Godzilla: Legends #4 Review

The Godzilla Legends are back with this ambitious issue. Here we have the Smog Monster's (Hedorah) debut in IDW's Godzilla comic universe. This issue is similar to the first Legend, in that it's basically a summer blockbuster condensed into a comic. The previous two Legends were pretty story driven with the monsters uses as more of a plot device. So this issue was a nice change of pace, nothing beats an action-packed comic with Godzilla monsters as the stars. This issue is a fun little comic that Godzilla fans will like. It's lacking the punch the first Legend had, but remains a fun action-packed issue.

Official description from IDW:

An epic single issue story shining a light on another terrifying Toho monster! This issue sees the debut of the one and only Smog Monster— Hedorah! G-Force is sent to battle the blob-like beast as it lays waste to China. But another monster's presence might make this an even more chaotic conflict! Don't miss the mayhem!

This is exactly the kind of stuff I've been wanting to see from this mini-series. Concepts that fans always wanted to see that never happened in the films. Battles between monsters that never happened before, stuff you might read in a fan-fic. So here we have Hedorah, the infamous Smog Monster trading blows with Mechagodzilla II. As a Godzilla fan, it's just fun watching these two battle. (Why is it they don't recognize Hedorah? If they recognize Anguirus, they should recognize the Smog Monster.) Soon Godzilla shows up for a spectacular fight with Hedorah. It's good to see the Smog Monster getting the respect he deserves, he looks extremely powerful in the comic.

However, the main attraction of this comic is the spectacular art. MG looks great, and Godzilla has a menacing appearance. Hedorah looks good also. (I think more detail could have been put into Hedorah, but that's just me.) The fights look nice and fluid. The writing is basically your stereotypical summer blockbuster dialogue. However, whereas likable lead character(s) was established in Legends #1, this issue doesn't really establish any characters. The issue presents their code-names, but really, the reader forgets them by the middle of the issue. The human characters just weren't engaging.....at all. I know it's just a one-shot issue, so there really isn't any time to make these characters engaging, but they were just dull. Of course, the fabulous monster action makes up for that, it's great to see these characters revived in this fashion after all these years.

Overall, Godzilla: Legends #4 is a really fun comic. It features the most 'different' monster of all time in the form of Hedorah. It's good to see the Smog Monster back in action, and looking pretty tough I have to add. Ity's good that Chris Mowry 'gets it,' Hedorah is one tough cookie. However, Mechagodzilla II's arsenal is something else, since its from the Heisei era. So it's interesting to see a Heisei character using its arsanal against a practically unbeatable Showa character. While the human characters weren't engaging at all, the spectacular art by E.J. Su and fun monster action makes this issue worth the $4. It's a good day to be a Godzilla fan.

8/10