Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth #9 – Review

By: Chris Mowry (writer), Jeff Zornow (art), Priscilla Tramontano (colors)

The Story: This is but one of the legends of which the people speak…

The Review: There’s nothing particularly meaningful about a giant lizard, nor anything especially profound about destroying a city in effigy, but while not every Godzilla story aspires to the seriousness of the original film, any great daikaiju story needs to speak to something. There has to be a purpose for the destruction, metatextually or literally. That’s what this issue provides Rulers of the Earth.

A major problem of this series has been a certain aimlessness about it. Godzilla, Rodan, Varan, and their kin have largely been reactive forces, with the story driven by the Cryog and their master plan. Now, with the Cryog gone, the series turns its eye to the nature of earth’s kaiju.

The revelations in this issue are another great shot in the arm for a series that has already been improving, and have the potential to really give fans what they want, however I do have worries about the pacing of the story. RotE was originally approved for only twelve issues, meaning that if things are still holding to the original plan we’re three fourths of the way through this series. I’m not sure that we have enough time to explore the ramifications of these events.

Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth #5 – Review

by Chris Mowry (writer), Jeff Zomow (art)

The Story: Twenty pages about how a scarred Chinese general struggles to provide for his family in a world torn apart by ancient beasts…Nah he’s evil. I mean, seriously, he’s blind in one eye! If he were a hero he’d wear an eyepatch.

The Review: Godzilla’s latest ongoing from IDW has sometimes seemed like it’s bitten off more than it can chew. We have a government anti-Kaiju task force, a team of dedicated megazoologists, a worldwide explosion of mega-fauna, and even an alien invasion to contend with. Amid this backdrop, last issue tipped us off that there may be more to these rampaging monsters than meets the eye. I don’t think I’m out of line if I say that the series hasn’t revealed its focus yet.

This issue wisely decides to dedicate itself to just one of the plotlines, that of Lucy and her scientific cohorts, who find themselves face to face with a previously unseen kaiju, Varan, on the shore of a Chinese lake. It’s a rare moment of greatness for a cult-favorite kaiju. With such a human vantage point, the issue has the opportunity to show how dangerous even the most mundane kaiju can be.

Lucy’s narration is leaps and bounds better than what Chris Mowry has supplied in recent months and is integrated into the issue quite well. Especially seeing such improvement, I still think that he can do better, but for now let’s count it a win