Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Dave Wachter
Release Date: 22nd October 2014

This week even Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is skewing darker than usual, but even then it can’t quite hit the same level of desperation as IDW stablemate Godzilla Cataclysm #3. The series finally begins to use its apocalyptic backdrop to tell a unique story in this issue, and improves all the more for it.

Issue #3 manages to hit the two main notes that any Godzilla property should try and speak to. The first is examining what previously unjustifiable acts humans will do under fear of the unknown or unknowable, which we see when the village considers bringing back sacrifices to appease the kaiju ‘gods’. The second issue is toying with forces beyond human control. This is usually played as the monsters resulting from experiments with the forces of nature, but what happens in Cataclysm is far more interesting. As we see more and more (but still not the full picture) of what experiment Hiroshi was a part of during the initial years of the Cataclysm, we begin to gain an understanding that the plan was to control Godzilla, Pacific Rim style. This plan backfired, and supposedly hurt Godzilla enough to make him ever-vengeful against humanity. With Godzilla the force we sought to control that is now destroying us, it takes this central tenets of Godzilla storytelling and entwines it even more with the King of the Monsters himself.

Where this issue still somewhat fails is in the motivations of the other kaiju. The central plot device is Biollante, who is regenerating plant life upon the ruined Earth. Mothra is actively seeking to help Biollante grow, and Godzilla is seeking to destroy it to punish humanity, and prevent them from ever becoming self-sufficient enough to hurt him again.  However, other kaiju show up throughout the issue to hurt Biollante, and it is unknown whether they too have greater motivations to do so, or are just doing what kaiju tend to do.

The art feels more washed out in this issue compared to the debut, where a heavy amount of deep, single colour pages broke up the monotony of browns and greys. The designs of kaiju remain impressive, but not as dramatically framed as our first flashbacks to the Cataclysm itself.

The issue ends with Hiroshi stating that he will protect Biollante, to try and atone for his past sins. As the relationship between Hirsohi and Godzilla, guilt and revenge, continue to build throughout this series it becomes stronger and more unique for it.

Rating: 4/5.

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The Writer of this piece was: Andrew Stevens
You can follow Andrew on Twitter

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