Spider-Man: The Manga, published simply as Spider-Man in Japan, is a Japanese superhero manga series written by Kōsei Ono and Kazumasa Hirai and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami which retold the story of Spider-Man in a Japanese setting. It was originally published in Japan from January 1970 to September 1971 in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. The comic began by loosely adapting American Marvel stories, but over time, Ikegami introduced more original material. The manga features Yu Komori as Spider-Man's teen alter ego, and takes place in a Japanese setting. Within the Marvel Comics multiverse, its reality is designated as Earth-70019.

Premise

A junior high school student named : A bright and intellectually-gifted, yet outcast and withdrawn teen genius, is bitten by a radioactive spider during a scientific demonstration, which imbues him with spider-like superhuman abilities, like the American Spider-Man's counterpart, Peter Parker. After a tragic mistake committed by accidentally misusing his powers, which results in him unintentionally killing someone, a guilt-ridden Yu is driven to do good and atone for his irresponsibility, under the alias of a masked vigilante: "Spider-Man". Yu faces Japanese versions of villains such as Electro, the Lizard, Mysterio, and the Kangaroo. The series also featured counterparts of Aunt May, named "Mei", and J. Jonah Jameson, who is the publisher of the newspaper publishing company, where Yu is employed as a freelance photographer and which has an anti-Spider-Man stance.

Publication

Initially, Kōsei Ono wrote the stories. On completion of the sixth story, Kazumasa Hirai became the writer.

The English-language version of the series was reprinted by Marvel Comics across thirty-one issues from December 1997 to April 1999. Eight out of the thirteen Japanese stories in total were fully translated, with several edits to remove some of the violent scenes. The final issue, #31, began the translation of the ninth story and was left incomplete due to the title's cancellation.

Stories

  1. "The Birth of Spider-Man" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #1-3)
  2. "The Transformation of Doctor Inumaru" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #4-6)
  3. "Too Strong a Hero" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #7-9)
  4. "The False Spider-Man" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #10-15)
  5. "Yu Under Suspicion" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #16-18)
  6. "Summer of Insanity" (reprinted Spider-Man: The Manga #19-21)
  7. "What is My Destination!"
  8. "Woman of Winter" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #22-24)
  9. "Strangers" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #31)
  10. "The Mania Demon"
  11. "Shadow of Spider-Man" (reprinted in Spider-Man: The Manga #25-30)
  12. "Witch of the Golden Eye"
  13. "The Woman Who Raises the Tiger"

Volumes

Original release (Sun Comics (Asahi Sonorama))

1986 - 1987 release (Sun Wide Comics (Asahi Sonorama))

1995 - 1996 release (Asahi Sonorama)

2002 release (MF Bunko (Media Factory))

2004 release (MF Comics (Media Factory))

Reception

According to Ikegami, the series did not get a popular reception in Japan upon its initial release, and Hirai taking the writing duties only caused the reception to get "picked up a little". Daniel Stein, author of "Of Transcreations and Transpacific Adaptations: Investigating Manga Versions of Spider-Man", citing political and cultural issues, described this reception as "less than stellar".

The reception in the United States upon the release there was described by Stein as "not too successful".

In other media

During the Spider-Verse crossover, Komori is explicitly named as one of "four or five Japanese Spider-Men" taking part in the final battle against Morlun and the Inheritors.

See also

  • Hulk: The Manga
  • X-Men: The Manga
  • Spider-Man J
  • Japanese Spider-Man

Notes

References

  • - This is Chapter #9, in Part II: Transnational and Transcultural Superheroes.