Okay, the next Ultra Series, for those of you who haven't been keeping tabs on it, is Ultraman Orb. Time for some data.

Orb's human form, Gai Kurenai, is a wanderer. Hence why Orb is known as a "vagabond Ultra."

Now for Orb's gimmick. Which, for a change, doesn't revolve around Spark Dolls. Instead, he uses pairs of the Ultra Fusion Cards to transform into forms that use assets of those two Ultras.

As for his forms...let's have a look-see.

First is Spacium Zeperion, a fusion of Ultraman and Ultraman Tiga, the first Ultras of their respective eras! Orb's series also celebrates Ultraman's 50th anniversary and Tiga's 20th! Obviously, the name is derived from their respective finishers, the Specium Ray and Zepellion Ray.

Next we have Burnmite, a fusion of Ultraman Taro and Ultraman Mebius! Both Ultra Brothers, with the latter being a student of the former, they also use attacks that are enhanced by flames! The name is a portmanteau of Taro's Ultra Dynamite and Mebius Burning Brave's Burning Mebium Dynamite!

For a form that uses weapons, Orb has access to Hurricane Slash, a fusion of Ultraman Jack and Ultraman Zero! Both are related to Ultraseven in some way, with Jack being his brother-in-arms, while Zero is his son! Both of them also received the Ultra Bracelet and Ultra Zero Bracelet, respectively, from Seven! With its name derived from Jack's Ultra Slash and Zero's Ultra Hurricane, this form, like the Ultras it draws its power from, can use a lance, specifically the Orb Slugger Lance!

Finally...we have a really unlikely pairing of Zoffy and Ultraman Belial in the form of Thunder Breaster! While unlikely, both of them have fought side by side with the Father of Ultra and Mother of Ultra as members of the Space Garrison, and in the video game Gaia Saver and Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0, which predate Belial's debut, Zoffy has been turned evil on those two occasions, being turned into Ultra Killer in the first occasion, and being possessed by Yapool in the second! The form's name is derived from Zoffy's shoulder projections, the Ultra Breaster, and Belial's Belial Geno Thunder attack.

So, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hyped! And don't worry, there will be a defense team...kinda.

The SSP (Something Search People) was formed by Naomi Yumeno in order to track down a strange giant of light that appeared in her dreams. Her comrades are her friends Jetta, who dreams of uncovering the truth behind UFOs in order to become rich and famous, and Shin Matsudo, who is something of a genius, having earned his doctorate at age 23, and is an expert on technology and ancient civilizations.

Now, while they are obviously an independent group, instead of being funded by the government, their name is most likely a reference to the SSSP (Science Patrol Search-Party) from the original Ultraman series. I think that's a nice touch, myself.

So the series is going to start on July 9th. Be ready on that day.

This looks interesting. I am a little annoyed that they keep referencing past Ultras with their series instead of creating entirely new ones with new powers, but this does look cool. I'll be on the lookout for it.

Ultraman Orb definitely promises to be interesting. I liked the battle with Ultraman X and Greeza.