Apple TV+'s Godzilla is a cultural milestone that continues to attract fans both old and new. Aside from multiple cinematic interpretations, the franchise has spawned toys, video games, multiple television shows, and now the series.
Today, with modern technology, kaiju clashes can be presented more realistically, but comics are, debatably, the strongest medium to display wide-ranging, macroscale narratives with larger-than-life creatures. The possibilities are limitless, yet scaled down to -size intimacy when building characters and palpable conflict. Idea and Design Works, LLC, aka IDW comics, obtained the rights to publish Godzilla comics in 2010, and since then, it has produced some of the finest stories within the pantheon of kaiju media. From ongoing narratives to epic one-offs, these are the best IDW Godzilla comics.
Kingdom Of Monsters (2011 - 2012)
After IDW obtained the rights to Godzilla, as well as a plentitude of Toho-licensed monsters, the publishing company premiered with Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters. As the first part of an ongoing trilogy (proceeded by History's Greatest Monsters and Rulers of Earth), it reintroduces Godzilla to contemporary Japan with a decidedly darker tone.
Writer Eric Powell, known for Goon, grimly depicts a world on the brink of doom, where children aren't safe, and the cast of the Jersey Shore meets their fate due to the human protagonist refusing to save them. (Yes, Jersey Shore). Powell overstuffs his series with extraneous subplots and on-the-nose political commentary, however, Kingdom of Monsters still manages to be a rip-roaring introduction for IDW.
Rage Across Time (2016)
What Godzilla: Rage Across Time lacks in depth is made up in the concept. Godzilla and fellow kaiju star in a collection of short stories that traverse a span of historical periods.
From the age of dinosaurs to feudal Japan, this wild compilation of historical fiction contains a bevy of fun, over-the-top ideas, although some entries feel less developed than others. Right when readers are about to question Big G's presence on Mount Olympus, Zeus summons a hydra to defend Ancient Greece from the titular monster. Should this work? No, but since Godzilla is no stranger to multiple-headed serpents, it does!
Gangsters And Goliaths (2011)
Switching up the formula, writer John Layman combines kaiju beatdowns with elements of crime drama in Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths. Commendable for its attempt to amalgamate two completely different genres, Layman successfully mines solid human characters with intriguing motivations.
Gangsters and Goliaths centers around Makoto Sato, a framed detective who finds himself stranded on Monster Island amidst the takedown of a Yakuza crime lord. Sato then swears vengeance on the syndicate with the help of Mothra and the Shobijin twins. While the kaiju plays second fiddle to the human conflict, this pulpy thriller is highly engaging if occasionally generic.
Godzilla: Ongoing (2012 - 2013)
Also known as Godzilla: History's Greatest Monsters or simply just Godzilla, Godzilla: Ongoing plays out like a James Cameron blockbuster. Author Duane Swierczynski, known for his American crime thrillers, westernizes Big G with action movie tropes and a fast-paced, cinematic feel.
Following the events of the inferior Kingdom of Monsters, this 13-issue arc centers on a team of mercenaries led by Chauncey Boxer, an ex-special forces op who bears a resemblance to Jason Statham. If G-fans are deterred by the acculturated framework, the diverse characters make the experience worthwhile, introducing the first LGBTQIA+ character to appear in the entire franchise.
Godzilla Vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2022)
Godzilla Vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a dream come true for fans of the tokusatsu genre. While only three out of five issues have been released so far, this ambitious crossover event from writer Cullen Bunn is morphing into a monumental miniseries.
Prepare to geek out as kaiju from the Tohoverse clash with the heroes and villains of Saban's pop culture phenomenon, featuring a duel between Big G and the power sword-wielding Megazord. Artist Freddie E. Williams II and colorist Andrew Dalhouse present large-scale battles with a variegated palette that dazzles across pages. For fans of the original MMPR series, Ranger-combat and Dinozord transformations have never looked this breathtakingly cool.
Legends (2011 - 2012)
Godzilla: Legends is an anthology series with each installment focusing on an iconic monster from the rogues' gallery, including Heodorah, Anguirus, Rodan, Kumonga, and Titanosaurus. If a few stories fail to live up to the best the genre has to propose, "The Underdog" and "From a Great Height" prove to be some of the greatest kaiju tales ever told.
Anguirus is canonically known to face tougher combatants which makes "The Underdog" all the more exciting when the ankylosaurus-that-could challenges the mighty Destoroyah. For G-fans, it's a match-up worth investing in. "From a Great Height" is a pulse-pounding adventure with a surprisingly strong human factor; a government-hired thrill seeker climbs the irradiated Godzilla, collecting samples amidst an attack from the giant spider Kumonga.
Cataclysm (2014)
Known for The Sixth Gun series and Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, horror writer Cullen Bunn brandishes his proclivity for the unsettling in Godzilla: Cataclysm. Along with David Wachter's gritty, detailed artwork, Bunn depicts a nightmarish dystopia, offering a few interesting ideas and additions to the mythos.
Set after the eponymous event, Cataclysm captures the oppressively bleak atmosphere that would permeate a world ravaged by monsters. In desolation, communities struggle to survive while humanity is driven to extremes, forming cults and worshipping the daikaiju as deities. Fans of the Heisei era will aw at the return of Biollante and Destoroyah, but the slightness of the series will leave some readers craving for more.
Godzilla In Hell (2015)
Godzilla in Hell is less a narrative experience and, more so, a visual feast from various writers and artists who provide stunning interpretations of the massive daikajiu fighting adversaries in a different circle of the underworld. Surreal and, often, meditative, its dreamlike quality lends to a thoroughly unique descent into the Inferno, even if the individual stories seem loosely connected.
This dazzling anthology series serves as a fine entry point for newcomers and, for the art, alone, Godzilla in Hell is a must-have for any collector. A standout issue from writer/artist Bob Eggleton presents watercolor paintings that evoke the stygian works of Early Dutch painter, Hieronymus Bosch.
Rulers Of Earth (2013 - 2014)
From writer Chris Mowry and artist Matt Frank, Godzilla: Rulers of Earth concludes with a daikaiju battle so epic that it's a disservice to die-hard fans who have yet to read it. When two warring alien races fight for the control of Earth, a profusion of monsters are used as pawns in this colorful, eye-popping series, featuring an incredible roster of fan-favorite kaiju and a clutch of Easter Eggs.
Being the first American Godzilla comic book series to be published in Japan, Rulers of Earth pays respect to the many eras of Godzilla, from Showa to Millenium. Kirby.
The Half-Century War (2012 - 2013)
James Stokoe deftly balances kaiju catastrophe with compelling human drama in Godzilla: The Half-Century War. Chronicling 48 years of destruction, The Half-Century War focuses on two soldiers, Lieutenant Ota Murakami and his pal, Kentaro Yoshihara, as they dedicate their lives to protecting the citizens of Japan after the initial Tokyo attack in 1954.
The Half-Century War succeeds in feeling like a true follow-up to the original film. Told from the ground level, Stokoe emphasizes the scale of the kaiju and the weight of collateral damage as its traumatic effects render L.T. Ota more hopeless as the story progresses. Vengeance turns into obsession and, eventually, evolves into acceptance after a man-made psionic transmitter awakens more creatures from the depths and from above. A stirring, bittersweet conclusion makes this one of the best Godzilla stories ever written and is a prime example of how to incorporate humans in a way that feels intimate and integral to the narrative.
