Before we get started, I just want to say how much I love that cover. My gosh, that's the best main cover of this series, and one of the best covers from any Godzilla comic. Anyways, this is Jason Ciaramella's second issue of Kingdom of Monsters. With the impressive Issue Nine, does the writer continue to bring the series into a good spotlight? Yup. Spoilers ahead, skip to the last paragraph if you've yet to read the issue.
The story continues with the EPIC BATTLE ROYAL OF MECHAGODZILLA AND GODZILLA! And when KING GHIDODRAH awakes, things get insane.
Short description, but it describes the comic perfectly. It's pretty much a big fight, like with Issue Eight. The difference here is that the fight is less "messy" and more fluid. This is what I'm talking about. There are zero real-world references, it's all about the monsters. Steven Woods continues to be a character we can root for, though his change of heart seems a bit sudden. It makes sense, but the transition feels rough. Allie is a bit too whiny and negative in the issue.
My two problems with this issue are Godzilla and Ghidorah. Let's talk about Godzilla first, its more of a general problem. He has virtually no character, he's just a walking event thus far. In the films, he usually has a reason for destroying things. I'm not saying he should be a defender here, but I need to see more of a personality. Now, for King Ghidorah. Gotta say, I was truly wide-eyed when he awoke. I mean, that was one amazing scene. Then we get three panels of the two monsters and mecha looking at each other. Epic. However, King Ghidorah is quickly taken down by Mechagodzilla soon after. He's been nothing but a joke in this series. It's sad. He got some great screen time in this issue, attacking Godzilla full-force, but is taken down again. Yeah I know he awoke battle weary, but still. This isn't how the King of Terror should be portrayed.
Still, the issue is leagues ahead of the earlier issues. It has Godzilla characters fighting it out, and that's all we could really ask for. In this issue's cliffhanger, the Twins arrive with Rodan, (who has been nothing but a joke this whole series, aside from his intro) and Battra. Their main monster, Battra, has had a lot of screen time over the course of the series. Rodan has had barely any, and it looks like he's going to get fried in the next issue. That is sad when thought about.
The art is still the only thing holding back this series from perfection now. The fights look fluid, but some shots of Godzilla's head look weird. Ghidorah has some pretty great shots however, loved the scene where he's in the background all black. The covers are pretty spectacular. I've already said how amazing the main cover is, so onto the Matt Frank variant. This time, the Smog Monster known as Hedorah takes center stage. As always, an amazing job.
Overall, there isn't much story in this issue. However, there is non-stop fighting, and that's a good thing. The earlier issues were lacking in the fight department, this is making up for it. The fight between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla was great, and then when Ghidorah rises, it becomes even more insane. The only problem is that the ladder is portrayed as a chump rather than the world-destroyer he should be. But, this comic was a thrill. It is a good day to be a Godzilla fan.
9/10.
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