Ishiro Honda, director of 1954's Godzilla, once said that the tragedy of kaiju lies in their existence. Kaiju are too massive to fathom the enormity of destruction they leave in their wake. With the growth of reverence for these creatures, kaiju grow in size with every iteration -- symbolizing the magnitude of annihilation man has spawned. To honor Godzilla and the Titans, IDW collected three graphics novels -- Gangsters & Goliaths by John Layman and Alberto Ponticelli, Cataclysm by Cullen Bunn and Dave Wachter, and Oblivion by Joshua Fialkov and Brian Churilla -- into a 360-page paperback compendium. Godzilla: World of Monsters is a collection that showcases the tragic devastation wrought by kaiju.

The first story in Godzilla: World of Monsters tells a one-man revenge tale with an outlandish premise -- a police officer of Tokyo Metro PD uses the keepers of Mothra to blackmail the titan into destroying a crime syndicate. However, with Mothra otherwise occupied, Godzilla rears into Tokyo Bay. Cataclysm depicts a day when an all-out kaiju war broke out and decimated Tokyo. Twenty years later, the survivors dwell in small communities, so traumatized by past events that they worship the kaiju as Gods. The final story in the compendium is an exemplification of all bad ideas as the punchline from the classic quote from Jurassic Park goes, "They didn't stop to think if they should." As scientists open a portal to a world where monsters reign supreme, what happens when they unwillingly invite in the worst of the kaiju and doom their world? Of course, they open another portal to bring in the King of monsters.

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Mothra being blackmailed in Godzilla: World of Monsters TPB

For years writers have used Godzilla as an allegory for war and man-made disasters -- using his destructive nature to pen anti-war narratives. Callen Bunn's Godzilla: Cataclysm is an embodiment of the hope that survives even when a species is faced with mass extinction. What really lights up this portion of the book is the gorgeous, colorful panels of kaiju battles by Dave Wachter.

However, Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths by John Layman and Alberto Ponticelli turns the kaiju trope on its head. The story delivers what's essentially a What If of a crime drama meets kaiju invasion. Frankly, it's incredibly entertaining. As Godzilla and his crew work in tandem to take Mothra back home, Alberto Ponticelli's continuous, rough lines give a gritty look and feel to the human side of the story. Jay Fotos' colors bring out the big guns in this demolition derby.

The weakest link in this series is Godzilla: Oblivion. Despite a promising start, Joshua Fialkov's writing feels dull and uninspired. Similar dialogue is recycled over and over again and conversations reach no conclusive end. Even Brian Churilla's artwork reeks of wasted potential with lazy detailing and cartoonish facial profiles that take away from the situation's severity.

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Godzilla in Godzilla: World of Monsters TPB

Godzilla: World of Monsters is a subtle commentary on humankind's failure to foresee the consequences of their actions -- often leading them to agony and remorse. In that way, human beings become as tragic as the kaiju they dread. The anthology does not humanize the monsters but rather portrays them as catastrophic beings -- as they are and have always been. With an ensemble cast of talented artists and writers creating some wonderfully unique Godzilla storylines, Godzilla: World of Monsters is a must for every fan's bookshelf.

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