So, I’m a week late with this review. Not because I needed that much time to carefully choose my words. Nor is it because I was lazy and waited a week before sitting down to write it. It’s late because I work night shift, have a 3-month-old daughter, and currently have to share a vehicle with my wife. So, between sleeping during the day, taking care of a baby, and being without a car at random times, I just now found time to get to the comic shop. Not excuses. Facts. Now, on with the review.
First off, I hope you enjoy Godzilla as much as I do. I will most likely review every Godzilla title that is released from now until the end of time. I currently love the Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters series, but due to the time I am starting this review blog, I will wait until the first arc comes to a close, review it as a whole, then pick up reviewing issue-by-issue. But this isn’t about Kingdom of Monsters, this is about Gangsters & Goliaths.
Reading through this first issue feels just like watching a 1970s era Godzilla movie. Using a Monster Island setting much like the one we see in 1968’s Destroy All Monsters only cements this nostalgia. Godzilla has a very large cult following in the U.S. He may not appeal to the mainstream audience, but there is no denying that those who follow him are true diehards. (see G-Fest) When dealing with an icon of this magnitude, there are two routes you could take.
1. Reimagine and reintroduce the character in an effort to draw in new fans. (see the American 1998 release Godzilla, and ask TriStar how that worked out for them.)
2. Play in to the stereotypes and clichés that helped set the initial groundwork for the character in the first place.
Clearly, this book goes with the second option, taking the stance: “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Here, we see writer John Layman able to recreate a classic Godzilla feeling, with a very simple plot. We are given our clear-cut good guy, and bad guys. We see a brief encounter between Godzilla himself, and long-time foe Mothra. In the final pages we are introduced to a pair of characters that fans of the franchise will easily recognize. Aside from all of the fan service, we are given a well written story. The characters seem generic for the most part, but you would be kidding yourself if you picked this book up for thrilling character development. You bought this book because of a giant, radioactive, fire-breathing, mutated dinosaur as well as his colorful cast of friends and enemies. I do not want to spoil this first issue for anyone who has yet read it, but I will say this: A very clear and purposeful point of this book is to show us monsters. Both the creatures living on Monster Island, as well as some of the men we see, and the choices they make.
As I said, this first issue feels just like watching the first 30 min of a classic Godzilla movie. I would not be surprised to see aliens show up before this series ends. But only if the aliens look like regular people wearing sunglasses. All in all, this book was a fun read as has me eagerly awaiting #2. My only concern is that I hope they can continue this genuinely retro, nostalgic feeling, while continuing to tell a truly entertaining story.
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