Supergirl: Survive #2 Review

 

Supergirl: Survive #2 Review

Writers: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Rod Reis

Letterer: Lucas Gattoni

Cover Artist: Rod Reis

Variant Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke & Ethan Young

Editors: Chris Conroy, Matthew Levine & Andrew Marino

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/$5.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

Before General Zod's speech, Kara Zor-El's biggest worry was whether Ben-Lo would invite her to the Equinox Formal. Sadly, Zod's vitriolic speech proved to be the final straw for Krypton. As the fragile strands that bound society frayed, their parents packed Kara and Kal-El into a spaceship. Then they sent it off toward a distant planet that had yet to repeat Krypton's mistakes.

 

Instead, Kara and her cousin have arrived elsewhere. Who inhabits the glowing green moon that serves as a constant reminder of Krypton's faults? And can Kara protect young Kal from any adults who threaten them? Let's leap into Supergirl: Survive #2 and see!

 

Story

As violence erupted on Krypton, their small, homemade spaceship malfunctioned, sending Kara and Kal crashing down on the devastated moon. As Kara crawled from the broken craft that was supposed to send them to a planet in Sector 2814, a giant brute bore down on her. Kara raised her blaster. But clad in a bulky spacesuit and carrying her cousin in a pod, Kara struggled to defend herself against the sudden attack.

 

While revealing this event in flashback, Supergirl: Survive #2 opens 158 days later. Kara Zor-El clutches Kal-El as they navigate a crowded spaceport. The girl carrying her young cousin struggles to find their way among the other travelers and refugees. And a big man seems to lurk behind them, as they navigate the corridors of Station Grand.

 

While Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan's story focuses on Kara and Kal, it also introduces other players. As a team of Lanterns meets to discuss cosmic threats, one of them wishes the Corps were more proactive. But like the authorities in Station Grand, they only assist people after they've lost everything.

 

This lack of a central authority casts its shadow over Kara and Kal as they float in the tide of people seeking a new home. As in any crisis, opportunists seek to profit from the suffering of others. But the Lobo Gang has earned a formidable reputation. And as Kara seeks to fulfill her vow to Kal, she must decide how best to protect him in Supergirl: Survive #2.

 

Art

As Kara carries Kal through the spaceport, a cloak covers her spacesuit. While ships arrive and depart, a downward view across the terminal reveals all the travelers and an immense spaceship passing outside the wall windows. A man in a long coat stands out amid a crowd of many species. Yet the brim of his hat casts his features into shadow.

 

As Kara grows anxious amid the turquoise and blue surroundings, her fellow travelers lose their distinctiveness. In Rod Reis’s art, the people struggling to reach their departures become blue blurs with red outlines. Desperate for help, Kara begs for help from a silhouette in Supergirl: Survive #2.

 

Compared with the blue-green of Station Grand, the surface of Krypton's moon glows yellow-green. A gray monster attacks, his cracking skin disfigured with boils and bone spurs. As Kara stumbles back, her brass gun produces yellow sparks. But while Krypton burns red, and Wegthor glows green, all the colors of the spectrum fill Oa’s atmosphere. Despite the futuristic architecture and radiant atmosphere, Lanterns meet in a dark, cavernous room. Yet a yellow-and-orange world evoking a bygone age influences Kara and her cousin's future.

 

Lucas Gattoni places uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons as Kara endures another day of endless waiting. Blue letters in white balloons direct refugees to gates, while bigger letters in white erased areas locate readers in time and space. Text in colored narrative boxes conveys offscreen dialogue, while a hovering robot addresses Lanterns using green text. Amid the sounds of confrontation, battle, and death, the giant red letters that fill the air illuminate another sad fact of refugee life. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Kara was supposed to attend her school's Equinox Formal with Ben-Lo. Then, she and her infant cousin were to forge a new life on a planet that hadn't yet made Krypton's mistakes. Instead, Kara Zor-El and Kal-El endure an eternity of waiting in a universe where everyone does the best they can, even if people fall through the cracks in Supergirl: Survive #2.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Supergirl: Survive #2. 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Supergirl: Survive #1.  

Supergirl: Survive #1 Review

 

Supergirl: Survive #1 Review

Writers: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Rod Reis

Letterer: Lucas Gattoni

Cover Artist: Rod Reis

Variant Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Guillem March & Homare

Editors: Chris Conroy, Matthew Levine & Andrew Marino

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/$5.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: June 3, 2026

 

Kara Zor-El should be hanging out with her friend Sav at the Argo Pier. Instead, she sits on a couch as her parents argue with her aunt and uncle. Her father and uncle constantly argue these days over the issues assailing her planet. And whenever she looks up at the green orb in the sky, Kara realizes how badly things can go.

 

So as another family discussion descends into an argument, Kara holds her newborn cousin and quietly vows to protect him with her life. How will the political situation strengthen and stress her family? And what are her days at Kandor Primary Academy like when Kara attends classes and hangs out with Sav? Let's leap into Supergirl: Survive #1 and see!

 

Story

As they prepare for class, Sav urges Kara to ask Ben-Lo to the Equinox Formal. But Kara is hesitant. It seems like a big step. And despite how Kara feels about Ben, she fears asking him to the school dance. So Sav reminds her that the clock is ticking. If she doesn't ask Sav, someone else will.

 

In Supergirl: Survive #1, readers see Krypton from Kara’s perspective. Despite her pledge to Kal, Kara is a shy girl who feels overwhelmed by life. Her parents love her. Yet adults are obsessed with politics these days, and every discussion can turn incendiary. Things are moving too fast for Kara, and she wishes she could slow the pace down.

 

Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan address how contrasting ideologies can prevent people from working together. Their story reminds readers how a strong, charismatic leader can arise amid stalemates, promising to solve everyone's problems and get society moving again. Yet it also reminds us how much parents love their children. And when danger threatens, Jor-El, Lara, Zor-El, and Alura sacrifice to give Kal-El and Kara Zor-El a better future in Supergirl: Survive #1.

 

Art

Kara sits cross-legged on a couch as her parents argue with her aunt and uncle. As Lara approaches, Lara sits at attention. When she holds Kal-El, she gazes down at his placid features before glaring at the people radiating hostility. At school, everyone wears black-and-gray uniforms. But when Sav’s conversation stresses her, Kara opens her locker and opts for a black-and-blue jacket. The stuffed animals on the upper shelf remind her of the comforts of childhood, while her central position in a team photo suggests her willingness to work with others.

 

Rod Reis paints the school in somber blue and gray. When the world seems to close in on Kara, the colors fade as she crouches in a vignette. Yet Kandor could be a more colorful world, and Sav's blue hair is a reminder of that. When the friends visit the Argo Pier, purple and pink hang in the air, while the yellow maintenance drones bear yellow-and-black warnings in Supergirl: Survive #1.

 

Lucas Gattoni places uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons as Kara navigates another day in interesting times. The letters grow bold for intonation, shrink for lowered voices, and fade for whispers. Raised voices enlarge words and make balloons spiky. Sound effects surround Kara's nervousness and regularly scheduled activities, while giant red letters indicate concern for the future. Large green letters hover in the air, reminding people to exercise caution, as a green orb hangs in the night sky. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Kara tries not to dwell on what could happen. She'd prefer to return to yesterday, when childhood seemed less fraught with concerns. In fact, she’d prefer that everyone could rewind the clock, before adults and their angry seriousness ruin her world in Supergirl: Survive #1.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Supergirl: Survive #1.

 

Supergirl: Survive #1 Preview

 

 

Kara Zor-El should be hanging out with her friend Sav at the Argo Pier. Instead, she sits on a couch as her parents argue with her aunt and uncle. It seems as though her father and uncle constantly argue these days. But it's not without cause. Difficulties assail her planet at every level. And she only has to look out her window, at the green orb in the sky, to realize how badly things can go. 

So as another family discussion descends into argument, Kara holds her newborn cousin, and quietly vows to protect him with her life. How will the political situation strengthen and stress her family? And what are her days at Kandor Primary Academy like, when Kara can just attend classes, and hang out with Sav?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Supergirl: Survive #1

Writers: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist & Cover Artist: Rod Reis

Variant Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Guillem March, and Homare

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/$5.99 US (Card Stock)

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Series Length: 6 Issues

Release Date: June 3, 2026

 

Ethan Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Rod Reis take Supergirl on a new Elseworlds journey!

 

Kara Zor-El lives a life of small problems. How are you supposed to hold a floppy little baby like her new cousin Kal? Who should she ask to the spring formal? And when will her father and her uncle Jor-El stop squabbling? But the planet Krypton has big problems…like the militaristic dictator Zod ruthlessly crushing dissent and threatening to unleash the planet’s most dangerous weapons on the opposition. And when things boil over and Krypton begins to burn, Kara and her infant cousin will find themselves trapped together in a prototype rocket, struggling to survive in a hostile universe that doesn’t care if they live or die…and which might prefer the latter!

 

Breakout writers Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan (Eisner Award nominee Kill Your Darlings) join visionary artist Rod Reis (New Mutants) to tell the story of teenage Kara and infant Kal, sent on their journey through the stars together, not apart…that is, as long as Kara can keep him alive!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For how Kara Zor-El is faring in her ongoing series, see my preview of Supergirl #13. 

For Jor-El's visit to Earth in another Elseworlds adventure, see my preview of Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1. 

Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2 Review

 

Writers: Ethan S Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Jan Bazaldua

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg; Scott Koblish & Val Staples; Scott Hepburn & Yen Nítro; Adam Warren & Lee Duhíg

Design: Sarah Spadaccini

Editors: Emerald Bensadoun, Jordan D White & EB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 22, 2025

 

Peter Parker anticipated making his spectacular debut on the Ed Sullivan show. Instead, he suffered a panic attack when zombies invaded a hospital. The Frightful Four created the zombies when they returned from space in their stolen NASA rocket. Iron Man, snooping on the Teen Brigade's radio frequency, heard Rick Jones hail Hulk. While Donald Blake will never tap his cane again, Daredevil wonders if zombies can reclaim their Humanity.

 

The only one who can deter the zombies is Hulk. He alone has confronted the walking dead before. Can Hulk, Spider-Man, and the newly christened Defenders defeat the zombie horde? Or will TVA agents erase everyone from existence to preserve the sacred timeline? Let's thwip into Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2 and see.

 

Story

Jean Grey never belonged anywhere until she joined Professor Xavier's school for mutants. Despite his assurances, Jean worried about destroying his school and killing her fellow students while she dreamed. Like any anxious soul spending their first night in a new place, Jean's fears conjured a nightmare. But when Scott attacked her, and she had to kill him in self-defense, Jean realized that his attack was no dream.

 

As Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2 introduces Jean Grey and Jessica Jones, it also looks in on Peter Parker. Jean and Jessica fight a losing battle to save people from the undead. Yet, the dwindling survivors hail Spider-Man for delivering them from the zombies. Even though society has fallen, and he no longer has a family to protect, Peter shies away from revealing his identity. Still, he becomes a leader to Jean Grey and Jessica Jones.

 

 

 

Most Humans who become zombies swiftly lose their self-awareness. Reed Richards clings to his sanity in Ethan S Parker and Griffin Sheridan’s story. Mr Frightful knows he has changed. Still, he yearns to share what he learned in space with the brightest minds on Earth. Instead, Reed Richards must fight to prevent the ever-growing horde of the undead from turning on each other.

 

Like many of New York’s heroes and villains, Reed Richards falls into another being's trap in Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2. Now, on a patchwork planet, the man who loves science leads his undead warriors against Earth's mightiest heroes. Reed knows he doesn't have much time left. He may not survive Battleworld. But if he wins, the Beyonder has promised to reward the victors with anything they desire. Perhaps, the Beyonder can even help the Frightful Four regain their Humanity and turn their cursed voyage into a blessing for Earth.

 

 

 

Art

Lights glow in Professor Xavier's mansion as he clasps Jean’s arm and assures his new student that she is safe in his care. But when Jean awakens, her bed has moved to a mutant Deadite cemetery. After the pristine architecture of Xavier’s mansion, Jean wavers between mercy and vengeance among the backstreets and alleys of New York City. Yet she walks through blood and body parts, just as she did when she left Xavier’s school for mutants.

 

While Erick Arciniega lavishes a loaded palette on Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2, Jean’s red hair binds her to Spider-Man’s suit. As she accepts Jessica Jones’ friendship, Jessica’s purple hair links her with the zombies. Yet when they trade the red sky above the glowing yellow and orange buildings for another’s domain, Jessica’s purple hair links her with the planet-filled sky above Battleworld. Jan Bazaldua portrays the fighting on a two-page arcing layout, with the final panel evoking Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. 

 

 

 

Travis Lanham fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation, swell for intonation, and shrink for lowered voices. Zombies argue with larger dialogue in cloudy balloons. The narrator speaks into torn yellow boxes. Iron Man’s words fill yellow hexagons with red borders. Sound effects help readers hear the zombies tear through the ground, shriek, and feed. Yet whatever happens, Jean Grey seems destined to hear undead jaws snapping for her throat every time she closes her eyes. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Humanity’s numbers dwindle, a portal appears in Central Park. Those who enter find themselves on Planet Undead Hulk. Avengers battle Frightful Enforcers for the ultimate prize. But while most of the “heroes” fight to reclaim the past, one pursues a lifelong goal in Marvel Zombies: Red Band #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 Review

 

Writers: Ethan S Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Jan Bazaldua

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg; Scott Koblish & Val Staples; Clayton Crain; Ryan Brown; Juan Shavrin; Ryan Meinerding, Amelia Vidal & Sung Choi

Design: Sarah Spadaccini

Editors: Emerald Bensadoun, Jordan D White & EB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

Aunt May worries about her nephew. He's an impressionable young man, and the TV shows such dreadful things these days. Uncle Ben also frets about how TV will hurt his young nephew. But Peter Parker can't help it. He wants to see the return of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Jonathan Storm, and Benjamin Grimm. And there's another TV show he's not sure he wants his aunt and uncle to see. How will pop culture's penchant for sensationalism transform Peter? Let's thwip into Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 and see.

 

Story

While Uncle Ben and Aunt May want to shelter their nephew from the world, Peter yearns to be a part of it. He's already taken steps to become someone noteworthy. But while he has garnered notoriety, someone else has grabbed the spotlight. Four people have stolen a NASA spaceship and launched it into space. Mission Control communicated with the rocket for a while. But as it returns to Earth, the astronauts’ status is a mystery in Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1.

 

Ethan S Parker & Griffin Sheridan’s story returns readers to the origins of the modern Marvel universe. It honors the evolving relationships between heroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and their friends and families. But while Peter Parker dreams of attaining popularity and wealth, the Fantastic Four are thieves.

 

 

 

 

 

Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 reminds us that it's vital to do things for the right reasons. Reed Richards may be brilliant. But his interests outweigh those of others. The Fantastic Four recognize they have changed. Still, they have attained power by breaking the rules and defying the system. And that will cause a lot of people a lot of pain, as the Fantastic Four raise a zombie army to overtake the world.

 

 

 

 

Art

Glowing windows defy the darkness descending on the Parker home as Peter, May, and Ben gather to watch TV together. After the Spider-Mask covers half his face, Peter rises to obscure the TV set and a framed print of Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” But Peter makes way when a broadcaster appears before the NASA logo. The Parker family watches as technicians in blue overalls work on equipment, while armed men in black uniforms and armor await the VTOL rocket’s return. 

 

 

 

 

As Jan Bazaldua fills Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 with art that harkens back to an earlier era, Erick Arciniega imbues it with all the vibrance, nuance, and texture of modern coloring. Iron Man gleams in his golden armor, while Hulk radiates green. Joined by black, silver, and gold Thor in his red cape, the trio shines amid the glowing yellow buildings. Daredevil shows he belongs with the heroes when he arrives in black, red, and gold. But they must face off against the Frightful Four. Reed and Sue’s blue suits link them together, while Johnny’s flaming skin and Ben’s orange hide likewise bind the friends. All four demonstrate the decay afflicting them, as red fills areas formerly covered by skin.

 

 

 

 

 

Travis Lanham fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation. Yells enlarge words until they threaten to burst balloons, while zombies’ utterances fill cloudy balloons. The narrator speaks into yellow narrative boxes and often enlarges and colors the first letter of a sentence. Iron Man’s words fill yellow hexagons with red borders. Sound effects help readers feel the urgency of the rampaging horde. They also enhance the electrifying action as heroes and villains chart a course that will profoundly affect their world. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

It's not just life-changing events that empower us. It's also what we do each day that determines if we are heroes or villains. Fueled by humorous dialogue and an insatiable hunger for Human flesh, Marvel Zombies #1 revisits the origins of the Marvel Universe and asks, "What if the Fantastic Four were villains?"

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #2 Review

 

Writers: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Pablo Tunica

Letterer & Design: Nathan Widick

Editor: Jake Williams

Cover Artists: Pablo Tunica & Juan Gedeon

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

Some dubbed them demons. Others proclaimed them gods. Whatever people called them, the kaiju rose from the oceans to wreak destruction upon the land. The United States declares the Pacific Northwest uninhabitable. But as people scrounge amid the Deadzone, they find a way to survive.

 

While searching wrecked stores for cigarettes and drinking alcohol in ramshackle bars, survivors draw strength by sharing their encounters with the kaiju. Lacking cellphones and social media, people trade in urban legends. One concerns a man with a kaiju tail. Who is he? And what allows him to walk into the kaiju-held zones where others fear to tread? Let’s scrounge a Slurpee from a trashed 7-11, leap into Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #2, and see!

 

Story

With his thick skin, claws, and determination, the Wanderer subdues beasts that defy guns, rockets, and bombs. Like a mutant Mad Max, people hire this mercenary to protect their towns or tame the smaller kaiju. Some see him as a fulfillment of prophecy, a savior of the ruined lands, come to deliver them from their kaiju oppressors.

 

When the Wanderer encounters two kaiju fighting, he discovers two Human children controlling them. In Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #2, he learns who oversees the children's efforts. Instead of fearing the kaiju, these people believe the monsters are ushering in the next stage of Human evolution.

 

Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan’s story shows how tough times reshape Human society. People living in fear often break the social contract, such as by hoarding food and severing relationships. In this otherworldly tale, the kaiju DNA is spreading mutations across the Human population. A visionary leader urges people to welcome this transformation of their world. Some embrace the leader's teachings. Others wonder if hardship and suffering have driven her crazy.

 

Art

As Norman stares at a bottle on the floor, his wife forms a fetal position on the couch. Their dirty, trash-filled living room boasts cracks in the walls and broken windows. Laundry dries on a line before exposed pipes. Covered in dirt and blemishes, his wife keeps her back to him as she tells him it’s over. When Norman steps outside, the door slams behind him in Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #2. In an instant, the rich greens, blues, and purples fade to light blue and black.

 

Streaks of green fall as Norman smokes on the front porch of this fragile yet retrofitted home. More streaks of green, brown, and yellow form a reflective appearance in the wet street. A stranger approaches and hands Norman a red parchment. The dark red image and lettering suggest a flyer written and drawn in blood.

 

As Pablo Tunica fills Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #2 with fanciful characters, eye-catching settings, and imaginative mutants and kaiju, characters speak black uppercase letters into edgy, cloudy, and spiky dialogue balloons. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Squiggly lines connect each speaker’s dialogue within and across panels. Nathan Widick paints the black uppercase narration on orange boards with rough-hewn edges. Sound effects start small, but increase in frequency, size, and Kai-Sei energy when a mistreated character grows enraged, and a startling metamorphosis occurs. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While everyone else struggles to survive, one man makes the wasteland his own. The narrator claims this powerhouse mutant has no memory of the time he was Human. Yet even as he transforms into a beastly rage, the Wanderer protects children from harm and cherishes a tattered photo in Godzilla: Escape The Deadzone #2.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 Review

 

Writer: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Pablo Tunica

Letterer & Design: Nathan Widick

Editor: Jake Williams

Cover Artists: Pablo Tunica, Rod Reis & Caspar Wijngaard

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Once, people in the Pacific Northwest lived amid serene beauty. They enjoyed running water, electricity, readily available food, and comfortable homes. Then the kaiju came and took all that away.

 

Like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, the giants tore across the land and made it their own. The US government declared Seattle uninhabitable. Those who remained among the rubble dubbed it the Deadzone. How do the inhabitants survive without Amazon, Microsoft, and Seattle's creative music scene? Let’s grab our survival kits, leap into Godzilla: Escape The Deadzone #1, and see!

 

Story

Whether we worry about turning off the lights, making our mortgage payments, or surviving a war, stories get us through the dark times. In Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan’s tale, one locus point of civilization is the corner bar. People gather there to discuss the realities of life.

 

In these uncertain times, fantasy and reality intertwine. As they search for scraps of food, clothing, and whatever they need to survive, the locals see things they can’t explain. There are the monsters who came to Earth. Then, there are the people who become monsters.

 

While those at the outdoor cantina muse about the changes life brings, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 focuses on one man. He hides his appearance from others and perhaps even from himself. Yet, in becoming one with his new environment, he flourishes while others live in fear. He wouldn't see things that way. The man with a kaiju tail cherishes memories of his former life. Yet, whether man or monster, he inspires others. And so, they create stories about him.

 

Despite the narration, or perhaps because of it, a silence hangs over Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1. People share stories about this “monster man.” We never learn his name. Yet, as he helps others and seeks to tame the wilderness, we admire him. As he leaps into situations that would overwhelm others, he forges his future rather than letting others define it for him.

 

Art

Pablo Tunica contrasts Seattle's gleaming towers with those walking the streets. Then, he introduces a man working at his desk. Amid his cluttered workspace is a Polaroid of a smiling woman. A note reminds him not to work too long. Then he stands with his coworkers as an enormous eye looms like the sun outside the window walls.

 

After revealing the man’s former life, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 shows how civilization stumbles on. People cobble together whatever materials they can find. The protagonist dresses in a green jacket, a yellow hoodie, a baseball cap, and enormous work boots. His large hands, now as brown and tough as his tail, sprout yellow claws. When the kaiju attack with their amply jointed limbs, enormous maws, and eyes adorning their ridged spines, he is ready for them.

 

Nathan Widick fills Pablo Tunica's evocative panels with black uppercase narration in orange paper scraps. Characters speak into edgy white balloons with arrows as disjointed as their lives. Sound effects shake the ground. Screams and roars alert people of approaching kaiju. Distorted letters in bubbly balloons reveal how some people cope with tough times. After shouts turn balloons spiky, an arrowless balloon heralds a discovery that could change everything. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The kaiju do more than destroy buildings and infrastructure. As they bring their radically different bodies among us, they change what it means to be Human. In a world where he doesn’t belong, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 follows one man's relentless march toward whatever the future brings.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.