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IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:10 pm
by TokyoVigilante
With the final issue of Legends coming out tomorrow, we're all heading into a month long drought of Godzilla comic book-ery until the soft reboot kicks off in May with the simply titled Godzilla as the new ongoing succeeding Kingdom of Monsters, with hints of mini-series being announced around the same time.

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Image
Godzilla #1
Release: May, 2012
Writer: Duane Swierczynski (Birds of Prey ongoing, Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War, Immortal Iron Fist)
Artist: Simon Gane (Godzilla: Legends #2)
Godzilla is back... in an all-new ongoing series! Duane Swierczynski and Simon Gane launch this ultimate action-movie blockbuster, ushering in a new era of monster battles. Ex-special forces tough-guy Boxer is a man with a grudge and vows to end the terror of Godzilla, no matter what. He assembles a top notch team to take down monster-sized threats... at $7 billion a bounty. What starts as a vendetta could become a lucrative business for Boxer... if he can live past day one!

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I'm optimistic about this series and with the announcement of IDW negotiating for yet more monster rights, it's exciting that we might be getting some fresh monster cast to go along with it also. Hopefully they've noted the pros and cons from their experience on KoM and I'm confident that Mr. Swierczynski, a writer who has worked more with licensed properties then Powell had, will be able to deliver a more widely satisfying and straight forward on-going action series.

Use this thread to discuss this new series to your hearts content.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:25 pm
by Blackout286
I do look forward to this series, I'm glad to hear that this series will have less satire within it, a treatment that KOM really needed after so many issues of it.The art quality may not be able to measure up to that of Godzilla Legends 1#, and 4#, or Kingdom of Monsters 1-4#, but judging from Legends 2# it will be a lot better than Santos.

All I hope for is some proper pacing, and since the first issue of GODZILLA will be 28 pages long, hopefully everything will be established quickly, have some kaiju attention/action and end things with a interesting cliffhanger.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:39 pm
by Rody
Matt Frank has mentioned before that he's seen some preliminary stuff, and he seems to think very highly of it.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:53 pm
by Gojisan866
I'm excited for the new series, especially considering Gane is on art duties. I would like to see a return to Phil Hester, 'cause I liked him. Simon Gane is a great artist though, judging by his work on Legends #2.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:43 pm
by Gojisan866
That image is currently my iPod wallpaper.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:10 pm
by JessPrime
I cannot wait for May.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:53 pm
by Blackout286
Yeah that Art Adams Godzilla piece, I saw it was up for auction on Ebay, that thing will selling thousands o.o

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:22 pm
by Arbok
The Art Adams cover makes me wish we were getting a series based around that concept, i.e. a story more modeled after a GMK style Godzilla who is positioned as the "monster to beat"... and really just to see that design month after month.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:24 pm
by UnCanny Studios
Arbok wrote:The Art Adams cover makes me wish we were getting a series based around that concept, i.e. a story more modeled after a GMK style Godzilla who is positioned as the "monster to beat"... and really just to see that design month after month.
Couldn't agree more. Adams has an excellent style that meshes perfectly with Godzilla, and his passion for the character shines through in his work.

A GMK-esque comic arc with Adams (or anyone, really) at the wheel would have me shelling out money lightning fast.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:20 pm
by Hipster Thor
While it's a great picture and I'd love to see it fit in with the rest of the covers(if it does), something is making me ill about it as an interpretation of Godzilla to deal with constantly. I've made it clear before how horrible the suit design for GMK was. It was a good design on paper, and in the model stages, but as a suit it was easily the worst looking, and least convincing of the millennium era. Sure you can say FW Goji looks bad, but it is still a fully seamless and well integrated suit with no points that betray that it IS a suit. It's also far more optimized for functionality. this is the most complimentary I'll ever be about GFW. But that's not my point here, GMK Goji design CAN look good, but the problem with this illustration is that it takes that concept too far in one direction. In GMK, Godzilla may have looked cheap and awkward, but he was still tall and imposing and featured some key Godzilla traits in his mannerisms, posture, and face. This illustration goes too far into Dinosaur territory. While technically Godzilla came from a dinosaur, he himself is not one anymore. The posture is much like a modern depiction of a theropod, and his head is far too large and "Crocodile" esque, which has never really been integrated into a Godzilla design before and seems unfitting. I mean look at the face and maw, it's disproportionately huge. I mean, God, look at that neck. Speaking of proportions, Godzilla loses his tall, imposing nature in this work. I would call this Dwarf Godzilla. And Godzilla's sheer stature adds a lot to his overall personality. Here, he seems squat and all mashed together. He has bizarre looking hands, and disproportionate legs and feet. I guess the eyes could be cool, but this is a problem I had with the original suit design. When you blank out the eyes, you lose any kind of personality. GMK Godzilla and his artwork/toys are cursed with one permanent expression. It de-characterizes him. The last complaint I have about this work is that it seems like a lazy effort on Adam's part, especially when compared to his Dark Horse work. How cool would it be to see his Heisei design on the cover?, which for most, is the definitive Godzilla design. Or better yet, look how beautiful his other comic covers in this line were. He took the classic designs for Hedorah, Anguirus, and Rodan(Titanosaurus and Kumonga haven't really changed in 40 years), and drew loving, faithful, extremely detailed illustrations of them that made us beg for full sized prints. This Godzilla doesn't capture the essence or glory of the character at all. It seems like a half hazard effort. A full on Heisei plate, or a revitalized version of 70's Goji would have been drop dead gorgeous and amazing...here, to me anyway, he just kind of dropped the ball. I just don't think its a very accurate portrayal of Godzilla, or at least not what Godzilla deserves when compared to the other plates. I can find much better images on Deviant, I think its love is due just to fanboy love for GMK.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:36 pm
by Captain Aktion
Personally, I love the GMK suit and hope it gets some use at some point. I tend to think that giving G a crocodillian head makes a bit more sense than a cat-face or rat-face, but that might be me.

However, I just wish, at some point, Toho would start to acknowledge that Showa designs of Godzilla DO still exist and ARE still quite popular. Where's my Mosu-Goji taking on a Heisei MG? That's the kind of flexibility comic art lets you achieve, so why are they so afraid of it?

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:47 pm
by Tormentor
Captain Aktion wrote:Personally, I love the GMK suit and hope it gets some use at some point. I tend to think that giving G a crocodillian head makes a bit more sense than a cat-face or rat-face, but that might be me.

However, I just wish, at some point, Toho would start to acknowledge that Showa designs of Godzilla DO still exist and ARE still quite popular. Where's my Mosu-Goji taking on a Heisei MG? That's the kind of flexibility comic art lets you achieve, so why are they so afraid of it?
Come on ;)
Why aren't there any Showa designs of Godzilla for the comics is just plain simple, exposure and past experience. Yes, there are popular Showa designs, among fans. But to the general public, to non-fans, they've mainly and mostly, have been exposed to the Heisei Godzilla. Especially during the 90's. Toho isn't afraid, its just that there's no real reason to use other designs when the Heisei Godzilla is still greatly recognized here in the U.S. There's just no need.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:02 am
by Captain Aktion
^To the "non-fans" argument, well...they're "non-fans". They have no preconceived notions about the look. If you present it, and present it well then it stands. It's only people like you and myself who draw distinctions about the best design.

Do you think the fans of Alien went and saw Aliens and couldn't enjoy it because the design was different? Apples, oranges, some like OJ, some like AJ. It's just taste, and only the "hardcore" get into discussions of this sort. No normal person is out there arguing that OJ is SOOO much better than AJ 'cause they like it better.

If it works, it works.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:15 am
by kaijukurt
Man, I can't wait for May...

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:11 am
by Poe Ghostal
I think one thing that would be nice to see is a tad bit of experimentation with using the monster's perspective rather than the humans'. I don't want thought bubbles or third-person-omniscient yellow boxes or anything, but seeing the monsters in action on their own occasionally would be nice. One thing IDW has struggled with (except in some of the Legends issues) is giving the monsters any sense of character. It's something Dark Horse and even Marvel tried to do, with varying degrees of success.

And while it might be a bit of a challenge with Godzilla, I can see this happening with a "good" monster...maybe even some rudimentary (non-telepathic) communication with humanity? Sanda strikes me as a good candidate...humanity could sort of befriend/recruit a kaiju like Sanda in its war on the more destructive monsters.

I'm sure that won't be everyone's cup of tea, but what I'd really enjoy seeing is an expansion of the Toho "mythos" so to speak - some exploration of the monsters' origins, some growth of their character, a mystery to solve - anything other than focusing entirely on human military running around tracking and fighting the monsters, which has been the MO since the Marvel days with SHIELD.

I suppose Toho is keeping a tight leash on the kind of stories IDW can tell, though. Though some of the Legends issues would seem to dispute that (particularly the Titanosaurus one, with Miki and Mugal).

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:24 am
by SJM925
Poe Ghostal wrote:I think one thing that would be nice to see is a tad bit of experimentation with using the monster's perspective rather than the humans'. I don't want thought bubbles or third-person-omniscient yellow boxes or anything, but seeing the monsters in action on their own occasionally would be nice. One thing IDW has struggled with (except in some of the Legends issues) is giving the monsters any sense of character. It's something Dark Horse and even Marvel tried to do, with varying degrees of success.

And while it might be a bit of a challenge with Godzilla, I can see this happening with a "good" monster...maybe even some rudimentary (non-telepathic) communication with humanity? Sanda strikes me as a good candidate...humanity could sort of befriend/recruit a kaiju like Sanda in its war on the more destructive monsters.

I'm sure that won't be everyone's cup of tea, but what I'd really enjoy seeing is an expansion of the Toho "mythos" so to speak - some exploration of the monsters' origins, some growth of their character, a mystery to solve - anything other than focusing entirely on human military running around tracking and fighting the monsters, which has been the MO since the Marvel days with SHIELD.

I suppose Toho is keeping a tight leash on the kind of stories IDW can tell, though. Though some of the Legends issues would seem to dispute that (particularly the Titanosaurus one, with Miki and Mugal).

In regards to the communication, I remember reading on the IDW boards they tried to do something similar in Gangsters with Godzilla and the main bad guy (I haven't touched Gangsters since issue #5 came out), and Toho said nono.

Only two variants for this one, right? I hope so.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:53 am
by Gorosaurus Rex
Um...I actually do want a good human cast for this. Monsters need to be strong as well, but what Kingdom of Monsters really failed at was having a coherent human story to follow. Not saying we need to have all talking and no monsters, but I seriously have grown tired of monster books that focus only on monsters punching each other and little else. It could be fun for a bit, but seriously that's not something I would wanna tune in for every mont.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:26 pm
by kaiju115
I'm really excited about this new ongoing series that will be out in May. So far I like the whole idea of having a monster bounty hunter as the main human character. For the art, Gane I think did a good job on Legends #2, I mean Rodan looked like Rodan, whereas in KOM he looked more like something from Pokemon. So hopefully in May this new series will be more like what KOM should have been.

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:00 pm
by Megaton17

Re: IDW's GODZILLA General Discussion

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:34 pm
by Poe Ghostal
Gorosaurus Rex wrote:Um...I actually do want a good human cast for this. Monsters need to be strong as well, but what Kingdom of Monsters really failed at was having a coherent human story to follow. Not saying we need to have all talking and no monsters, but I seriously have grown tired of monster books that focus only on monsters punching each other and little else. It could be fun for a bit, but seriously that's not something I would wanna tune in for every mont.
I definitely wasn't suggesting all-monster, all-the-time. A human cast (a good one, rather) and story are essential. But what I would like is some monster-perspective scenes that are actually mildly compelling, not just smashing crap. I don't feel like I've seen that in any of the IDW issues, except perhaps in Legends.

That said, a miniseries featuring a silent story about Godzilla a la Robert Bakker's Raptor Red or Stephen R. Bissette's Tyrant would be, in my opinion, great (if well written, of course).