Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Nikola Čižmešija
Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli
Letterer: Nathan Widick
Cover Artists: Nikola Čižmešija, Kade Byrand, Arthur Adams & Martin Simmonds
Publisher: IDW
Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 23, 2025
Some cities build walls to keep out the kaiju. Other beacons of civilization are now rubble. The G-Force USA team aims to prevent such destruction from recurring. Can Dr Rumi Chiba and Jacen Braid fit in with their more experienced teammates? And can the team determine the root cause of the constant kaiju attacks? Let’s armor up, leap into Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1, and see!
Story
Nuki is a heavy munitions expert from the Deadzone. The destruction of Seattle has taught her to push people away. Incense is a social media sensation who summons fire with his hands. Jet Jaguar has a tune locked in his metal head that the android can’t shake. Dr Rumi Chiba is a Japanese kaiju whisperer. Jacen Braid channels the same Kai-Sei energy as Godzilla. They all have their differences, and the newbies have something to prove. But all Commander Richard Riviera cares about is preventing kaiju from cutting another swathe through Human civilization.
Commander Riviera opens Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1 with a briefing. But the team members have more to assimilate than Riviera’s kaiju history lesson. They probe each other for weaknesses, strengths, camaraderie, and the secrets of their power. But their orientation abruptly ends when a kaiju arises in the Gulf of Mexico.
As they've all suffered loss, it's understandable that these teammates want to punish the creatures that turned Earth into the monsterverse. Yet in Tim Seeley’s story, Commander Riviera hasn't learned from Humanity's mistakes. Nuclear testing awakened the kaiju and prompted their intrusions on Human civilization. Riviera keeps Dr Rumi Chiba at arm's length in Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1. The commander disdains Rumi's peaceful approach, insisting that brute force is the only way to combat the kaiju threat.
Art
Nikola Čižmešija portrays the media appeal of the G-Force team. Dr Rumi Chiba straps a sword to her form-fitting armor and secures her hair bun with long, crossed pins. Nuki covers her crown in a scarf, wears belts adorned with pouches, and protects her left shoulder with spikes. Like Nuki, Incense's long hair hides or obscures his features. A high collar also juts out to shield his face. Jet Jaguar’s angular metal head, fixed wide smile, and armor design evoke a warrior-jester. Commander Riviera relaxes by playing the ukulele and wearing slippers. Yet even while he sings, thick armor covers his arms and torso.
Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli’s pastels soften the intense action as Godzilla unleashes a fiery blast on New York City. The limited palette imbues action past and present with a time-worn sense of history. While Nikola Čižmešija fills Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1 with dramatic worm's eye, bird's-eye, and crowd-level camera angles, Jacen Braid lights up a dark room with crackling green fire. All the members of G-Force USA have suffered. Yet the gray in Dr Rumi Chiba's hair speaks volumes.
Nathan Widick uses letters in green boxes to denote time and place. Commander Riviera’s off-camera words appear in blue narrative boxes, while Jet Jaguar’s responses fill beige balloons adorned with red music notes. All the dialogue balloons are as rough-cut, and the arrows angular, as the edgy team members. Giant sound effects remind us of threats facing Humanity. Yet the crackling energy that prepares a snack and the unrestrained sounds of savoring it help us identify with these glamorous yet scarred defenders of civilization. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1 introduces the special ops team defending the United States. Each member of G-Force USA exhibits unique abilities that can help them prevent American cities from becoming another Deadzone. Yet uncertainty casts a shadow over the team’s future. A recent transfer from Japan doesn’t want to fight the kaiju. And then, there is the untrained teenager who unleashes the same devastating energy as the King of the Monsters.
Rating 9.4/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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