Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Dave Wachter
Release Date: 17th December, 2014

Godzilla Cataclysm wraps up in this, the fifth and final issue, so how does #5 – and the series as a whole – fare?

From the first panel I can say this is still a visual delight for Godzilla fans, with these monsters appearing as epic and mythical as they ever have, with massive waves barely swelling around their ankles, invoking imagery from traditional Japanese paintings. Destroyah is represented here in such grand style that I feel the urge to go watch his film immediately. When Godzilla and Destroyah finally fight, it proves to be the undisputed visual highlight of the series thus far, even beating out the stellar opening pages to issue #1.

The underlying theme of Godzilla as a literal god comes full circle here, as prayers to keep him away now become prayers asking for his help. When he does appear it is thankfully left to the reader to choose their own interpretation of just why he has, for now, saved the humans who carry Biollante, the eco-sphere’s last hope. What is certain is that the notion of gods and sacrifice is given weighty consideration in the final few pages, making Cataclysm as a collected piece philosophical enough to qualify as a good Godzilla tale, without going too far and becoming farcical.

Rating: 4/5.

The Writer of this piece was: Andrew Stevens
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