Read Godzilla: The New Heroes #1 for Free

 

 

Here is this week's free comic from Neon Ichiban. 

Godzilla: The New Heroes #1 is a 2025 Free Comic Book Day Special introducing three new series published by IDW: Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era), Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone, and Starship Godzilla. These were bold new series in the fabled franchise, and I reviewed two of them. If you haven't explored these series yet, here are links to those reviews:

 

 

Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1

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!

For more, see my review of Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1.

 

 

 

Godzilla: Escape The Deadzone #1

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!

 

For more, see my review for Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1.

Read Godzilla: The New Heroes #1 free at Neon Ichiban.

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7 Review

 

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Artist: Christian Duce

Colorist: Luis Guerrero

Letterer: Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Christian Duce, Kevin Maguire, Alan Quah & Carmine Di Giandeomanico

Editors: Michael McCalister & Robert Napton

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 25, 2026

 

When Mercy Graves lost track of Lex Luthor, the Justice League followed him to a Task Force X facility in the Nevada desert. A Boom Tube brought the heroes to another Earth that parallels theirs in every way bar one. This world lacks cities with metahuman populations. And instead of superpowered people, Titans hold the world in balance while battling for supremacy. The Justice League has faced Titans like Godzilla and King Kong before. But the Boom Tube transported them to an earlier time before the Titans met the Justice League.’

 

Kong has fallen into the Hollow Earth. Godzilla swam away from a fight. Can the Justice League get these two alpha Titans back in the fight? Or will King Ghidorah become the new Tyrant of the Titans? Let’s grab a canister of Titanizing Serum, leap into Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7, and see!

 

Story

When Amanda Waller and Colonel Leland Lafayette Shaw III transported the Suicide Squad to this parallel Earth, they sought a means to transform villains into Titans. But mastering the power source that generates Titans isn’t easy. Nor is transporting it safely through a Boom Tube. While Amanda Waller and Colonel Shaw squabble over who was in charge, Peacemaker insists they call the group Task Force X because he doesn’t believe in suicide.

 

After arousing the Titans’ anger, Task Force X’s inadequacies take them off the table. Thankfully, Monarch has been studying the Titans since the 1940s. Agent In Charge Rick Stanton and Deputy Sample Archivist Jae Jorgensen can lend the Justice League resources and the benefits of their expertise. Still, the heroes must clean up the villains’ mess in Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7.

 

With Kong and Godzilla out of the fight, King Ghidorah summons other monsters to join his cause. Brian Buccellato follows the Justice League as they split up to battle King Ghidorah’s forces. He also shows Aquaman and Mr. Terrific employ competing strategies to return Godzilla to the fight. The heroes use a variety of means to attack the Titans and overcome the radiation that saps their energy. Yet, communication and coordination prove central to victory. And while he is MIA doing his "Batman thing," the world's greatest detective opts for compassion and healing in Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7.

 

Art

Like Rodan, Batman travels with Harley Quinn to an ancient site of power to meet a Titan. Thanks to the Titanizing Serum, Cheetah gives Kong a run for his money. More giant apes highlight Kong’s heroic nature, while Skar King’s Whipslash seems akin to “ice-dog-lizard” Shimo. Christian Duce’s art gives this fast-paced tale an epic scope, filling pages with kaiju fight scenes. Yet he reserves a two-page spread for when the heroes reunite to battle King Ghidorah's forces.

 

Luis Guerrero lavishes a loaded palette of eye-pleasing colors in Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7. Aquaman’s light blue marine telepathy links with Mr. Terrific’s travel sphere and heads-up displays, while Godzilla’s explosive emergence from the water echoes Shimo’s white hide and cryokinetic powers. J’onn and Hal Jordan make formidable foes in green, while red, gold, and blue mark a welcome reappearance. 

 

Tyler Smith fills balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase dialogue that never shrinks, rarely grows bold for intonation, and darkens and swells for raised voices. Wally West shares his thoughts in red boxes. Background colored boxes with symbols and foreground white narrative boxes convey off-camera dialogue. Colorful sound effects enhance the roaring, fighting, and energy flowing through the Human and Titan-sized combatants. Transparent sound effects enhance a brutal takedown and a finale that pays homage to classic kaiju cinema. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Barry Allen married Iris West without telling her that he was the Flash. Then he traveled to another Earth on his honeymoon and got a concussion battling the Titans. As Barry's fear of complete disclosure gained him nothing, trusting the people in one’s life proves the difference between failure and victory in Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7.

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7 Preview

 

 

Amanda Waller believed that metahumans were humanity's greatest threat. Her successor, Leland Lafayette Shaw, and his Human Defense League, want to eliminate Humanity's reliance on superheroes. But despite Shaw's disdain for metahumans, with their egos and "freakish quirks," a greater danger threatens Earth when King Ghidorah generates a storm in the Pacific Ocean? Why is King Ghidorah rallying the Titans. And can Humanity's heroes prevent the Titans from destroying the world?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #7 Preview

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Artist: Christian Duce

Cover Artist: Christian Duce, Kevin Maguire, Alan Quah & Carmine Di Giandeomanico

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 25, 2026

 

Don’t miss the Titan-Sized Conclusion!

 

This is it! The big finale! Godzilla, Kong and the Justice League versus King Ghidorah, Rodan, and the other titans. The question is…whose side is Mothra on?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #6 Preview

 

King Kong fought alongside the Justice League. But now, the heroes have lost their awesome ally. Kong has fallen into the Hollow Earth. Can the heroes find Kong before Colonel Shaw and Lex Luthor? Who will use the Titanizing serum next? And will Harley Quinn start beating Batman with her mallet again?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #6

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Artist: Christian Duce

Cover Artists: Christian Duce, Carlo Pagulayan, Alan Quah & Kevin Maguire

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 24, 2025

 

All roads lead back to Skull Island!

 

The Justice League mobilizes for the final showdown while King Ghidorah, Rodan, Scylla, and Behemoth make their moves. Meanwhile, down in Hollow Earth, Kong must face off against a Titanized…Chetah?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #5 Preview

 

 

McDonalds no longer super size their fries. But when Superman struggles to make a dent in Godzilla's scaly hide, Mr Terrific helps inspiration from the popular fast food chain. Can a super size Kryptonian defeat the Titans of the Hollow Earth? Or as in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #2, will a kaiju Clark create more problems than he solves? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #5

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Artist: Christian Duce

Cover Artists: Christian Duce, Carlo Pagulayan, Alan Quah, Lucas Meyer & Kevin Maguire

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

Enter King Gidorah and Rodan!

 

King Ghidora and Rodan join the fight as Godzilla settles an old score with Superman. Foes must unite if the Titan threat is to be overcome. As the battle rages on, Lee Shaw nears the completion of his plans to create his own Titan army.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For more on kaiju Kal-El, see my review of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #2.

  

Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley

Artist: Nikola Čižmešija

Colorists: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Nathan Widick

Editor: Jake Williams

Cover Artists: Nikola Čižmešija, Kade Byrand, Arthur Adams & Martin Simmonds

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 8, 2025

 

Dr Rumi Chiba sensed Anguirus' anger at being drained of its Kai-Sei energy. She rescued Jacen Braid when hungry mouths rose from the seabed to drag the Kai-Sei wielder beneath the surface. But Dr Chiba couldn’t protect Jacen from the Human pirates that attacked Team G-Force USA off the coast of Bermuda. Can she shield him against the sea leeches attacking their captured vessel? And where will Godzilla strike next? Let’s armor up, leap into Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3, and see!

 

Story

Nadine Nuki has a dour look on life. She pushes away others and warns Jacen that most new members on Team G-Force USA don't last long. Despite Incense's interest, Nuki also keeps the glamorous pyrotechnics influencer at arm’s length. But the past binds Nuki to Jacen. While the heavy munitions expert helped protect the Deadzone, Jacen lost his mother there. After the government transported Jacen across the country to New York, Godzilla plowed through the city walls to attack him at Gravesend Charter Academy. When the sea leeches attack, and Jacen can’t use his power to save them, Nuki risks her life to protect the newcomer.

 

But Commander Riviera has more to worry about than his team, let alone his latest recruit, in Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3. The leader of Team G-Force USA wears his patriotism on his armored shoulder. He knows that America awakened Godzilla by testing nuclear weapons. Still, after empowering the kaiju with "weird energy," Riviera wants to kill them or trap them below the surface. But the kaiju keep rising from the sea and attacking the good old USA. So when Riviera finds a target, he doesn't want anyone getting in his way of taking down the kaiju. And that includes voices of reason like Dr Rumi Chiba.

 

Tim Seeley's story hurtles along, powered by the clash of personalities, loyalties, and ideas. Yet it takes time to ponder how our actions affect others. American cities have barricaded themselves behind walls, and the country has retreated from the international community. Yet whether people like Richard Riviera want to admit it or not, America needs help resolving the kaiju crisis. Not just to target the aggressive monsters, but to forge a more peaceful relationship with them.

 

Art

As a woman eats a pink donut while navigating a traffic-choked freeway, the car's green interior glows. The vehicles momentarily lose color as gray fills the air. Then green tongues of fire leap off a gray beast with glowing yellow eyes, as it erupts through the concrete lanes in Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3. Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli paint Godzilla's rampage through Chicago in grays, greens, and blues. Orange, yellow, and red surround Riviera's team and Captain Corroñero's pirates as they battle the sea leeches in Bermudan waters. Colors shift slowly amid frenetic action, creating auras around battling giants.

 

Nikola Čižmešija conveys Nuki’s concern for Jacen as she blasts the leeches leaping toward them. Dr Rumi Chiba cuts a graceful swath through the melee with her sword. Incense displays his confidence as he summons fire and pauses for a selfie to share with his followers. Commander Riviera moves like a bull, creating carnage and destruction wherever he goes. Captain Corroñero resembles a broken man, even while wearing a monstrous jaw with long, sharp incisors on his shoulders. Jet Jaguar may not feel emotions. But the smile fixed upon his metal face suggests otherwise.

 

Nathan Widick places black uppercase letters in dialogue balloons that are anything but oval. Yet they link together in a pleasing, organic manner in Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3. An Atlanta DJ and Marco Petithomme, Jacen’s new roommate, fill beige balloons with off-camera dialogue. Jet Jaguar's beige balloons include music notes. Balloons adopt a hallucinatory feel as a newcomer makes a bold entrance. Sound effects make the ground shake with gunfire, jet flybys, kaiju screams, and the power of advertising. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While Dr Rumi Chiba may dislike Commander Riviera's American term, Kai-Sei energy links Jacen with the kaiju and those anxious to exploit the new power source. Godzilla’s attack on Atlanta opens a new era for Humanity in Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #3. The kaiju are no longer limited to coastal cities. Now, they can tunnel underground and emerge hundreds of miles inside the continental United States.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art 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. 

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #4 Preview

 

 

Amanda Waller dislikes relying on Metahumans she can't control. So she's teamed up with Colonel Leland Lafayette Shaw III of the Human Defense Corps to find a solution. Fortunately for her, where there's a Lex, there's a way! 

But as battles rage between the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and Earth's mighty titans, things don't go as Amanda Waller expected. Peacemaker may be gloating like a rock star, but the Monarch representative isn't impressed by either set of "costumed weirdos." Harley: I think you're gonna need a bigger mallet!

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong 2 #4

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Artist: Christian Duce

Colorist: Luis Guerrero

Letterer: Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero; Stephen Segovia and Rain Beredo; Alan Quah; Kevin Maguire & Rosemary Cheetham

Editors: Michael McCalister & Robert Napton

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99

Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

It’s the rematch you’ve all been waiting for: Godzilla versus Superman! With the Man of Steel not at full power, can he stand up to the might of the King of the Monsters? Meanwhile, Leland Shaw and Lex Luthor continue their evil plans to mine DNA from the creatures of Hollow Earth. 

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

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. 

Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #1 Review

 

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.