The last issue of the year for Rulers of Earth, and it ends on a good note with a nice story and excellent pacing. Featuring a nice mix of kaiju action, the comic also excels thanks to fantastic artwork from Matt Frank.

In terms of the story, the psychic twins Minette and Mallory are being taken by plane. Drugged in a coma state, the twins psychically call Battra to their aid. He destroys the plane and kills the crew except a few, that the twins control. They next send Battra on a mission: destroy Infant Island. Days later, the Shobijin and the Mothra larva arrive at Monster Island with horrible news...

The comic strikes a nice tone between popcorn entertainment battles and moving the plot along. All said, I'm not going to hold back on spoilers so consider this fair warning. While a Mothra vs Battra battle is nothing new, the stakes feel higher with Infant Island in the mix. The bonus side of things is that Matt Frank draws an incredible Battra. The detail placed into the black moth is extraordinary, especially for its introduction as it appears above the plane. The battle between the two moths is well paced as well, although it would have been nice to know why the twins loathe Infant Island... although to be fair, possibly an explanation is coming.

The last one third of the issue issue is saved for the continued battle of Godzilla and Megaguirus. Caught in a hole in Brazil, Godzilla faces swarms of Meganulon before breaking free and battling Megaguirus again. Thanks once more to stellar artwork from Matt Frank, the battle is fierce and you can practically feel the ground shake as the two combatants slam into the earth. Their bout is interrupted, though, by the appearance of a new race of alien kaiju called the Trilopods.

As for the covers... I think Matt Frank is ahead an issue for the second time in a row. While Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #18 featured Battra and Mothra fighting from this issue, the one for this comic has Godzilla fighting the new kaiju the Trilopods, which is the cliffhanger for this issue. Regardless, at least the creatures appear in this comic if briefly. Of the two, the Matt Frank cover is the more appealing too. The Jeff Zornow one has a nice view of the Shobijin chanting while Battra and the two Mothra larvas swim. Sadly, the detail on Battra is lacking, which is shocking considering the stellar job Zornow did on Battra for the cover of Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters #6 three years ago.

Overall, it was a pleasant surprise to see a new monster in the mix and actually get excited about it. While I yawned at Obsidius in Godzilla: Unleashed, the initial impression for the Trilopods is a positive one for the potential of how it plays out with the other kaiju. For example, if Godzilla and Megaguirus battle the new threat together that would be an interesting element to see. Either way, the gamble of a new monster paid off and I will attest to being excited to see where the story goes from here.