CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla King of the Monsters #12

Godzilla King of the Monsters #12
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Date: June 1996

Cover: Bob Eggleton
Penciler: Brandon Mckinney
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: Perry Mcnamee
Other: Mark Cox, Mike Richardson
Editor: Randy Stradley

Three hundred years from now there is no war, no conflict - only peace and brotherhood for all mankind. That is, until Professor Mason and his time-traveling army show up with Godzilla in tow! Mason has come to rob the future in order to rule our present, and he's brought the King of the Monsters with him to make sure nobody says different. The current story arc comes to a cataclysmic conclusion as Godzilla goes wild in a world he never made! - Comicvine 

In Harmony Cluster Nine, Mason's men are warned against descending below the 80th level and that they remain indoors after dark. After the futurian game show hosts who hired Mason agree to provide him with weapons of the future, mason agrees to secure Godzilla for them. Dixon arrives, being controlled by G-Force and asks Mason what his plans are. Mason receives the weapons. The mad scientist immediately transports Godzilla to the futuristic city. With the weapons, Mason plans to conquer Harmony Cluster Nine, perhaps transporting other monsters to the future in a bid to conquer the pacifistic and decadent futurians.
The imbecile futurians are unaware that Godzilla cannot be controlled as he smashes their city. Dixon argues with Mason that he cannot let Godzilla destroy the future, causing Mason to blast him with one of his new weapons, revealing Dixon to be a robot. The futurians impress on Mason to get his men to stop Godzilla, since the futurians are incapable of violence. As Mason leaves, G-Force emerges from the robot's head and returns to normal size. Elsewhere, Helzer and Meltev subdue mason as he addresses his men from a hovering platform. He falls into the armoury just as Godzilla arrives.

Before G-Force can capture Mason, he activates his time machine, but Godzilla swallows the mad scientist and starts to fade, headed for wherever Mason was going. G-Force leaves the future and returns to the present and tries to determine where in time Godzilla has wound up.

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla King of the Monsters #7 "Target: Godzilla! Part 3"

Godzilla King of the Monsters #7
Dec. 1995
Publisher: Dark Horse
Cover: Arthur Adams, Kevin Maguire

"Target: Godzilla! (part 3)"
Writer: Arthur Adams
Pencils: Tatsuya Ishida
Inks: Daniel Rivera, Justin Bloomer, Jasen Rodriguez
Colors: Cary Porter, Perry McNamee

The alien archer fires his weapon at Godzilla while Col. Cameron and his troops, with Take’ and Kate in tow, seek to gain entrance to the space ship. The archer puts a dozen arrows into Godzilla, enraging him and causing the monster to chase the alien. The alien leads Godzilla into a trap set up by his fellows. Soon, a bolo gun is fired, binding Godzilla’s legs together.
At the space ship, Cameron’s men are unable to gain access to the ship and one of them is zapped dead by the ship’s forcefield, horrifying Take’ and Kate. The aliens throw an electrified net over Godzilla, stunning the downed monster. Another alien with a spear leaps onto Godzilla, impaling him with the weapon. Godzilla slams the alien into the ground and rolls on top of him, impaling the hunter on some of the arrows still imbedded in Godzilla’s body.

Back at the ship, another alien appears and threatens Cameron’s men, but the soldiers shock the alien into unconsciousness. Col. Cameron then reveals to Take’ and Kate that he and his troops are Simeons, the ape-like aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole and they are still planning to take over the Earth.

From Toho Kingdom,
The third, and arguably the best, comic in the Dianii story arc that also ends in one of the most memorable cliff hangers of the Godzilla comic franchise.

Arthur Adams, who helms the story elements once again, dives right into the fight between the Dianii and Godzilla, which he was developing in the previous issue. The action in this comic is pretty satisfying, as the Dianii utilize their hunting techniques against the King of the Monsters. This ranges from arrows, to nets and finally spears. Consequently, the traditionalistic tactics of the alien race make for a very interesting conflict that stands out from the Godzilla franchise as a whole. Adams also deserves a lot of credit for making sure this battle wasn't goofy, as it very easily could have been in less competent hands given the types of weapons being used. As for the dialogue, it's all right, even if the Colonel's lines before they enter the Dianii ship are very awkward; however, it could be argued that this is the affect Adams was looking for.

The artwork and coloring in this issue are top notch. Perhaps due to the increased staff working on it and dividing their efforts, Godzilla looks consistently good in each panel, a problem most of the issues in the Godzilla King of the Monsters series have had. The cover is, once again, impressive and is a favorite of some from the series. Arthur Adams and Kevin Maguire outdo themselves again with this one; the detail on Godzilla, in particular the dorsal fins, is awesome and it's a shame that this would be one of the last covers the duo would work on for the series.

Overall, one of the better comics that Dark Horse put out on the character and more than worth checking out. - Anthony Romero

CLASSIC COMICS : KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND HC

CREATORS
Writer: Joe DeVito & Brad Strickland with John Michlig
Artist: Joe DeVito
Pubisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: November 24, 2004

The story begins in 1957, twenty five years after King Kong's fall from atop New York City's Empire State Building. Following Kong's death, both Carl Denham and the body of Kong quickly vanished before any investigation could be launched, leaving rumor and speculation in their wake. Carl's son, Vincent, was left behind. He is now a paleontologist facing a spiritual dilemma, which has its seeds in the disappearance of his father. Upon a chance finding of the hidden Skull Island map, Vincent contacts Jack Driscoll, one of Kong's original captors. They piece together a plan and go to Skull Island in search of Carl Denham, King Kong, and answers to questions spanning a quarter century.
During a disastrous landing attempt, Vincent is almost killed and Driscoll sets out to find his stricken friend. Upon waking in a dark cavern, Vincent finds himself being cared for by an enigmatic island elder and her young, exotically beautiful but ominous assistant, Kara. The ancient woman, who asks to be called "Storyteller," seems to possess extraordinary knowledge about Vincent and his father. She relates a story from a century earlier that Vincent half-hears and half-dreams through the haze of narcotic herbs kept burning to aid his recovery. Her tale hints at the true origin of the island's culture and the mystery behind questions such as: Who built the Wall and how? If the Wall was built to keep Kong out, why are its doors big enough to let him in? How could such an island and its monstrous creatures still exist? The answers to those questions and more are all revealed.

Or are they?

While the Storytellerís tale is sometimes confirmed, it is often refuted by the sights and experiences of Jack Driscoll. He stumbles upon pieces to Skull Islandís mysterious history as he struggles to survive the various threats of the island and find his friend. When Driscoll and Vincent reunite, their experiences combine to determine just who the Storyteller and Kara are, what became of Carl Denham, the story behind King Kong and clues to the origins of Skull Island itself. As a result, their lives are all changed forever.

As the story unfolds against a fantastic prehistoric backdrop, woven throughout are themes of personal redemption and reconciliation. All the protagonists have a particular cross to bear: Vincent is on the brink, both emotionally and spiritually; Driscoll comes face to face with past fears and prejudices; in the wake of Kong's death, the lives and culture of the islanders themselves hang in the balance; and we find that Carl Denham's desperate attempt to assuage his conscience decades earlier had very unexpected consequences.

Mysteriously, everyone is inextricably bound to the Storytellerís tale. It tells of two ancient native children, Ishara and Kublai, and their quest to escape a terrible fate which threatens both themselves and their people. That struggle has the power to reach across time and change the destiny of all. If they survive. For at the nexus of every event is the beast-god of Skull Island: KING KONG.

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla #21 "The Doom Trip!"

Godzilla Vol 1 #21
April, 1979
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover Artists: Herb Trimpe

"The Doom Trip!"
Writers: Doug Moench
Pencilers: Herb Trimpe
Inkers: Dan Green
Colourists: Ben Sean
Letterers: Irving Watanabe
Editors: Al Milgrom

Appearing in "The Doom Trip!"
Featured Characters: Godzilla
Supporting Characters: Moon Boy
Devil Dinosaur
Villains: Lizard Warriors
Other Characters: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Godzilla Squad
Gabriel Jones
Jimmy Woo
Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan
Fantastic Four
Mr. Fantastic
Invisible Girl
Human Torch
Thing
Hugh Howards
Robert Takiguchi
Tamara Hashioka
Yuriko Takiguchi
Gladstone Hawkins

Synopsis for "The Doom Trip!"
With Godzilla knocked into a shark tank, the Godzilla Squad and Fantastic Four fish out the monster, and knock it out. Reed then suggests that they bring the monster to the Baxter Building. There Reed uses Dr. Doom's time machine to send Godzilla back in time.
In doing so, Godzilla is transported to the world of Moon-Boy and the Devil Dinosaur, where Godzilla meets and battles Devil Dinosaur. However, when the Lizard Warriors come to invade Moon-Boy's home, Moon-Boy manages to appeal to Godzilla to help him stop the invasion.

Notes
At this point in history, it was believed that the world which Moon-Boy lived was that of Earth's past, however it is later revealed that Moon-Boy lives in the alternate reality of Earth-78411. Godzilla's appearance in this reality may have something to do with his radioactive physiology effecting Dr. Doom's time machine (as shown next issue).

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla #1 "The Coming!"

Godzilla Vol 1 #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
August, 1977
Editor-in-Chief: Archie Goodwin
Cover Artists: Herb Trimpe

"The Coming!"
Writers: Doug Moench
Pencilers: Herb Trimpe
Inkers: Jim Mooney
Colourists: Janice Cohen
Letterers: Joe Rosen
Editors: Archie Goodwin

Appearing in "The Coming!"
Featured Characters: Godzilla (First appearance)
Supporting Characters: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Col. Nick Fury
Godzilla Squad (First appearance)
Commander Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan
Jimmy Woo
Robert Takiguchi (First appearance)
Tamara Hashioka (First appearance)
Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi (First appearance)
Other Characters: Johnny
Frank
Eddie
Angel Squad
Agent R
Agent L
Locations: Alaska
Alaskan Pipeline
year 1956 (Only in flashback)
Japan (Only in flashback)
Canada
Vehicles: S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

Synopsis for "The Coming!"
Out of the frozen Alaskan waters comes Godzilla, king of the monsters, and his first order of business on American soil is to destroy an Alaskan oil pipeline. The destruction brings the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., who assigns a "Godzilla Squad" consisting of Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, Gabriel Jones, Jimmy Woo, and Nick Fury brings in resident Godzilla expert Yuriko Takiguchi his assistant Tamara Hashioka and his grandson Robert Takiguchi to help.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. battalion tries to stop the King of Monsters with various weapons, it all proves nothing more than an exercise in aggravation for the giant monster. After the monster destroys everything SHIELD throws at it, it manages to leave the scene unscathed. Meeting up with Fury, Dugan is introduced to Takiguchi and his clan and they begin to discuss how they may stop Godzilla. Tamara talks of a secret weapon that they have been devising to use against the monster.

Notes
This issue was published with a 30 and 35 cents cover price.
First appearance of Godzilla in the Marvel Universe.
This issue is reprinted in Essential Series #Godzilla.

Trivia
Godzilla's first appearance in the Earth-616 universe is similar to his re-emergence in the 1963 film King Kong vs Godzilla.
Panels from this issue have been used for the Godzilla View Master reel collections.

CLASSIC COMICS : Iron Man #193 "Godzilla's Return"

Iron Man #193
Writer: Denny O'Neil
Artist: Luke McDonnell, Ian Akin, Brian Garvey
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release: 1985

Nearly six years after the closure of Marvel's Godzilla series, writer Denny O'Neil decides to revisit the character in what would become a controversial move among fans of the King of the Monsters. This book, Iron Man #193, sees the title character with some of the West Coast Avengers tackling Doctor Demonicus. The twisted geneticist, not fighting directly, utilizes the heavily mutated Godzilla to do his bidding and battle the heroes on a remote island. The other Avengers are powerless against the beast, forcing Iron Man to grapple with the monster and fly out to sea, where the comic ends on a cliff hanger.

This book represents the third story arc to include the Doctor Demonicus character. Originally in Godzilla #4, Demonicus sent Batragon and other genetic creations at Godzilla before being beaten back. His next appearance was in another licensed series by Marvel called Shogun Warriors, which was based on a Mattel line of toys (which, interestingly enough, featured Godzilla and Rodan even though neither appeared in the comic adaptation). The villain then slipped into obscurity for more than half a decade before reemerging in 1985. The timing for his reappearance should be obvious: with an upcoming US release of The Return of Godzilla (1984) under the Godzilla 1985 marquee, what better time to bring back one of Godzilla's old foes?

Demonicus is not alone, though. With him is a giant aquatic beast who has been bent to the doctor's will. To be clear, this creature is purposely, and conveniently, never named. Yet the allusions as to who it is are clear. Marvel no longer had the licensee to the Godzilla character, yet through some creative writing from O'Neil the identity of this beast are easily traceable.

Demonicus, giving a monologue about the creature, refers to him as his "once greatest enemy", and when coupled with the fact that he had only faced Godzilla, the robot Shogun Warriors and S.H.I.E.L.D. at this time that statement narrows the field. So what happened to Godzilla? This is also made clear in this issue, as Demonicus tells the creature that if he performs well the doctor may even spare him of "further mutation". For some fans, this isn't enough of a confirmation, and who can blame them for not wanting to think that one of Godzilla's obscure, and fairly lackluster, opponents managed to get such an upper hand over the King of the Monsters. Yet the evidence, and certainly the timing of this reemergence, make the attempted connection by the writing staff overt.

This wouldn't be the first time the company flirted with licensed properties outside of their comic runs either. In the 1970's and 1980's, this type of practice was not uncommon. For example, characters from both the comic adaptations of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Transformers (Machine Man and Circuit Breaker respectively) have appeared in the main Marvel Comics continuity. Certainly Godzilla's own comic run from the company featured a plethora of Marvel heroes already, such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, so his induction into the continuity was already established.

Sidestepping the controversy, though, how does this comic fare? Well, it's pretty standard actually. There isn't much to the story to begin with, while the art isn't too impressive, although there are a few shots to the contrary of that statement. If not for the Demonicus/Godzilla angle, there would be little reason to even give the book a second glance, as it feels like a fairly run-of-the-mill and rudimentary entry in a long running series.

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla Color Special

Godzilla Color Special
Cover: Arthur Adams
Writer: Arthur Adams, Randy Stradley
Artist: Arthur Adams
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release: 1992

Arguably the greatest English Godzilla comic published to date, and possibly just the greatest in general. When the Godzilla Color Special was first printed back in 1992, color in Dark Horse Comics was a rare occasion. This issue proves, though, how much better Godzilla comics are when presented in full color. Arthur Adams is, without a doubt, the best artist ever attached to the Godzilla franchise in the West, and this comic showcases some of his best work on the character. The cover alone is an excellent shot of Godzilla, but the back, displaying Godzilla fighting Gekido-Jin with G-Force centered at the bottom, is simply breathtaking. The dialogue and captions are a little cheesy at times, but the story is pretty solid. The publication's plot sees an oni, by the name of Gekido-Jin, awaken after a man named Kogenta sacrifices himself to allow the creature to break free from its stony state and fight Godzilla. Many describe Gekido-Jin as a Daimajin clone, and while this may have been the intention, the character makes for a very different foe for the King of the Monsters than what we have seen in the past. As for the battles in the book, they are well structured. Adams has a gift for being able to capture action sequences in his panels, and this talent comes through full force in this book for the battle between the two monsters.

As a closing side remark, it's interesting to note that the G-Force featured in this book actually predates the use of the name in the movies, which started in 1993 with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. In fact, Toho seemed to take a lot of notice toward this comic in particular, even placing one of Adams' images, of Godzilla emerging from the water, on the front cover of the script for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla King of the Monsters #23 "Godzilla Vs. The Avengers"

Godzilla King of the Monsters #23
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Herb Trimpe, Dan Green
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release: 1979

Marvel gets ready to take their Godzilla King of the Monsters series out with a bang, as this issue before the last in the comic's run continues Godzilla's rampage through New York, this time to his full size after previously being shrunk by Henry "Yellowjacket" Pym's "pym particles". With the Fantastic Four having already gone toe-to-toe with the behemoth when he was human size, and SHIELD unable to thwart the nuclear menace, the Avengers kick into action and their exploits against Godzilla are covered in this issue. To Marvel's credit, Godzilla is mostly unparalleled by his adversaries, shrugging off the Avengers' respective strikes, although panels alert the reader that the King of the Monsters is often under tremendous pain by attacks such as a blow from Thor's Mjolnir despite that he retaliates in short order. As it turns out, and the cover of the title suggests, only Wasp and the Yellowjacket are able to make any sort of successful attack against the creature, although even this is a fairly minor victory that Godzilla still manages to come back from and leave this issue on sort of a cliffhanger.

In regards to how this comic fares, it's a decent read. Anyone who is both a fan of Godzilla and Marvel Comics will likely get a kick out of the huge melding of the two properties, though, and all of the cameo's within, such as one from J. Jonah Jameson. The art by Herb Trimpe, however, is a bit mixed. He does a very good job rendering the Avengers and other iconic Marvel characters, which should come as no surprise since he had previously worked on other series such as Captain America and Iron Man, but falters a little in regards to the title character who looks uneven from panel to panel. This is a stable complaint of the series as a whole, though, so nothing new or particularly noteworthy about it in regards to this particular issue. Overall, it's an enjoyable read and probably the best showcase of Godzilla against the Marvel Universe that the series has to offer.

CLASSIC COMICS : Gorgo: The Monster from the Sea!

Title : Gorgo #1
Publisher: Charlton Comics
Featuring Gorgo
Cover Credits Pencils: Dick Giordano, Inks: Dick Giordano
Content Genre: Science Fiction; Monster
Publication    Date: 1960, Price: 0.10 USD, Pages: 36
Notes Based on the motion picture by King Brothers released by MGM.

Comic Story: Monsters of the Past (1 page)
Synopsis: Facts about dinosaurs.
Credits Script: Joe Gill, Pencils: Sam Glanzman, Inks: Sam Glanzman, Letters: Jon D'Agostino
Content Genre: Fact
Notes Inside front cover.

Comic Story: Gorgo (22 pages)
Synopsis: A giant lizard-like creature is spewed from the bottomless depths by a volcanic eruption only to wreak havoc on the modern world.
Featuring: Gorgo
Credits Script: Joe Gill, Pencils: Steve Ditko, Inks: Steve Ditko, Letters: Jon D'Agostino
Content Genre: Science Fiction, Characters: Gorgo

Comic Story: Wonders of the Deep! (4 pages)
Synopsis: Various facts about undersea creatures.
Credits Script: Joe Gill, Pencils: Charles Nicholas [as ChaSal], Inks: Sal Trapani [as ChaSal], Letters: Jon D'Agostino
Content Genre: Fact

Activity Captain Corey's Curiosity Corner (2 pages)
Credits Letters: typeset
Notes Things to make, things to do, things to know.

Comic Story: Fear! (4 pages)
Synopsis: Professor Hemlin explains superstition.
Credits Script: Joe Gill, Pencils: Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, Inks: Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, Letters: Jon D'Agostino
Content Genre: Fact

Comic Story: Strange People Who Are Real (1 page)
Synopsis: Various facts about carnival people.
Credits Script: Joe Gill, Pencils: Charles Nicholas, Inks: Vince Alascia, Letters: Jon D'Agostino
Content Genre: Fact
Notes Inside back cover.

Notes Full page backcover pinup of Gorgo smashing London Bridge.


Charlton's Monster from the Deep

After a seaquake a huge lizard like creature walks out of the ocean and almost destroyers a fishing village in Ireland, fortunately for the village the same quake that brought the 65 foot monster to land has also grounded a salvage ship, the crew of which proves up to the task of capturing the beast.

Instead of killing it, or turning it over to the government, they decide to take it to London and put it on display for profit.

Looking to be a huge success things become more complicated when it’s discovered that the monster, which has been dubbed Gorgo, is really just a youngster and it’s 200 foot tall mother is coming for him.

After a pitched battle with the British army Gorga’s mother Orga able to free her child and they both go lumbering back to the sea.

That however is not the last the world has heard of Gorgo, apparently having found a taste for the land the young monster begins to make regular visits there.

At the same time governments, scientists, and even would be world conquerors pursue Gorgo and his mother for their own ends.

This leads to Gorgo finding himself in a succession dangerous situations, from battling other giant primitive monsters, to control by mad scientists, to even at one point inadvertently preventing World War III.

Update from IDW
STEVE DITKO’S MONSTERS VOL. 1: GORGO - Gigantic Preview

Hey gang!  We're really excited about the recently released STEVE DITKO'S MONSTERS VOL. 1: GORGO and thought it'd be awesome to give you guys a GIGANTIC preview of the monster-fueled mayhem within.
So, here for your viewing terror, is the classic GORGO #1 in its entirety!

CLASSIC COMICS : Giant Classic King Kong Comic Book

Giant Classic King Kong Comic Book
Art: Alberto Giolitti
Publisher: Whitman
Released: 1968
Cover Artist: George Wilson


This Whitman Giant Classic featured terrific cover art by George Wilson of King Kong atop the Empire States Building. And the excellent interior art was by Alberto Giolitti.

The familiar story itself was split into seven short chapters, and all the familiar characters are present, from Carl Denham (here with gray streaks in his hair, and a moustache), and Captain Englehorn, to Ann Darrow, Jack Driscoll, and Kong himself.

In Chapter Two, the voyagers reach Kong’s island, and the adventure really begins.  Interestingly, the comic version features some sequences deleted from the film.  For instance, a Styracosaurus chases several sailors onto the log over the chasm, a moment not in the final cut.  

And also, in the comic-book version of the tale, Englehart’s ship is named The Wanderer, not Venture.

CLASSIC COMICS : Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe #1

Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe #1
Writer: Dave Chipps
Penciller: Mozart Couto
Inker: Mike Sellers
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: Art Knight
Editor: Randy Stradley
Designer: Mark Cox
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: 1996
Cover Artist: Mitsuaki Hashimoto


In 1996, Dark Horse, high on the success of their Godzilla line of comics, decided to see if it could strike monster gold twice with the only other giant Japanese monster with a long-running movie series—Gamera. The monolithic monster tortoise had recently celebrated his big thirtieth, and Gamera's parent studio Daiei produced a celebratory film, bringing back and reinventing the be-shelled beastie and one of his more popular enemies. The film was greeted by an adulatory public, and even the critics loved it; pretty quick, Daiei was scooping in some considerable cash, and Dark Horse smelled the green. Thus, Dark Horse, to test the waters, planned and executed a four-part mini-series continuing the story of Daiei's beloved reptile reboot. The comic, borrowing the movie title (and adding “the”), was called Gamera: the Guardian of the Universe, or, simply,Gamera (a title I will use here so as to avoid finger strain).

The story picks up a year after the events of the film. Asagi Kusanagi, the girl with the psychic connection to Gamera, and Mayumi Nagamine, the ornithologist/reluctant kaiju expert, are on a trip to Mexico, where Mayumi has been invited to investigate another giant rare bird on an island, and Asagi gets to tag along because “travel is very educational.” While Mayumi goes off to visit the island and look for the latest exotic big bird (this time, the fictional “emerald-crested dapplinger”), she apparently lets Asagi just bounce around Mexico by herself, and thus Gamera's priestess finds herself alone with a bone-headed conman named Lutz, taking a tour in a busted seaplane. Soon, we discover that the folks who invited Mayumi to the island have sinister plans of “mad science.” They are cooking up monsters in their monster lab, and want Mayumi's help in dealing with their newborn Gyaos... Which has escaped and has already grown to Super Gyaos size. Soon, Asagi and Lutz witness Gamera's arrival to fight Gyaos in the city of Guanajota, and in the confusion, Lutz abandons Asagi to a crowd of fleeing Mexicans. Cliffhanger!

Right from the start, Gamera does something right that few Godzilla comics have ever accomplished: It takes likable main characters from the movies, and continues their stories. I recently viewed Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) again, and I genuinely liked Asagi and Mayumi, and wanted to learn more about them (even if Asagi's personality seems to disappear once she gets the amulet). It was great to see more of them here, and the story by Dave Chipps (who apparently is the Dark Horse manga editor, with his lone story credit being Gamera) moves at a rapid clip with plenty of nods to the movie, visually and in the dialogue, including references to the monster fights from before, as well as the slab upon which the prophecy was written, and another mound of Gyaos excrement complete with another pair of glasses. On the other hand, having Mayumi Nagamine go to another island to research another large bird only to discover another Gyaos is taking “inspiration” too far. Nevertheless, like with Godzilla: Legends #3, bringing in familiar cast members does wonders to spike up reader interest.

Granted, the familiar characters don't get to do a great deal here. Asagi meets Lutz because she is interested in seeing the “monster” advertised on Lutz' sign. (Lutz was trying to drum up business by dressing up a Chihuahua with an extra fake head.) Lutz is the focus, and Asagi is along for the ride. Mostly, we get that she is an adventurous, beautiful girl. Mayumi, similarly, is along for a different sort of ride—she has been kidnapped by real monster makers, instead of the fake Lutz. Mayumi basically gets to react to being kidnapped with outrage and defiance, but that's about it. The new characters receive the focus, and they are admittedly colorful, but not immediately likable.

Lutz is a criminal trying to escape from his past—and an idiot. The story immediately strikes a farcical tone with his double-headed Chihuahua, and he acknowledges his own lack of intelligence later on. Basically, he's a dope looking for a way to make a cheap buck, and functions as comic relief—and he's the narrator. Mayumi's kidnappers are a duo led by an evil bombshell babe scientist, and their dialogue maintains a campy core (including how they got their nuclear goods at “rockbottom prices”). The comic takes the humor of the movie and amps it over the top while retaining plentiful action and drama. For this issue, I thought the mixture worked well.

The art supports the story as well. Like the Dark Horse Godzilla comics, the linework is strong, with pretty good depictions of the monsters (although Gyaos is a bit iffy), and well-rendered (if far from movie-accurate) humans and backgrounds. (Asagi and Mayumi don't look like they were based closely off their movie counterparts, though Mayumi looks reasonably similar to actress Shinobu Nakayama.) If only the IDW comics consistently looked this good! Granted, Gamera AND Gyaos seem to be breathing fire rather than blasting plasma balls and spitting sonic beams, but the monster action crunches and smashes things up real good, and just about everything looks competent.

However, when Gamera the comic was released, the prospects for success were not great. As relatively popular as Godzilla is worldwide, Gamera by comparison is and was obscure, and the movie from which Dark Horse's mini-series is built was not yet released in the States. (According to Amazon, it appears the ADV VHS wasn't released until 1997 or 1998—quite some time after the 1996 print of Gamera.) I remember when the comic came out, I was curious, loved comics, was familiar with Gamera, and I still didn't buy the book, despite flipping through it in the store. I didn't buy the ish for the simple fact that I was wary of movie adaptations, as well as being dirt poor. The first issue includes a two-page introduction to the Gamera mythos, plus a synopsis of the movie, and the cover art is the same gorgeous promo art by Mitsuaki Hashimoto that appeared on posters and video covers, but apparently this wasn’t enough to sustain a property as obscure as Gamera past four issues. Having recognizable characters from the movie doesn't help your product if the consumers are unable to see the movie!

Still, after reading this first issue, I was really pleased. Gamera takes the strengths of Dark Horse’s Godzilla interpretations (good art, decent story) and combines them with some of IDW’s strengths (lots of licensed monsters and characters), and makes something fans should really enjoy. Whether that level of quality continues into the rest of the series, however, is another question. For now, I want to bask in the minor joy of a well-done Gamera comic in America, because such a thing is very rare indeed.

CLASSIC COMICS : Godzilla King of the Monsters Special #1

Godzilla King of the Monsters Special #1
Story & Script: Randy Stadley and Steve Bissetts
Artist(s): Steve Bissette and Ron Randall
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: 1987
Cover: Steve Bissette

Without a doubt, the darkest of the US Godzilla comics. There's no mention of Godzilla's past at all here, except for the fact that he is millions of years old and is full of displeasure of the world he once knew being changed into a bustling metropolis. The only mention of radioactivity pertains to a mysterious stone slab which attracts not only Godzilla to wake up every 3000-4000 years, but two other monsters (and one Anguirus rip-off, not named) called Soran the thunderbird and Inagos the locus king. Godzilla is the "Fire Monster". Basically the monsters show up after the slab is discovered and proceed to make their way to Tokyo where it is. Godzilla lands in the city first and begins his path of destruction. The scientist who discovered the secret behind the slab, along with a friend of his, load the slab onto a helicopter in an attempt to get it out of the city and out into the ocean. The scientist takes one helicopter to buy time for his friend to get away and ultimately ends up ramming his helicopter into Godzilla's head as a distraction in order to keep his wife and daughter out of Godzilla's path. The other helicopter pilot takes the slab out to sea and drops it into the ocean. Godzilla and the other monsters follow the slab into the watery depths, never to be seen again.

To put it bluntly, this is one dark comic from the artwork to the storyline. Godzilla really doesn't belong in this story, as his part could have been played by ANY monster. The story seemed very thrown together and the other monsters in the story were just knock offs of other Toho monsters (Kamacuras and Rodan). The cover artwork is especially ugly. Godzilla's slug-like appearance with the evil grin is a far cry from what, in my opinion, the true king of the monsters should look like. The supplemental artwork, found at the end of the comic, ranges from artistic to disturbing, you can finally see what happens when Godzilla steps on someone. When I got this comic as a kid, I had never seen Godzilla in this light before. I had seen the original film and knew that Godzilla was a force of destruction, but with this comic, it was as if all involved in it just wanted to make him into something he wasn't.