IDW Godzilla #1 REACTION Thread

[ebirahsmeg1]

This will be coming out (time catches up quickly!).
Post your thoughts and comments here. In the mean time, here are some "sneak peak" images posted over on the IDW forums:

Sneak peek --emphasis on the peek--

Another peek at Angurius!

[ZillaMaster91]

I have to admit, the artwork is a bit better than what I was initially expecting.
It has its own unique style to it. I wouldn't call it bad, but it's not the greatest either. It's on par for me.

[Tyler]

Are those images from #2?

[xenotactics]

I'm not a big fan of that artwork. I kind imagine it trembling (à la Beavis and Butthead or Dr. Katz). It's too stylized and too unrealistic for my taste (at least my taste in Godzilla-related story telling).

[GreenAiden555]

Scanner is getting moved tomorrow once I clean my room, so Friday, when I'm able to get my hands on them, I will scan the different covers for errybody to see if the main site doesn't get them.

Maybe.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Review is up on TK's main site:

http://www.tohokingdom.com/comics/idw_godzilla_01.html

After a slight break from the character, IDW returns with a new ongoing for the King of the Monsters set in the same universe as their previous Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters series. This new ongoing is taking a more character driven approach, under writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Simon Gane, and while this first issue isn't ground breaking... it shows promise for future comics for the new series.

In terms of the plot, the issue starts with Kumonga interrupting a wedding in Mexico. Many are killed. The groom, Urv, attempts a counterattack using some nearby gas, but is unsuccessful in hurting the giant spider who ventures further into the city. More attacks are happening throughout the world by Rodan and Battra, while Godzilla descends upon Washington D.C., recently reconstructed. In the city is Boxer, ex-British Special Forces, who as an acting bodyguard for a young girl. Things get complicated when the building they are is attacked by Godzilla, as the two must now escape.

The story here is mostly about development for what's to come. It sets up some of the chess pieces for later comics, in this case the characters Urv and Boxer, while giving decent action backdrops for each. The pacing is a little slow in the middle, partly due to a few flashback frames, but is otherwise well structured. The ending ties together with the start of the book as well, giving it a nice sense of self contained continuity. Speaking of, for those curious, the comic has little if any reference to the previous Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters series. In fact, just knowing that Godzilla destroyed Washington previously and kaiju are all over the world will setup the backbone of the story.

As for the art, it's handled by Simon Gane, who worked on the Rodan focused Godzilla Legends #2. The art is good overall, but uneven. The monsters generally look good, although Godzilla himself looks fantastic. Unlike the earlier work by IDW, Gane opts for using the now classic Heisei series design (1989-1995). This includes that overall build of the character and also the distinct double row of teeth that was unique to that design. The level of detail placed in Godzilla is at times nothing short of extraordinary. In particular there is a close up of Godzilla toward the end of the comic where the amount of pencil work that went into sketching is tremendous and deserves kudos. However, for as great as Godzilla is, the human characters are drawn with much less finesse. It's a catered art style, but the attention to detail for the human cast is ultimately night and day compared to their monster counterparts.

In terms of the covers, Arthur Adams is back from his work on the Godzilla Legends covers to do one for the King of the Monsters himself. Adams' design for the character is very different, almost cobra-like in the mouth, but harks back to the Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) look of the monster. One of the alternate covers shows an extended view of this picture, which also displays one of the Mothra Larvae. The other covers are good, although the one by Ryan Kelly is especially nice with a great sense of scale and posing of the two characters in the frame.

Overall, the comic was a good start, although it will take an issue or two to truly gauge if this concept will pay off. The more character driven focus is much appreciated, though, giving more weight to not only the comic but also for the collateral damage of the monster's actions to raise the stakes.

Here is another review from Newsarama:

Best Shots Advance Reviews: GODZILLA #1[/quote]

GODZILLA #1
By The Best Shots Team
posted: 22 May 2012 04:04 pm ET

Godzilla #1
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by Simon Gane and Rhonda Pattison
Letters by Chris Mowry
Published by IDW
Review by Rob McMonigal
'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
The giant monsters from the creative minds of Toho are back, and they’re bent on destroying every major city and military installation they can. When the biggest monster of them all comes calling to turn Washington, DC into rubble, one man makes it his personal mission to take down Godzilla. It’s city-stomping time with no filming budget in this action packed and highly enjoyable first issue in IDW’s latest licensed offering.

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Though I am a huge fan of the Godzilla movie franchise, I have actually never read a single Godzilla comic book before this one, so I have no frame of reference. However, as a veteran of the films, I have certain expectations for how the monsters should be handled and writer Duane Swierczynski hits all of the major points, one by one.

First, we get the appearance of the monsters right away, within the first few pages, in a set piece that features a gay wedding, handled tastefully and treated naturally. One of the grooms is a man of action, but we quickly see that even a person quick of wit and filled with determination is no match for the horrors born of the nuclear age.

Second, we find a human focal point, which has varied over the years but in this case is a man named Boxer. He’s a former special operative, only has one goal—protecting his client’s daughter, regardless of the hazard. Unfortunately, his job runs right into the immovable object that is Godzilla and the irresistible force that is fear, and we soon see that he, like the groom, is no match for the beast. Boxer’s refusal to accept this fact is going to be one of the keys to the action in future issues.

Third, the use of the monsters is restrained, which means when we see a splash page of Godzilla or see him wreak havoc on the Capital Building, it has the full force and impact of when a monster movie does the inevitable big reveal. Swierczynski does not put monsters on every page, preferring to deploy them at the edges for the most part, which I think is a smart choice. A comic designed to be ongoing needs to keep the premise fresh, and too much smashing too soon would bore readers over time, even big fans of the Toho monsters.
All of these parts put together make for a solidly written comic, whose only potential irritant for modern readers is the extensive use of narrative boxes. Godzilla doesn’t talk and the alternative is to create talking heads to narrate the action, which would limit Gane’s ability to focus the panels on the action. I think it was the best choice, though reducing their quantity in future issues should be a goal of Swierczynski. Personally, I was a bit confused as to why the monsters were attacking and why Godzilla had picked the United States instead of Japan, but I expect we’ll have that answer in the issues to come. (It’s possible that ties into the latter-day movie continuity, with which I am less familiar.)

Simon Gane’s artwork for Godzilla #1 is simply stunning. He is able to capture the sense of collapse, despair, and destruction perfectly, while not always using a monster to demonstrate it. The splash pages we do get of Godzilla are poster-worthy, with Gane’s scratchy lines capturing the nature of Godzilla, Mothra, and the rest in a way that a low-budget movie cannot. The whole world created by Gane has lines on it, and his art style makes it feel like at any moment, all of civilization will lie in ruin—and it just might, given the nature of the forces lined up against humanity.

Licensed comics are a tricky thing to get right, as not all properties make the transition from screen to comic very well. Godzilla by nature has a heavy emphasis on its visual elements, making it a good candidate for the move to the printed page, as long as the right writer is found who can craft a story that blends the two genres together. Swierczynski does that very well here with the aid of Gane. It’s early yet, but so farGodzilla #1 is a great comic that monster movie fans will love.

Finally, some more sneak peak photos from the IDW forums:

At last! The day has finally come!

[OptimusPrimevs.g]

Can someone put up the Gatefold cover? I wanna make it my background and I can't find it anywhere.

[TokyoVigilante]

Just did an initial reading of the issue and it was a stellar read! It uses the previous series Kingdom of Monsters really well in that the events of that series create an impression on what this world is like while staying entirely separate. Very cleverly done, IMO.

Art wise, while everyone was sort of unanimously bummed at easily the weakest artist of the Legends interiors line up being picked for this series, that one shot issue doesn't do Ganes work justice. Mostly in the department of colouring, with a much richer palette here then in the Rodan one-shot which seemed to be monochrome brown. There's solid and perfectly serviceable stuff on display here and will no doubt improve as familiarity and a groove is established.

Swierczynski's writing is already showing positive habits that put it a step above what we had from Kingdom of Monsters; there's no indications of that directionless floundering around that plagued KoM and a much stronger sense of pacing, with all of the important details being given the right about of exposure. Our character is strongly established and how he relates to the setting, the tone is clear, the premise is set up, the action is well paced and engaging and I'm genuinely curious for the story to unfold instead of seeing what monster is going to show up next.

I'm excited! Very optimistic about this one and I really get the sense that IDW learned valuable lessons from the previous on going.

[Destroyer]

I thought it was good, but not stellar. I'll attach my review when it's done. I do think that this series will be great as the issues move along. I find the bounty hunter angle kind of pointless though.

[Tyler]

I know who can play Boxer in a movie:

[Blackout286]

Actually I share the same viewpoint as TokyoVigilante there. For a first issue it is at a pretty great start, and hopefully that will continue to hold throughout most of the series. Gane's work is pretty good within the issue, much, much better than it was in Legend #2, Godzilla in general looked awesome, and you could easily tell that it was the Heisei incarnation unlike in KOM. (Don't get me wrong, though originally I disliked Santo's Godzilla, but now I've warmed up to it and like it somewhat. I guess if it wasn't part of the on-going at that time then people would probably have found it acceptable as well.) The human art was pretty decent and acceptable, it may not be ripe to some, but its better than KOM by a milestone.

We finally have main characters! And they are still alive! At least until they meet an unfortunate end somewhere down the line. Still I look forward to the next issue and I have high hopes for this series.

[Destroyer]

Here is my spoiler-free review.
http://destroyers-editorialsandreviews. ... eview.html

[ZillaMaster91]

I know who can play Boxer in a movie:

Oh that's priceless!
But I can actually see that!

[kaijukurt]

NEW MONSTERS AND GODZILLA GOES DIGITAL!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/comics-news/19546-idw-announces-godzilla-comic-without-gimmicks-or-publicity-stunts.html

And as if all that city-stompin' goodness wasn't enough, IDW has made the necessary space in Godzilla's monstrous world for even more of Toho's creatures, with more than 20 of Godzilla's co-stars joining the roster of licensed characters. From fan favorites such as JET JAGUAR to lesser-known greats like the gargantuas, SANDA and GAIRA, the future of Godzilla at IDW is bound to be even more action-packed than ever.

That same day, after much anticipation, Godzilla will finally hit digital platforms! Available on iOS, Android, and Nook, IDW's entire back catalog of catastrophic, giant monster destruction will be available as single issues and trades. Not only that, but the new Godzilla ongoing will launch day and date with two exclusive digital variant covers!

Bobby Curnow on the matter:

So obviously... we've got more monsters! A couple important things about this:

1. This deal was completed after both GODZILLA and Half Century War were proposed and planned. So both of those series were conceived with our original slate of monsters in mind. So don't expect to see a lot of the new monsters in 2012.

That being said, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we saw some cameo appereances and more substantial 'screen time' for new monsters as the year goes on. We will see!!

2. We're keeping mum on which exact monsters we have for now. This is to keep you guys guessing and discussing. Hopefully some of the monsters will be genuine surprises, and enhance the story telling. Some monsters we'll announce outside of the comics as time goes on, some you will see/hear about for the first time in the pages of future issues. You'll never know what to expect!!

So with that in mind, I WON'T be answering questions as to which monsters we have and don't have! You'll just have to wait and see!

As the press release says though, we have Jet Jaguar and Sanda & Gaira, so you can expect a wide range of candidates!

Also... we now have digital rights, so you can get your Godzilla comics at comixology now. (though, who wouldn't want to get them in print?!?)

Big things on the way!

[Svitska Donkun]

Read the issue. Great improvement over KOM, but it still has one crippling issue the other series had. Despite his name being the title the book is not about Godzilla. It's about Soldier of Fortune, Boxer. Godzilla isn't even really a character. This is extremely apparent when you realize that you could replace Godzilla's role in the story with any other monster, and it wouldn't change the story or plot whatsoever. He is that ill-defined. He had no personality, he was just there doing the same old shit every monster does. Anyone else notice how sterile Godzilla's fighting is in these books. Walk, shoot ray, walk, shoot ray. There's no inventiveness in his fighting style that gave him character in the films. Like tripping Kiryu with his tail and then blasting him in the face, or slicing off Megaguirus's arm with a spine. He's just boring plot device with no personality. And I'm frankly getting tired of Bobby saying he treats these monsters as characters and is trying to bring them and the universe to life, when he really just doesn't. He needs to stick a bit closer to the films for inspiration. That's why Legends was such phenomenal mini-series. There's no reason at ALL to exchange Monster character and personality for a human character's personality when the books are about Godzilla supposedly, not about Boxer's issues. Humans in these things generally work better at complimenting the monster action, NOT the other way around. It just says something to me about the lack of creativity on the writers' part. They don't know how to have a non vocal monster drive a story so they rely on these really futile humn characters to give the audience something to relate to. It's really silly. Marvel and Dark Horse were able to have Godzilla drive the story as the lead character PERFECTLY. And it seems like the fans don't really get this. Blackout says, "Finally, we have Min characters!" Well...the main character should in theory, be the character the book is named after. We deserve better, and there is this smoggy misconception, that the book NEEDS a main human character to be compelling, which is simply untrue. It needs a compelling Godzilla. After THAT everything falls into place. He;s the most important attribute of this series, put more effort into him.

I like Boxer actually, but he's not why I buy the book. If the Book is titled "Godzilla", I expect each issue to have a story following Godzilla. If ANYTHING, Half Century War should be the new on going, and you should make a spin off series about Boxer as a Kaiju Bounty Hunter. I'd buy it. You wouldn't even need Godzilla in the title. But apparently IDW simply cannot make proper decisions on who to let be in control of the Main ongoing series. It's almost sad how far the spin off series out matches the ongoing in every possible way, yet IDW doesn't respond to fans saying so.

Also, spoilers, the idiots with guns killed the girl, Not Godzilla....so....?

[Bentley]

The complaint is a legitimate one, but the first issue is still too early to speak about the caracterization of Godzilla, as you mentioned it, he barely appeared, but this can still change later. Does it look as if such caracterization will improve? Not really, but hopefully they'll learn something from the best issuer of the Legends miniseries...

[kaiju115]

Indeed, though I thought Godzilla #1 was pretty good for a start, & hopefully as the series continues it will gradually get better as it goes. Also can't to see the new monsters like Jet Jaguar, or Sanda , & Gaira.

[Gyaos]

The art is meh, but Godzilla looks fantastic on the one page. It's really hit and miss in regards to the art. I may pick this up if I ever get the chance.

[StonedHope]

I fuking Loved it

Count this fan as Satisfied.

[tenup]

I have some gripes towards it such as the fact that they continue to use Godzilla's Heisei Series design. There's really no point in making Godzilla look like a man in suit from a 90s flick in a comic book, and giving him so much bulk and limitations. I mean this is 2012, and there have been way better designs created for Godzilla since the 90s era. The design they used on cover A was incredible. Why wont they utilize that desing within the pannels in the comic book? Or even the design they used in the first KOM issue? Another thing is Godzilla uses his death ray far too often, when not even provoked to do so. They could portray Godzilla in a much more sophisticated way. Godzilla just seems mindless and doesnt seem to have any sort of intellegance or clear motives within the comic. In the back of my mind, something tell's me that the team over at IDW dont really know how to use Godzilla in the story they are trying to tell.