges into Kaiju genre with Ultramega

Ultramega #1 — (Image credit: James Harren/Dave Stewart (Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment))

Writer/artist James Harren is charging into the kaiju and tokusatsu genres this March with a new comic book series titled Ultramega that promises "giant heroes, creatures, and devastation."

Announced Tuesday as part of the Skybound Holiday Xpo, Ultramega #1 will debut March 17 from Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics.

"A cosmic plague has spread, transforming everyday people into violent, monstrous kaiju. Only the Ultramega – three individuals imbued with incredible powers - hold the line against this madness," reads Skybound's description. "Their battles level cities and leave untold horror in their wake. Now, the final reckoning approaches for the Ultramega… but is this a war they can even win?"

Skybound lauds Harren as "the greatest artist of his generation," and he'll be joined by colorist Dave Stewart, letterer Rus Wooton, and Skybound Entertainment editor Sean Mackiewicz. Andrew Juarez has designed the book's logo.

Check out this four-page preview:

Image 1 of 3

Ultramega #1 preview

The title 'Ultramega' is reminiscent of the classic tokusatsu franchise Ultraman, but is also the name of the Seattle rock band Soundgarden's debut album, Ultramega OK. It's unclear if this is an intentional homage, but in 1989 the late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell told Melody Maker that the title meant "absolutely, unbelievably not bad."

James Harren's Ultramega #1 will be an oversized 68 pages, with a price of $7.99.

Look for Image Comics' full March 2021 solicitations later this month on Newsarama.

Ultramega will be available simultaneously in print and digital. Check out our list of the best comics readers for Android and iOS devices.

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)