I’ve given the IDW Godzilla comics a lot of criticism in the past—and all of it deserved. I promised that when the publisher does get the tone of comic correct, I would sing its praises. Time for me to warm up my vocal chords because RotE #6 nails the tone, spirit, and fun of a kaiju book with all the crushing force of a Godzilla tail swing. The book opens with Godzilla fighting monsters, has only a few minor bits of necessary and terse dialogue that don’t interrupt the flow of action, and ends with Godzilla in a bind that has me mad that I need to wait a whole month to continue this story.
Chris Mowry plots a simple story that will entertain Godzilla fans. The story takes place in Las Vegas where Moguera responds to take on Gigan and Ogra. Mowry proves he’s a G-Fan through his use of Final Wars Gigan tech and the different phases of both Ogra and Moguera.
Expertly crafted into this issue is the use of additional mech. For the sake of surprise, I won’t reveal any more. However, I will say that G-Fans (and the average comic book buyer) will enjoy this comic.
This issue captures the flat-out fun of giant monster brawls. Remember the criticism of Pacific Rim that resounded with the jeers of the lame human story while desiring more of the monster/robot fight scenes? Well, that criticism seems to find its answer in this comic book. From page one to page twenty-three there is nothing more than one giant, building-smashing battle. Matt Frank does a great job of having the monsters topple all the Las Vegas landmarks that are actually replications of world landmarks. That way, the battle feels like it takes place on a global level. Sure, it’s a little cheat; however, the background made for some entertaining destruction.
Godzilla, Rulers of the Earth #6, along with Half-Century War, will be the proof that I will give to people who say that IDW can’t make a good Godzilla comic. They have convinced me. Now the big problem I fear is the cut off of this book by the publisher for the sake of introducing a new book. That continuity break has happened before, and I hope it doesn’t again. C’mon IDW, don’t screw this up.
Score: 5/5
Story: Chris Mowry and Matt Frank Writer: Chris Mowry Artist: Matt Frank Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/27/13