| Pencils:
Kazuhisa Iwata |
Inks:
Kazuhisa Iwata |
| Language:
English |
Release:
1998 |
| Publisher:
Dark Horse |
Pages:
32 |
| Colors:
Chris Chalenor |
Cover:
Arthur Adams |
| |
 |
| Monster
Appearances: |
Aliens,
SDF, & Misc Appearances: |
| Godzilla |
Super-X,
Soviet Nuclear Attack Satellite, SH-60J Sea
Hawk, Ballistic Missile Launcher, M110A2 Self-Propelled
Howitzer |
|
This
is the third issue of the six part Terror of
Godzilla comic book series. Originally realized
as a manga, these comics separate the story into
six colorized segments. The colorization is generally
proficient throughout all of the issues. Part three
sees Godzilla advancing through Tokyo Bay towards
the hapless metropolis. Many shots emulate the film,
such as Godzilla grasping a train full of passengers
and hurling it to the ground. This entry concludes
with the launching of the Soviet nuclear missile,
which segways into the following comic. When one
gets right down to basics, there are a few things
to note about this adaptation. The original artwork
by Kazhisa Iwata removes the appearances of the
characters somewhat noticeably from the characteristics
of their onscreen personas; a subject worthy of
note, even though it may be a point of relatively
minimal importance in the long run. The timeline
of events also seems to be somewhat shuffled, as
the discovery and implementation of the avian frequency
phenomenon appears to happen quite a bit later than
the film. As a note to those who have only seen
Godzilla 1985, the original intent to have
the Soviet missile fire accidentally is restored
(understandably, of course, since it was a staple
of the Japanese version).
Overall, the dark tone that defined The
Return of Godzilla (1984) for a generation
is successfully recreated here. The cover artwork
especially conveys the awe-inspiring might and presence
of Godzilla, which lures in those who may frown
at the potential for a mostly solo appearance by
the endearing monster king. As an interesting side
note, there are some intriguing aspects to the art
direction; including a brief scene where Godzilla
catches a glimpse of his reflection in one of Tokyo's
skyscrapers. It is one of those natural happenstances
that is sometimes overlooked on the film side of
things, but explored more thoroughly in the medium
of print. All in all, it is a wonderfully accomplished
adaptation of the manga rendition of The
Return of Godzilla (1984).
|
