The main mech in mid-70s sci-fi anime/manga UFO Robot Grendizer sports a very familiar design, one that’ll likely be familiar outside of Japan under different names; Goldrake, Shogun Warriors or Force Five, the latter of which included Grendizer as part of an English anthology translating five different anime shows.

Therefore, the lore varies depending on where and how it was translated, but the Grendizer itself remains an iconic design.

This comic serves as a sequel to the original show, and opens with an extensive, one page lore drop bringing readers up to speed on the original saga. Given its extensive cast, slightly convoluted relationships between characters and the sheer amount of detail we’re given before this sequel story begins, my heart sank a bit as I just didn’t think I’d be able to get my head around it as a non-expert on the original UFO Robot Grendizer.

This sequel begins years after the bad guys have been defeated, and Grendizer has disappeared for good, no longer needed to defend the Earth. A giant monster starts to lay waste to Japan, as a precursor to alien refugees delivering an ultimatum, seeking to take control of the country for themselves. Seemingly the only hope for Japan is Grendizer, but where is the robot, and what about its crew? Can they find each other, come together and stop the invasion?

I was wrong about being able to understand what’s going on in this first issue, and very grateful for the opening salvo of information. The story feels like a classic, sci-fi disaster movie, and the art is simply jaw-dropping. It’s absolutely loaded with detail, and drawn like a mature, somewhat muted in tone, contemporary anime.

Speaking of that muted, darker tone, that carries through to the writing too. There’s none of the primary coloured ambience that you’d expect from a sequel to a 70s anime show, and instead it gives a very convincingly gritty, character-driven vibe that feels pleasantly surprising.

I must admit that I was drawn to checking out UFO Robot Grendizer #1 based on little more than how hefty the first issue is, coupled with my recognition of the main character as a toy from my childhood. I’ve never known any of the lore behind it, and not once seen the anime it’s based on.

Yet I’m so glad I picked this up; this first issue is a fantastic introduction to the series, and it feels like a mammoth, epic anime is unfolding on every page. Even though I’m a complete newcomer to UFO Robot Grendizer, this has me absolutely hooked, and I’m glad that Titan Comics are bringing it back to fans after so many years.

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