In Godzilla #1, Tim Seeley, Nicola Cizmesija, and Francesco Segala craft an entire universe centered around kaiju and the energy they emit, namely, kai-sei. There are familiar elements from the Godzilla mythos like his emergence in 1954, a hilarious take on Jet Jaguar, and of course, some monsters to fight, punch, and interact them, but Seeley and Cizmesija mix them all together in a way that sustains an ongoing comic book series (With two spinoffs!) instead of just a one-shot or series of miniseries. This first issue introduces our protagonist Jacen Braid, the newest recruit of G-Force, who has big “fight and kill God” energy and a boatload of trauma. There’s definitely some big monster action, but most of what I liked about Godzilla #1 was the interactions between the different G-Force members and their distinct philosophies in handling kaiju.
Godzilla #1 hits the sweet spot between shonen manga and superhero team comics. There’s a true explosiveness to Nicola Cizemesija and Francesco Segala’s visuals, especially the conflicts that center around kai-sei. Speed lines crackle, facial expressions get more dramatic, and special effects lettering from Nathan Widick takes front and center when G-Force goes to war or just spars against one another. Seeley uses the extra length of the issue to build a rapport between the team and drop hints at this brave new world before introducing the series’ hook. Braid is definitely angsty, but he kicks ass. Also, his past trauma makes him easy to empathize with like in a small, touching sequence with his roommate. Finally, he has what I think the kids call “main character energy” as in he’s not a faceless soldier or scientist, but an actual foil for the kaiju.
Godzilla #1 has rich world-building, explosive action, and makes me want to experience more of the universe that IDW is creating featuring the King of Monsters and his monstrous and human friends and enemies.
Story: Tim Seeley Art: Nicola Cizmesija
Colors: Francesco Segala Letters: Nathan Widick
Story:7.8 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Buy
IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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