Godzilla: Rulers Of Earth. The name sounds astounding. Who is ruling the Earth? Is it Godzilla? Is it some other creature? Will there be a massive battle, one that rages between huge monsters and could decide the fate of the human race. Who knows? Only between the pages of this IDW comic can we find the answers we seek. What sinister delights await us?
None.
At all.
Godzilla: Rulers Of Earth may only be in its first issue, but this first issue is one of the most horribly written and badly drawn books I’ve seen in a long time. From what I can gather, the end of the book is a confrontation between the Godzilla we know and love and the version of Godzilla from the vomitous 1998 American film. What lies between the opening panels of a submarine chasing this new Godzilla (actually referred to as Zilla in this debacle) and the final scene of the two monsters clashing is no better.
Apparently, the world has finally accepted that giant monsters are here to stay. In order to discuss this, scientists from around the world hold a Megazoology Conference. Yep, you read that correctly. Writer Chris Mowry could come up with nothing better than Megazoology. Trying to get into this conference is a punky looking girl, who talks her way into the hotel where the conference is being held. She spends most her first appearance worrying that her “group” won’t be interesting. I’ll bet it’s more interesting than this comic.
For a break from all the human interaction, we jump to aliens testing Gigan. They put him through a series of hurdles before pushing him into a battle with Kumonga, the giant spider. After that pointless fight, we go back to the Megazoology Conference, where four pages, FOUR PAGES, are wasted on a run down of every monster Godzilla has ever fought. It might be disguised as a scientist from the Megazoology (it never does sound any better) Conference giving a lecture, but it’s just a four page list. Then, American Godzilla attacks, followed by regular Godzilla. Their confrontation is where this book mercifully ends.
I’m not sure what Mowry was trying to do here. It feels like he started writing a parody of monster movies, and then decided to make it an honest monster comic. Whatever it is, it doesn’t work, at all, on any level. Several of the past Godzilla comics have been wonderful, so why would IDW green light this garbage? Megazoology? American Godzilla named ‘Zilla? Seriously? I’d say the plot was stupid, except there was no plot, just a random selection of scenes stapled together. Cover to cover, Godzilla: Rulers Of Earth, is a total failure.
Matt Frank’s art doesn’t do much to help. Again, like the writing, this book looks like it was drawn to be a comedy. The faces are always posed in these laughable, overblown expressions. Here’s a run down. Page 1, fourth panel. The chief looks like he’s making a funny face for a crying baby. Page five, second panel. The punky girl’s face looks like a distorted clown. Page twelve, second panel. The black man introducing the speaker looks like something straight out of Mad Magazine. I also love how the lecturing scientist looks like a bizzarro-Commissioner Gordon. I could go on, but you get the point.
The Godzilla lore comes fully equipped with all the ingredients needed to make an awesome comic book. Turning out this dreck is shameful.
