-
Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra #1
- Writer:
- Rosie Knight
- Artist:
- Oliver Ono
- Letterer:
- Nathan Widick
- Cover Artist:
- Oliver Ono
- Publisher:
- IDW Publishing
- Price:
- $7.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-08-03
- Colorist:
- Oliver Ono
On the surface, Godzilla and the other Toho kaiju may seem like gigantic, powerful creatures hell-bent on the destruction of life and property on Earth. But, in reality, they truly represent the man-made calamities and putrid excess seeping into the natural world. Even the various franchise reboots have arrived following real-life disasters, with the movie Shin Gojira being an allegory for the Fukushima incident and the original 1954 movie drawing inspiration from the tragic nuclear bombings on Japan. Both a destroyer and a protector, Godzilla shares similarities with the benevolent Mothra's misanthropic twin, Battra. But the two juggernauts go to loggerheads over trivial matters. Written by Rosie Knight with artwork from Oliver Ono and lettering by Nathan Widick, Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 from IDW Publishing revives the classic rivalry.
Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 opens in the year 2027 in the sleepy beachside town of Hackney-On-Sea, which has become a dumping ground of industrial waste. Bots are now regular companions to humans, living side by side, doing odd jobs for them. Robbie runs a small bookshop, but her real passion is monsters. Along with her bot and her young friend Akemi, Robbie sets out to find Battra. The titan breaks out from the ground and takes flight. As Doomsayers throng the town, Robbie, Akemi, and their new friend Kiki look for Godzilla to stop Battra's oncoming onslaught.
Time and again, Battra has resurfaced to destroy humans whenever their exploits have polluted the earth beyond repair, with only Godzilla and Mothra standing in his way. Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 reignites that tripartite struggle through a simple plot that follows an enthusiastic group of girls bearing witness to the landfall of giants on their tiny hamlet. The story is pretty straightforward, but writer Rosie Knight makes it unnecessarily complicated with a winding narrative that convolutes the storytelling. Regardless of Robbie and the gang's actions, the issue would have played out in the same fashion it ended, creating quite a redundancy. However, the casual nature of the dialogues and the easy-going energy of the girls' chemistry adds heart to the story.
The artwork of Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 is playful and almost childlike. Yet there is a certain lucidity behind the crooked lines and bold ink smudges that highlights the recklessness and humor inherent to the book. Ono rushes the lines in places, creating an irregular rhythm that mirrors the book's pacing. Once the monsters come out to play, the sporadic energy becomes the perfect launchpad for an all-out attack. Muted tones drench the landscape of the coastal town to create a suspenseful atmosphere. Ono's style engages Godzilla and his rivals in beast mode as they clash over the seashore.
Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 is another exciting addition to the Godzilla Rivals series, introducing the behemoth Battra to a slew of new readers. Along with the monster clash, there is fomenting human conflict laced with real-life affairs that Knight handles pretty well. The ending is heartfelt with a heavy dose of wishful thinking. Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Battra #1 reaches an amicable resolution between all parties, sending its kaiju away on peaceful terms while imparting a valuable lesson to its human characters and its audience.