NOTE: Obviously, everyone gets that the timing of this one-shot is awkward with the devastating Los Angeles wildfires (and just as obviously, everyone knows that the comic was planned almost a year ago, so it was just unfortunate timing), so IDW revealed back in January “that all proceeds from the comic will be donated to Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which is supporting bookstores and comic book stores impacted by the fires.”
It’s debatable what Bob Dylan’s MOST famous song is, but obviously one of his biggest hits was “Like a Rolling Stone,” which had the iconic phrase, “When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose,” and in a lot of ways, that’s so very true when it comes to comic books that are centered around a silent monster. The most famous early example of this was Steve Gerber’s Man-Thing series. The Man-Thing burned anyone who touched him if they felt fear, but the Man-Thing didn’t actually speak, or seemingly exhibit any emotions, and as a result, the book gave Gerber a blank slate to do whatever he wanted AROUND that character, and it led to some of the best comics of the 1970s, and the creation of one of the top comic book characters of the past 52 years, Howard the Duck, as Gerber went wild telling stories AROUND Man-Thing.
That same spirit is a major factor in the success of IDW’s Godzilla comic books. To make another pop culture reference, it’s like the scene in the Mad Men pilot where everyone is bemoaning the fact that Lucky Strike can no longer argue for the health benefits of its cigarettes, so ad agency Sterling and Cooper doesn’t know how to proceed. Ultimately, Don Draper argues that that severe limitation is actually FREEING, because now they can make commercials about ANYthing (in this instance, “It’s toasted”), because they, and their competitors, are all in the same boat, restrictions-wise. Similarly, then, comic creators who write Godzilla comic books know that they are dealing with significant restrictions, but those restrictions apply to ANYone who writes a Godzilla comic book, and as a result, you can just go hog wild with any OTHER types of stories that you want to tell, all within that same standard framework of a Godzilla comic book, and when you have as many awesome creative types as Godzilla vs. Los Angeles does, that results in a number of excellent, offbeat stories.
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In an exclusive advance review of Godzilla vs. Chicago #1, we look at this collection of offbeat stories filled with local flavor…and Godzilla!
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The opening story is written and drawn by Gabriel Hardman, who also provided the “main” cover for the series, as it follows a traffic helicopter following the Godzilla attack. The reporters decide to continue to follow Godzilla even after being told to back off, as they desire to show how humans can still be very useful reporters (while drones are becoming such a big part of things), but in the end, their copter is destroyed, and they find themselves stranded on Godzilla itself!
It’s an amazing visual by the great Hardman, as the sight of these intrepid reporters continuing to tell their story while clinging to Godzilla’s hide is really stunning. Of course, along with their bravery, there is that overwhelming sense of, “Oh man, these people are screwed,” as they are naturally just two people on a giant monster, and the military has to hit him with a number of artillery to hopefully make him turn around and head back into the Pacific Ocean, and the reporters will clearly be killed in the attack. Or WILL they?
Jordan Morris and Nicole Goux follow with an absolutely delightful story of a young actor trying to make her big break in Hollywood, and in the meantime, she is serving as a tour guide on a movie studio tour, but things take a dramatic turn when Godzilla attacks their studio (drawn by the studio’s giant movie props), and she has to try to get her tour group to safety through some fancy driving, and some clever use of movie props. It’s such a wonderfully offbeat story, and has an awesome ending.
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The brilliant Dave Baker is next with a clever story that evokes his recent masterpiece, Mary Tyler MooreHawk, through its use of reference material to the Los Angeles metro and its fictional guide to what to do when your city is attacked by a giant monster. Baker does such a great job of making absurd things seem so commonplace and believable, and, of course, it’s all mixed with a “normal” main story of people trying to escape being destroyed by Godzilla’s rampage. Baker is such a creative force.
The fourth story is by J. Gonzo, but it wasn’t included for review just yet, so here’s his variant cover instead. I love me some J. Gonzo, so I’m sure it’ll be great!
Godzilla vs. Los Angeles #1 is due out on April 30, 2025.
Source: IDW Publishing
