Happy belated Thanksgiving. I apologize for the lateness of this review, I had ordered the Matt Frank Gigan variant, and it wasn't in Wednesday afternoon. I ended up getting it today. (Which was a good thing, since I got a sale, instead of $20, it was $10, thank you Black Friday.) Now, let's get on to the review.
I have been following this series very closely, some fans have dropped the book completely. I'll admit, some issues were almost unbearable, making me actually think of dropping it. (A passing thought, mind you.) We can thank the real-world references for that. It would have been fine, but the issues really threw it in your face. (I gave Issue Five a 3/10, the lowest score I've ever given in a review.) But unlike most fans surprisingly, I thought Issue Six was a good issue, putting the series back on track. The last issue featured a titanic battle, which I thought was pretty well-done. Now, it was announced that the current writers, Eric Powell and Tracy Marsh would be leaving. One has to wonder if that was due to the complaints from the fans. So with a new writer on board, the series was going (well, that was what I was hoping) to get better. The question on your, the reader's mind, is: "Does it?" Yes, yes it does.
The story follows Steven Woods as he attempts to control Mechagodzilla. Meanwhile, underground, Persident Ogden wants some good news, and sadly, there really aren't any. Back above ground, Mechagodzilla runs into Anguirus, before advancing onto the battlefield where Godzilla defeated King Ghidorah......
Basing things on this issue, it appears that the series will have more of a serious tone, there was really no comedy in this issue at all. Those real-world references looked to have dried out, I doubt they will play any major role in the future. (Thank goodness.) This comic is definitely a breather from last issue's craziness, but it still packs a very well-done monster fight, and a pretty good plot with actual good writing.
The first couple of issues had pretty unbelievable characters which you just want to slap off the pages. The President was pretty good in his past appearances, but nothing special. At least in this issue, he's showing character in that the government isn't just hiding underground. Steven Woods is good, like always. He gets a flashback involving Godzilla. A bit generic and was a bit sudden, none of the prior issues gave indication that he disliked Godzilla for personal reasons. But it fits in to the story nonetheless.
We get a very good battle between Mechagodzilla and Anguirus near the beginning. Each blow was felt, and was less "messy" than Godzilla's battle with King Ghidorah in the previous issue. Angurius was very good, showcasing his rolling ability from Final Wars in an amazing splash page. (Heh, the Anguirus from Legends seems like a total weakling when compared to this one, then again, he was battling Destoroyah.) The only major problem this series has right now is Godzilla's portrayal. He's not really the focus, and is really nothing more than a walking event. Hopefully he gets some character later, Gangsters and Goliaths did a good job with that.
The only problem keeping this book behind is the art. I've gotten use to it, and the action sequences were good, but the art just isn't that great. The humans don't look realistic at all. This time, both covers are pretty spectacular. The main one, showcasing a Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla version of Godzilla staring down at a sub is very good. Though, the cover gives you the illusion that the sub plays some sort of importance in the story, it doesn't appear or get mentioned. The Matt Frank variant, which showcases Gigan in Showa form, is very amazing. If only the cyborg would appear in the story, I'm still waiting for him.
Overall, a very impressive issue. There are zero real-world references and no slapstick comedy. The actual plot with the monsters is back to being the focus. With what looks to be a titanic battle for the next issue, I'm pumped. And just wait until you see the cliffhanger ending. Casual readers will be intrigued, but hardcore fans like myself will be wide-eyed and shouting "Say what?!" I'm now buying this series not just cause I'm a die-hard fan, I'm buying it also cause it has a very interesting story, let's hope it stays that way.
9/10.
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