It’s big, it’s gigantic, it’s IDW’s Godzilla Complete Rulers of Earth, Volume 1.
This large volume collects the run of single issues of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth 1-12, beginning in 2013.
Story is by Chris Mowry and Matt Frank, with writing by Chris Mowry. Artwork is from Matt Frank and Jeff Zornow, with an ink assist in issue 7 by Mostafa Moussa. Colours are by Priscilla Tramontano and Ronda Pattison, with letters by Shawn Lee and Chris Mowry.
To quickly summarize this 288-page collection is quite a challenge, but let’s give it a go: Scientists come together in Hawaii, but their conference about giant species is interrupted by, well, giant species! On the attack! It seems that there is an awakening of giant monsters, mostly from the water, but also airborne and land creatures. Cryog aliens, hovering just outside earth’s atmosphere, are studying Godzilla and want to invade earth. From there, it’s a game of battling behemoths. Meanwhile, the military (Commander Steven Woods and the Counter-Kaiju Reaction forces) is buzzing around, using experimental weapons and urging our videographer Lucy Casprell to stay safe. It’s a global panic!
If you are a fan of battling monsters, this is your jam. Page after page of wonderfully detailed fight scenes, featuring the most fabulous of all giant creatures: robots, Mothra, spiders hiding in the Grand Canyon, undersea threats, you name it! Speaking of names, time to toss around a few: Anguirus, Titanosaurus, Rodan, Battra, Hedorah, and Orga!
The dialogue is ‘movie-like’, terse, and clipped. Scenes are reminiscent of, well, monster movies. Cliches, fun characters, and dangerous situations abound. If you think a giant monster will appear in each and every issue and battle ANOTHER giant monster, you are absolutely correct! You’ll love these fight scenes: Frank and Zornow get the action going right away and don’t spare the horses. So to speak.
*No horses are harmed.
Of course, a title with the name Godzilla in it will feature giant monsters, and to this series’ credit, it delivers on the promise. Colourists Tramontano and Pattison give us murky depths, loads of flame effects, blue freezing weapons, and lots of explosions. Surprisingly, this is not a gory series: safely readable without bandaids or tourniquets.
IDW Godzilla Complete Rulers of Earth Vol 1, $29.99 for 288 pages of content, Assume Teen
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