The first issue of IDW publishing’s debuting new Godzilla series, Godzilla: War for Humanity, begins with a focus on environmental safety when a living fungus grows into a rampaging monster that threatens our ecosystem. Only Godzilla, King of the Monsters can stop it. The series is written by Andrew Maclean (Head Lopper, Kaya) and drawn by Jake Smith.
I picked this book up because I have been a Godzilla fan since I was a kid when my father took me to see Ronald Emerich’s Godzilla. I am aware the film wasn’t the most well-received addition to Godzilla’s 60-year legacy, but it introduced me to a franchise that gave my childhood life. After watching every film from every era (Showa, Heisei, Millennium, Monsterverse, and Reiwa), reading every comic there was, and collecting a bunch of Bandai figures, I never looked back.
This issue took me back to the Showa era, a bunch of vibrant Godzilla films where Godzilla was, for the most part, a hero that saved Japan and the world from creatures that threatened the natural order. From the first Godzilla film introducing the dangers of nuclear weapons, some films focused on real-world issues. Godzilla vs. Mothra addressed human greed and corruption, Godzilla vs. Hedorah tackled pollution, and Godzilla’s Revenge taught kids how to fend off creepy kidnappers. In the first few pages, the main character Dr. Yuko Honda recalled a childhood memory of being saved by Godzilla from an attack from Hedorah, and the memory echoed the kid-friendly vibe I associated the Showa films with as a kid. The rest of the issue is stuffed with special appearances from classic monsters such as Manda and Gorosaurus. There are also hints of a new original villain that eerily reminds me of Biolante, a kaiju that would fit perfectly for this story if that’s the direction they’re heading. The human story of this Godzilla story seems to be intriguing, which is rare when it comes to Godzilla stories. Dr. Honda has a strained relationship with her mother that gets in the way of her Godzilla obsession, and she has to go through obstacles to prove that Godzilla is Earth’s savior, not an enemy.
Reading this issue, I felt I was reading an original Godzilla story that paid homage to its roots while modernizing it with current trends to keep up with the times.
There’s not much else to say about this issue, but the series is off to a good start. I am positive that Godzilla is in good hands by people–fans that understand what Godzilla represents. If you’re a Godzilla fan, this is a must-read.
Newsdesk