Okay, I’m going to address the elephant in the room right away to make myself very clear. I am a G-Fan since youth, and I know the ins-and-outs of the King of the Monster. Sure, I’m not a rabid fan that can name the actor in the suits for each film, but I can tell you that I fast forward through the movies just to watch the monster fights. IDW has had two great Godzilla series since acquiring the license to the franchise: Half Century War and Rulers of Earth. The other series have had continuity issues, ended abruptly, or just never pulled together a coherent storyline that had any sense of closure.

In dealing with a franchise of this sort, the creative teams at IDW must tread lightly. No kaiju can be killed, nor could the monsters do anything uncharacteristic. Therefore, the possibilities in the storylines come very limited.

There’s a very simple formula, I feel, when dealing with a Godzilla comic. Open with a monster fight, have Godzilla in more than just two panels, don’t weigh the book down with dialogue, and have an ending that beckons people to pay $4 for the next issue.

IDW has been very hit or miss with this formula, but at least they hit and hit well.

This comic chronicles the various forms of Godzilla to be captured in comics by IDW. Some of the best artwork has been collected and the storylines summarized. There are no stories or new revelations, just a look back at how IDW progressed with the franchise.

This is a great look back at how IDW handled Godzilla and all the other kaiju from Monster Island. I also look at this as the leaps and bounds that the company has made when handling the franchise. The books have been progressively getting better, and I hope that this direction continues for the company.

Although $4 might be steep for the comic book equivalent of a yearbook, at least readers get to look back and laugh at all the fat, awkward pictures from years past. Seriously, the fans will enjoy this little collection. Sure, IDW won’t ever be like Marvel and have the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting Godzilla like they did in the 70s, but at least IDW had the balls to get the rights to all of the monsters in the G-Universe.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Mike Ford, Assorted Contributors Illustrations: Assorted Contributors Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 6/11/14 Format: One-Shot, Print/Digital