Chōzetsurin Jin Beraboh Man (Bravoman) is a game made by Namco for Japanese arcades in 1988. In 1990, it was released on the TurboGraphx-16 console in Japan and North America.
The game is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that parodies tokusatsu shows.
(Bravoman on Wikipedia)
>It also spawned a spin-off, Pistol Daimyo no Bōken (Wikipedia)
>Bravoman infamously had completely different box art for the North American release:
Bravoman Volume 1 book - published in 2014 by UDON
In the early 2010s, as part of Bandai Namco's ShiftyLook initiative to revive older properties, several webcomics were created for some of their classic games. One of these comics was Bravoman written by Matt Moylan and illustrated by Dax Gordine, with additional help from Josh Perez (and a few guest appearances from other artists). The series is comedic and features a lot of meta-humor. It is mostly episodic, which some longer story arcs.
The Bravoman webcomic ran from 2012 to 2014 and could be read on the Shiftylook website. It can currently be read on the internet archive.
>These T-shirt designs were sold online through Tokyo Otaku Mode.
>A custom hat and handmade plushie gifted to illustrator Dax Gordine by fans.
Allegedly, there was an unofficial 301st comic, but it can no longer be viewed. We only have this mention of it on Matt Moylan's deviantart journal, and this capture of a forum’s main page on the wayback machine.
Animation:
As part of the ShiftyLook initiative, two series of short animations were produced, Bravoman and Mappy.
Bravoman has 12 animations, each about 5 minutes long. They adapt stories from the comic, but also feature some original plots. They can currently be watched via fan re-uploads on youtube.
The Bravoman animations star some pretty big voice actors- Rob Paulson (Yakko Warner, Pinky, Carl Wheezer, etc) voices Bravoman!
The ending credits music "Go!! Fighting Action Power" was created by band Area 11 for the show. The final episode instead uses one of their other songs "Shi no Barado" (which was inspired by the anime Death Note. lol).
Namco High was a web-based dating sim that was playable from December 2013 to July 2014. It is known for the fact that the character roster includes HOMESTUCK CHARACTERS and The Space Ship from Galaga.
Anti-Bravoman (from Bravoman obviously) appears in this game and has a story route in the free version. Nothing else from the comic appears, as the game seems to take place in an alternate reality. It can still be played today via some archival projects, and I would recommend playing it via the Flashpoint Archive (love the flashpoint archive)! There was originally a video trailer for Namco High, but it is currently lost. Re-creation of official website, Spriter's Resource page
Illustration of Anti-Bravoman by Dax Gordine in celebration of positive fan feedback on his appearance in Namco High
"The Death of Bravoman"
The Bravoman comic series concluded in an arc titled "The Death of Bravoman" where the main cast teams up one last time to fight evil, before they are delivered a note informing them of the comic's ending. All pieces of Bravoman media (comic, webisodes, mobile game, even Namco High) were taken down only months after their release.
It is an unfortunate end, but, "They say you die twice- one time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” and fans have made great steps in keeping Bravoman accessible in the current day. The comic can be read, the episodes can be watched, and Namco High can be played (and without paywalls!). As someone who discovered Bravoman long after it ended, I have so much gratitude and respect for these fan efforts.
