Publisher:  IDW Publishing
Writer:  Chris Mowry
Artist:  Matt Frank
Release Date: 23rd July 2014

I can distinctly remember how I discovered just how vast the Godzilla mythos truly was. It was late at night and I had an exam the next morning, and as I usually did on such stressful nights, I was looking for something to watch to keep my mind ticking-over, but just off studying entirely. On this night I found Cinemassacre’s (of Angry Video Game Nerd fame) review series of all Godzilla films since 1954, and my mind was blown. So many unique kaiju designs, all with such weird and wonderful backstories, making up this one incredibly unique universe. I never got much deeper into the Toho films after that night (I did pass that exam though), but with Pacific Rim and 2014’s Godzilla reigniting my interest in giant monsters I wanted to get a quick taste of Toho-style, kaiju action. And I’ve certainly found it here in IDW’s Godzilla Rulers of Earth series.

I’m jumping in at issue #14, since I honestly didn’t know this series existed until very recently, so how does it treat a casual fan, intrigued mostly by the big-screen kaiju romps of the last two years? I would say I know more than the average fan, having committed the Cinemassacre series to memory, but even I found it strange to be dropped into this world where kaiju freely roam the Earth and humanity has kind-of openly accepted it. There is an organisation set up to monitor and basically regulate kaiju, who speak of their monster allies and enemies in terms of respect and awe. It honestly gets a bit much when tears are shed over an enemy kaiju and a team-member is chastised for ‘speaking ill of the dead’. This slightly too-friendly approach to kaiju aside it is very clear that the characters are stand-ins for the audience, in that the characters are aware of each kaiju’s lineage and trivia in the same way Toho fans would talk of their favourite kaiju. Many of the references flew over my head, but it is very apparent that this is a comic for super-fans, by super-fans.

Story-wise there is some intrigue as to who is controlling the new MechaGodzilla, and for what purpose, but the reveal at the end of this issue had me completely lost, further cementing the idea that this is a series that caters to those already steeped in Toho lore. I’m certainly going to try and brush up on mine to better appreciate this series, but this could be a complete put-off for others. The story is ultimately centred on getting kaiju to appear and to fight, so many plot elements rush by to reduce kaiju loading times. This would be a gripe if the kaiju fights weren’t so spectacular.

Each fight highlights the vastly different fighting styles and moves of the different kaiju, and this inventiveness is what we are ultimately here to see. The art is beautifully clear and detailed, meaning that what these fights usually lose upon the big screen is able to be shown in full detail. While the art for kaiju scenes is fantastic I still find something a little off about the human scenes. There is nothing objectively wrong with the art style, or even that wildly different compared to the rest of the book, it just feels that the two don’t gel quite perfectly.

In conclusion, this book was a riot, even just picking it up at this random issue. Since most kaiju media these days has strayed away from the joyously weird Toho originals it is great to see that spirit continued on by such big fans who clearly want to continue that series for other fans. Just be warned that you’ll be expected to have done your homework.

Rating: FOUR MECHAGODZILLAS ATTACKING GODZILLA ON THE SAME PAGE/5

The writer of this piece was: Andrew Stevens