Last month, a new Godzilla comic series hit the scene with a fresh take on the human side of things, but also a Godzilla vs. Godzilla (or Zilla from the 1998 Roland Emmerich film) fight sequence. That fight was “to be continued” so here we are, ready for more. Is it good?
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #2 (IDW Publishing)
Check out our review of #1 here.
This issue opens where we left off with Godzilla on Godzilla action. Obviously the Godzilla from the 1998 film gets its ass beat, but not without delivering some blows on our classic Zilla. Before they can tear each other’s limbs off however, the comic cuts to a soldier who’s escorting our heroine Lucy to safety. This allows writer Chris Mowry the ability to introduce said soldier and cut away from the action. While there are numerous pages in a row of monster fighting, the human condition isn’t forgotten. There’s enough balance between story, character and monster action to make any reader happy.
It’s a good sign Mowry cuts away from the monster fighting so much, because he knows the battle scenes, even with a bit of narration thrown in, can’t sustain the reader indefinitely. The truth is though, the monster battle is the meat of this issue, but hell, why would you even pick a comic titled Godzilla and not want as much monster fighting as you can get? Readers are also introduced to a new team of characters who Lucy will be working with as well as a bonafide surprise ending. I won’t ruin it here, but let’s just say Godzilla might have an ally come issue #3.
The art by Matt Frank continues to do a good job with the cartoony look. The humans almost seem to belong in a cartoon more than the monsters, which helps convey the monsters in a more dangerous light. Consider how giant and lumberous the monsters are Frank does an incredible job making the action interesting and exciting. The Godzillas are fighting to the death and it’s apparent from the monsters’ expressions they’re aware of the stakes.
8.5
- Monsters are killer
- Good pacing and balance between action and story
- 1998 movie Godzilla pisses me off. Die already!
Your enjoyment of this issue hinges on how much monster battling you need. If you want more character development and plot advancement you might want to skip this, but for what it’s worth there is both of those things in this issue. There’s just more monster battling overall. I never thought I’d love a Godzilla comic, but so far I’ve enjoyed every page Mowry and Frank have cooked up.
Is It Good?
Yes. An intelligent, easily accessible comic with plenty of monster battling action. What more could you want?
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