Wow, what an improvement a single issue can make. While the first comic in the series was okay, the second entry in Joshua Hale's Godzilla Oblivion sells the premise in a way the introduction issue did not. Aided by stronger writing and stronger artwork by Brian Churilla, the comic is an enjoyable read although does suffer from padding.

For the story, Godzilla Oblivion #2 kicks off with King Ghidorah attacking the United States after entering through the inter-dimensional portal. In two weeks, the three-headed monster has already destroyed New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. The military has been powerless in their efforts to stop the creature. As a result, they now turn toward doctor Eli Talbert and Ms. Yamada, who have been detained following the portal disaster. The pair are ordered to go back through the portal to try and find something in the parallel earth which might be able to stop King Ghidorah.

The comic maintains a slightly lighthearted approach to things, something the first issue had and then lost for the second half. Having the comic start out with the main characters in jail was a logical conclusion following the events that led to King Ghidorah's arrival, but was nice to see the comic go in that direction. It was also an interesting development seeing the characters forced to go back into the portal. Despite Ms. Yamada feeling like such a one note character during her introduction, she is fleshed out here a little. She still maintains a stubborn attitude, yet starts to show cracks that reveal her remorse for what happened.

For this issue, the artwork by Brian Churilla is immensely more consistent than the first comic. The look of the characters don't vary the way they did before and there are a few good shots of Godzilla as well toward the end of the book. To be fair, King Ghidorah does look a bit like the Trendmasters toy versus the way the character looked in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), but frankly I'm really impressed with how improved the art was.

Sadly, the comic does falter in one regard: it feels too decompressed. The comic features four splash screens, which is probably more than I can ever recall seeing in an issue this size. On the plus side, the pacing feels good, but on the negative side it feels like this issue should have done more. For example, it might have been nice if it some of that page time was spent to develop the cast. If even just to introduce one character nuance, that might have helped to endure them to the reader. Alternatively, it would also have been nice to show off King Ghidorah a little more. Maybe a quick military attack or something to help sell how hopeless things are due to its assault on the United States.

Like the previous issue, this comic offers four different covers to choose from. The primary cover is crafted by by interior artist Churilla. It's an okay cover, although lacks the artistic dynamics of the one he created for the first issue. Sadly, King Ghidorah looks off in this cover. The creature features a mid-section that, although obscured by Godzilla, would be too large based on how his necks connect to this body. The subscription bonus cover is once more done by James Stokoe (Godzilla: The Half-Century War series). It depicts a Heisei series King Ghidorah against a lighting background and among dust. The detail in this cover is amazing, and one can get lost just looking at the wings and all the scales. The third cover is a retailer exclusive by Jimbo Salgado, which has Godzilla in a fairly aigle pose. It's really hard to tell what's the perspective, though, while Godzilla looks a little strange. Finally, there is a cover by Joe Jusko which is a 1st Print Comics Exclusive. The Jusko cover is amazing, with a Heisei series version of Godzilla fighting off jets while in the middle of a burning city scape. Of the four available, the Jusko and Stokoe ones get the tip of the hat for the best offerings.

Overall, this is a good issue, although one that could have been even better with less padding. It does make the reader much more interested to see where the story goes from here, though, than the first issue managed to illicit.