Well that was a fast read...

Issue #3 in Joshua Fialkov's Godzilla Oblivion is jam packed with action, but leaves little room for much else. Furthermore, the artwork has trouble sometimes connecting the action, making it feel like a highlight reel at times, and Brian Churilla's artwork is also not as strong as the previous issue.

In terms of the plot, Godzilla fights King Ghidorah in Washington DC.

Okay, there is more to it than that, but not until toward the end of the comic when the details could likely be considered spoilers. Before diving into that, though, I will talk about the battle with the two combatants first. For those who found the prior issue lacking on action, this one does have it in spades. There are some cool visuals too, but the issue suffers from continuity during the fight. For example, there is a page that has Godzilla ripping out the Washington Monument and holding it, appearing to be ready to use it as a weapon. He engages King Ghidorah on the ground, who blasts him with his gravity beams in return, and then suddenly on the next page the three-headed monster is flying over Godzilla and swoops in to attack. What happened to the monument? It's like a page is missing. In another sequence, King Ghidorah kicks Godzilla from behind and then suddenly on the next page he is flying over head again and once more swoops in to attack. The fight feels all over the place, and like it was intended to be inter spliced with scenes of the human cast or something rather than the jarring cuts in the action.

Continuity in the art aside, the drawings are a little uneven. There are some great sequences, like the close up of Godzilla's eye or a nuke detonating later on. King Ghidorah, however, is one of the weaker points, feeling like he deserves a bit more detail and still coming off like a Trendmasters toy in his execution.

Now, I have avoided spoilers up to this point so consider this fair warning. Those wanting to spare themselves should turn away now, and there is a good surprise at the end so I would suggest turning away...

...so for those who are still reading, the comic concludes with Godzilla and King Ghidorah being nuked out at sea. Godzilla survives, King Ghidorah is missing and Eli Talbert's colleague reveals that they had been replicating Kiryus and now have an army of them. So, a bit of a problem with the Kiryu angle, even though it's cool to see an army of them: why weren't they used against King Ghidorah? Why bother to go back and bring Godzilla to fight it? Unless the story is implying they were created during Talbert's most recent visit to get Godzilla, which would be logic bending beyond belief to think that the Kiryu army was created in that short time. Second, and a minor point, Talbert's colleague goes from timid to being cocky and snarky once she puts on the Kiryu controller outfit... to the point it might as well be a different character.

Changing gears a bit, the comic offers three different covers, all three of which focus on the conflict between Godzilla and King Ghidorah which is central to the plot of this issue. The first of these is done by interior artist Brian Churilla and is a modern art-like take on the concept. Featuring a coiled King Ghidorah on top of a nuclear logo which is on top of an outline of Godzilla, the cover is the best of Churilla's designs for the series so far and is nicely eye catching. The next cover is the subscription exclusive by James Stokoe (Godzilla: The Half-Century War series). This will probably be one of the only times that a Stokoe cover is at the bottom of the heap, and this largely has to do with the odd angle of Godzilla, who looks warped and stretched on the cover. It's a shame as it's a cool visage of King Ghidorah behind him. The final cover is by Dream Thief artist Tadd Galusha and offers up a great action pose of Godzilla intermingled with King Ghidorah, the two blasting each other. The beams of both appear to be doing some damage, and it's a very eye catching cover thanks to the red that contrasts with both very well.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this issue. Those looking for action will be satisfied, although I found the issue to be a little on the forgettable side, a bit too disjointed feeling during the fight and also a tad too quick of a read.