Godzilla Rulers of Earth #14 (IDW Publishing)
Story By: Chris Mowry and Matt Frank
Written By: Chris Lowry
Art By: Matt Frank
Colors By: Priscilla Tramontano
There’s a few things in the 60 years of Godzilla that I haven’t seen. Sure Godzilla wreaks havoc and fights other giant monsters, all in the name of defending earth. But most of the fights end with him sending the giant monster packing or destroying the mechanized beast. I can rarely recall a kaiju dying, which in the Godzilla universe would mean ending a staple name. This issue kicks off fast and heavy. There is a brawl between Anguirus and a Mecha Godzilla that ends with the spiked armadillo lying near death.
Of course there is the human plot element that needs to be addressed. After months of story development, we get to see what the “end game” plan is for the aliens trying to take over. I’ve really enjoyed the art style of this run, as it makes the destruction very clear as seen in the several full page images. The illustrations of this comic are wonderful as I felt each panel had something amazing in them; from Big G holding a submarine, Anguirus waking back up, and the arrival of Mecha Godzillas (yes, plural).
With the end panel leaving the readers with an eye popping teaser, I can’t wait to see what this means for the Godzilla universe. As a long time Godzilla fan I love that they have begun to change the Godzilla’s world, while keeping to the same m.o. and remaining familiar. To many Godzilla Fans, this is what the Final Wars movie That should have been. All the monsters fighting each other for more than 1o seconds to the bitter end.
TMNT Turtles in Time #2 (IDW Publishing)
Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Charles Paul Wilson III
Colorist: Jeremy Kohler
Continuing this fun story of the time traveling mean green ninja turtles; we see they have left the Jurassic era and ended up in Feudal Japan. I immediately had flashbacks to 1993 when movie goers had the same treat of seeing the ninja turtles venture back in time to a kind of home coming. Again they take up samurai armor as a disguise and get mistaken for ancient demons.
This miniseries is meant to be full of mayhem and pure fun. They sell the fact that this is a light hearted story full of humor. The best example of this being Mikey, the team goof ball, is somehow the only one who can speak fluent Japanese. Everything rests on him not messing things up, which probably isn’t the best idea.
The illustrations and coloring in this comic are similar to the current IDW run, which is a mix of non-crisp lines and tactfully rough looking fights. Along with the Feudal Era armor, weapons and clothes, there are some familiar names being thrown around. In a surprise turn of events, while everyone is worried Michelangelo will ruin something, it is the least likely turtle who almost changes the time line. Though he is acting out of good intentions and from the heart, he is not thinking clearly about the implications of altering the past and how it would change the future. This was a fast paced and fun read and although there are some serious plot lines that would affect the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle universe, it’s still a lot fun and full of that ninja turtle charm.
Ragnarok #1 (IDW Publishing)
Writer and Artist: Walter Simonson
Colorist: Laura Martin
The opening pages to this first issue tell of the ending to the rule of Odin and the gods. The lettering that accompanies these first pages starts to set the tone as this is the familiar Norse mythological legend of the giant snake who rises and eats the sun, moon and stars ending the reign of the Gods.
After the world “ends”, the story begins. All the evils and enemies of the old gods have come out of the shadows to freely roam and battle each other. Where the first pages are full of the gods and brighter colors, the rest of the story is all dark blues and dark elves. The words and script that is used is full of the epic fantasy phrases and threats that keep the story interesting. There isn’t a lot of story so far in this first issue, as it is introducing us to some of the key players and legends being told. But from what we read and see, you can tell this will be an intricate story tapping into the Norse mythology.
With the last few pages picking up the pace and intensity as we see what the dark elves are after, which stretches back to the first words of Norse legends as well as the first pages of this comic. I’m excited to see this world develop and explore it as not many stories tell of the post-Ragnarak world.
Star Wars Legacy #17 (Dark Horse Comics)
Script: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Brian Albert Third
Colors: Jordan Boyd
The current story line dubbed the Legacy Era (because all the main characters are all descendants, aka legacies, to the original saga’s main characters) takes place 139 year after the first Death Star blew up. The best part about the expanded universe is that it keeps growing. The stories can reach further into the cosmos, while still keeping that classic theme of good vs evil, light vs dark, Jedi vs Sith.
Star Wars comics know how to keep readers coming back through a story that plays off the misdirecting dark side powers and ever secretive beings. On top of the intricately woven story there are epic battles that seem to follow the characters from planet to planet. The coloring paints a dark and dreary world that only a dark lord could call home.
The script of this book, much like the Sith plans, has been in motion for long time inevitably leading to a giant finale. This story has the potential to be an amazing thriller as many twists, turns, and betrayals occur in such a short span of time; a kidnapping that may have been staged as a ruse to lure Ania Solo (a legacy), the arrival of a Sith invasion force on the hunt for a rival, Darth Wredd, and the only chance to save the “good guys” is by working with one of the “bad guys”. A lot of great dilemmas and choices to be made by multiple characters, all illustrated crisp and clearly so the reader doesn’t get confused with who is who. Of course the ending of the issue doesn’t do us any favors as we are left with even more surprising turn of events and a cliff hanger that will leave you breathless.