Andrew Newton reviews IDW’s Starship Godzilla #1…
IDW’s latest venture into the world of Godzilla and kaiju storytelling takes an intergalactic turn with Starship Godzilla #1, which follows the ragtag crew of kaiju hunters travelling through space aboard a retrofitted Mechagodzilla. Written by Chris Gooch and brought to life with artwork by Oliver Ono, this debut issue throws readers straight into the thick of the action, and it never really stops.
The issue opens with a tense standoff as two humans, our would-be heroes, are surrounded by aliens. With the aliens’ weapons drawn and our heroes unarmed, things don’t look promising. In a nice little twist, it turns out our assumed heroes are not as helpless as they appear to be, nor are they quite the good guys. They’re in the middle of a high-stakes heist with the target being a collection of sealed kaiju eggs. This action-packed opening immediately grabs our attention, making us all the more eager to turn the page.
This wild opening quickly turns into an exciting chase as one of the eggs hatches, resulting in a pursuit through the starship’s corridors, melted bulkheads, and eerie wreckage as the characters try to recapture the escaped creature. Chris Gooch does an excellent job of building up the excitement, with occasional bursts of action, resulting in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that promises big things to come.
Oliver Ono’s artwork is a perfect match for the tone of the story. His alien designs are wonderfully bizarre, with a mix of features that feels both inventive and fitting for a galaxy teeming with life. The pages are colourful and visually engaging, with a great deal of detail in the backgrounds – from the gritty tech of the ship to the expressive faces of the crew. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the visual worldbuilding.
While we’re only scratching the surface in terms of kaiju mayhem, Starship Godzilla #1 has laid a solid foundation. It’s fast-paced, fun, visually impressive and an exciting start to what could be a truly unique chapter in Godzilla comic history.
Rating: 8/10
Andrew Newton
