• best of godzilla
    Best of Godzilla #1
    Publisher:
    IDW Publishing
    Price:
    $6.99
    Release Date:
    2022-06-29
    Writer:
    Bobby Curnow, James Stokoe, Jay Fotos, Chris Mowry
    Artist:
    Dean Haspiel, James Stokoe, Jeff Zornow, Matt Frank
    Letterer:
    Chris Mowry, Shawn Lee
    Colorist:
    Ronda Pattison, Jay Fotos

The layperson often labels beings too large or heavy for their own good as monsters or kaiju. In 1954, one such nuclear-powered kaiju trampled through Tokyo on the silver screen, leaving a trail of death of destruction in its wake and serving as a metaphor for Japan's darkest days at the tail end of World War II. At that moment, Godzilla was born. Since then, he has captured the imagination of the pop culture world, whose stories of conquest have reached legendary status. Written by Bobby Curnow, James Stokoe, Jay Fotos, and Chris Mowry, with artwork from Dean Haspiel, James Stokoe, Jeff Zornow, Matt Frank, Ronda Pattison, and Jay Fotos and lettering by Chris Mowry and Shawn Lee, Best of Godzilla #1 cements the King of Monsters' place in the mythos.

Best of Godzilla #1 collects four of Godzilla's best issues under IDW Publishing since they took on the licensing rights from Toho in 2011. Each story depicts the sheer destructive might of the Goliath in four different settings in four separate eras. With each story unfolds a new horror, a new beginning. Sometimes, Godzilla is an apex predator, while other times, he roams in the fiery pits of hell or serves as the sheer force of nature sweeping through valleys and cities. A super spectacular 100-page special, Best of Godzilla #1 is loaded with action and human stories from an ensemble of talented artists and writers from across the industry.

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Best of Godzilla Godzilla in Hell Cropped

The first story in the book comes from Bobby Curnow, who balances thrilling adventure with earnest introspection. Godzilla Legends #5 introduces readers to a daredevil adventurer who, despite being way past his prime, is tasked by the government to collect samples from Godzilla directly. Thus begins a colossal climb that ends with the realization of his mortality in the face of utter carnage. As Dean Haspiel's inks fluently map the whole story, the first-person narration adds drama and dread to the tale. Next up is Godzilla in Hell #1, one of the greatest Godzilla stories to ever grace the comic book medium. Scripted and illustrated by James Stokoe, the story is a silent feature that follows the King of Monsters as he descends into the depths of hell. Immediately, an ominous foreboding welcomes him: Abandon all hope ye who enter here. Godzilla in Hell is not a run-of-the-mill Godzilla book as a strong opening hook, grotesque body horror, and suspense carry the issue into absurdist territory.

The weakest link in the series is Godzilla: Rage Across Time #5 by Jay Fotos. A mostly silent story as well set in the Cretaceous period, here Godzilla comes across a plethora of classic Toho monsters, including Rodan, Mothra, Baragon, King Ghidorah, and Monster X. In true kaiju fashion, the story soon devolves into an all-out bout for supremacy. Artists Jeff Zornow and Fotos have fun framing the panels, as is evident from the monster-on-monster battle scenes that exude ferociousness. The final story is the most meta one yet. Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #2 pits the eponymous kaiju against himself -- or, to be precise, the 1998 Hollywood version, simply called Zilla here. Chris Mowry adds a human angle to the story as the two monsters duke it out in the middle of the city. Readers can feel the urgency on every page as the forces try to minimize human casualties. Ronda Pattison's colors complement Matt Frank's artwork as the story houses one of the best and clearest depictions of kaiju battle in the entire book.

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Godzilla vs Zilla in Best of Godzilla

Best of Godzilla #1 is a celebration of the character's immortality and relevance over time, showcasing Godzilla's greatest moments in IDW's history in the larger context of human tragedy. The collection serves as both a refresher course and a thrilling entry point for new readers into IDW's kaiju universe. While there are stories that could have been bumped up the list of "bests," the issues gathered in Best of Godzilla #1 are nonetheless deserving of praise and accolades.