So far this week in our exclusive preview of Titan’s Kamen Rider 01 comic, we’ve given you a glimpse of what to expect out of the legendary franchise’s western comics adventures, and a tease of a sinister new villain. But for those not already familiar with the man behind the Reiwa era’s first Rider, how about a look at our hero and his most important ally?
Below you can check out Hendry Prasetya’s concept work for both Aruto Hiden and the android humagear Izu. The sudden president of his family robotics and AI conglomerate, Hiden Intelligence, Aruto is a struggling comedian turned superhero when he transforms into Kamen Rider 01:
Being a young hothead who knows about as much on running a massive technology company as he does being a transforming hero, Aruto needs all the help he can get. Luckily Izu, one of the android “Humagears” developed by Hiden Intelligence, is there to act as his personal secretary and his secret ally as a Kamen Rider, providing him with the technology behind his gear as well as access to “Progrisekeys” that allow Aruto to upgrade and enhance his Zero One gear depending on his foe:
Stay tuned to io9 this week to hear more from Prasetya about designing the world of Kamen Rider 01 for comics, but in the meantime, click through for a first look at every cover available for the first issue of the new series, hitting shelves November 23.
