29th August to 4th September

Last week, three Namor comics took us across very different points in the Sub-Mariner’s history. This week, those stories made the jump from page to digital collectible.

Phoenix Five – Namor brought all three comic-inspired looks together in one series, Epikomi Series 3 delivered a twelve-piece lineup built around Epiko characters and community figures, and Ultraman Vol. 18 left Shinjiro facing a pretty uncomfortable question about what Ultraman really represents.

Here’s the quick catch-up.

The Week at a Glance

Marvel highlight: Phoenix Five – Namor
Comic connection: Three Namor looks inspired by last week’s Marvel releases
Community release: Epikomi Series 3
Comic release: Ultraman Vol. 18

Digital Collectible Releases

Marvel – Phoenix Five – Namor

After three Namor comics last week, the King of Atlantis returned in digital collectible form with Phoenix Five – Namor.

The three-piece series pulls directly from those releases, showing Namor at very different points in his history. There is the Phoenix-powered ruler from Avengers vs X-Men, the classic Sub-Mariner inspired by his 1988 saga, and the more modern king of Atlantis seen in Avengers in 2018.

Put together, they show how much Namor’s look has changed over the years while the character underneath has remained remarkably consistent: proud, powerful, and not particularly interested in being told what to do.

Namor Lineup

Namor – Phoenix: Inspired by Avengers vs X-Men (2012) #8, surrounded by the moving flames of the Phoenix Force
Namor – Saga of the Sub-Mariner 1988: A classic Atlantean look inspired by Saga of the Sub-Mariner (1988) #12
Namor – Avengers 2018: A modern Namor inspired by Avengers (2018) #9, with a tap animation that sends his trident flying before recalling it

From Comics to Collectibles

The source material is really what makes this series click.

Last week gave us Namor invading Wakanda as part of the Phoenix Five, looking back on his history and relationships in Saga of the Sub-Mariner, and asserting himself as a modern ruler of Atlantis in Avengers.

This week turns each of those versions into its own collectible rather than treating them as simple variants of the same Namor.

Epikomi Series 3

Epikomi Series 3 brought twelve animated digital collectibles to VeVe this week, combining Epiko characters, community figures, and a pair of animated logo pieces.

Five characters make up the core of the lineup: Mr Epiko, Foster, Mr V, Max, and Janie. Each also receives a Blue Metallic version, giving the series two very different visual takes on the same characters.

The designs pull from a pretty wide range of influences. Mr Epiko draws on Angelian heritage, Foster leans into psychic and elemental magic, Mr V brings mythology and martial power, Max goes in a more futuristic direction, and Janie is built around precision and sci-fi weaponry.

All twelve pieces feature animation and sound, so there is plenty happening beyond the character designs themselves.

Epikomi Series 3 at a Glance

Mr Epiko / Mr Epiko – Blue Metallic: A regal warrior drawing on Angelian heritage
Foster / Foster – Blue Metallic: Psychic and elemental abilities with a darker fantasy look
Mr V / Mr V – Blue Metallic: A warrior inspired by Lord Venkateswara and the seven mountains of Tirupati
Max / Max – Blue Metallic: A futuristic fighter combining gadgets and close-quarters combat
Janie / Janie – Blue Metallic: A sci-fi sharpshooter built around precision and firepower
Epiko Logo – Original / Blue Metallic: Two animated versions of the Epiko emblem

Seeing Double

The Blue Metallic treatment is simple, but seeing all five characters receive the same finish gives that half of the collection a strong identity of its own.

Instead of changing the characters completely, the metallic blue puts more emphasis on their silhouettes, armour, weapons, and energy effects. Lined up together, they almost feel like a second team sitting alongside the originals.

A Different Kind of VeVe Release

Epikomi also stands apart from most of the licensed releases we cover each week.

The series is built around Epiko characters and figures with connections to the VeVe and Epiko communities, giving it a much more community-led feel than a traditional franchise drop.

For collectors who have followed that side of VeVe, there is context behind these characters that goes beyond what they look like on screen.

Comic Release

Ultraman Vol. 18

The question hanging over Ultraman Vol. 18 is a fairly important one:

What exactly is Ultraman?

The Z-ton Core arrives with a mission to wipe out anyone claiming the Ultraman name. Their leader, Temperor, then makes the situation considerably worse by claiming the Ultramen themselves were the real reason Earth suffered attacks in the past.

Shinjiro does not exactly take the accusation calmly.

As his anger grows, his body begins overflowing with Specium energy. Suddenly the fight is about more than defeating another enemy. Temperor’s claim forces everyone watching to question what Ultraman represents and whether the heroes they have trusted are really as straightforward as they thought.

The digital comic arrived on VeVe with five cover variants and 1,000 editions.

Key detail: Temperor claims the Ultramen were responsible for Earth’s past attacks, while Shinjiro struggles with a surge of Specium energy.
Cover highlight: The True Believer Variant – Secret Rare features artwork by series creators Tomohiro Shimoguchi and Eiichi Shimizu.
Release timing: September 2 at 10 AM PT
Format: Blind box waitlist
Variants: 5
Editions: 1,000

Final Thoughts

That wraps up this week on VeVe.

Namor carried last week’s comic stories straight into a new collectible series, Epikomi put community connections and original characters at the centre of a twelve-piece release, and Ultraman left Shinjiro wrestling with a question that is probably going to cause more trouble before it gets an answer.

A nice mix of Marvel history, community-driven collectibles, and one increasingly angry Ultraman.

Check back next week for another catch-up on what’s new on VeVe.