Titanosaurus, the Giant Sea Horse Dinosaur

The 70's were a very colorful era for Godzilla. It was in those years that we got a monster made of smog, a cyborg chicken from space, and a giant beetle from Atlan---Seatopia. We even got a mechanical Godzilla. The films had a more light and energetic tone than its predecessors. That was mainly thanks to director Jun Fukuda. It wasn't until Ishiro Honda came back to direct the final film in the Showa era, Terror of Mechagodzilla that the films became dark again. Now in that time we were getting all those crazy (and awesome) monster concepts, but this film saw a more simple monster in the form of Titanosaurus. He didn't have a buzzsaw, two extra heads, smoked smog from a smokestack, or had drills for hands, he was just a simple amphibious dinosaur. He didn't even have a beam! This guy was the most simple monster creation since Baragon. What's interesting and a change of pace is that he's not evil, it's the aliens who control him that make him violent. Nothing we haven't seen before, but it makes his end all the more tragic.

I don't remember my first impressions of Titanosaurus, was way too young. It wasn't until I saw the film again a few years ago that he became one of my personal favorite monsters. From such a peaceful dinosaur, you wouldn't expect a really aggressive fighter. But that changed when he got controlled by the Aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole. All of a sudden he was turned into a vicious fighter. In the final battle against Godzilla, it was Titanosaurus who really got into it. Mechagodzilla was the calm one while Titanosaurus was the wild one. He is also what I consider to be an underrated monster in an underrated film. He really got into the fights, and is a lot stronger than he looks. His kick to Godzilla sent the big G flying! Unlike most, if not all the monsters, Titanosaurus had a specific weakness, a vulnerability to supersonic sounds. (Now you know where they got the weakness idea for Venom and his symbiote pals.) It's ironic how Godzilla was accepted by the humans, to the point where he's giving them the okay to shoot the supersonic waves while he was holding Titanosaurus. Ah, I do miss the heroic days. The sad part was that after the control was broken, Titanosaurus just wanted to high-tail out of there, but Godzilla shot his atomic radiation, which eventually sent the seahorse over the edge into the water, presumably dead.

Sadly he hasn't appeared in any films since, aside from a brief flashback in Final Wars. I always found that disappointing, this guy has an unlimited amount of potential. You can tweak him to fit any storyline. In fact, he wouldn't be that bad of a choice for Godzilla's opponent in Legendary Studios' upcoming film. Though his elephant dying-like roar may annoy some people, I think it's pretty cool, definitely one of the more unique ones. In recent times, he's appeared in the game Godzilla Unleashed. (The Wii version, PS2 players didn't get him, which was pretty lame.) They put him in the mutant faction, which I gotta say was a mistake. He's described 'peaceful' in the film, not 'chaotic' as all the mutant faction is. The ironic part is that they gave him a supersonic blast for his beam attack. So basically he's shooting his weakness. Then in a sorta kinda not really sequel to Terror, he appeared in Godzilla Legends #3. He was 'summoned' by this boy Tristan, then was captured by the Simians. It's another tragic story as you see him tied down into a pool of water. He doesn't want to be used as an instrument of evil, but he really has no choice. See, Godzilla is a lot deeper than you think, you just have to really get into the franchise to see that.

Titanosaurus will tackle Rodan in what will be the fight of the decade in next month's GODZILLA #3. So we have that and most likely more appearances of him in future comics to look forward to. Titanosaurus is one of those monsters that appeared in only one film but deserves more. He's simple, but it's effective. He fights great, isn't a coward like a certain cyborg, and c'mon, he's just a cool monster.

Godzilla's Ultimate Enemy

Who is Godzilla's greatest enemy? The usual response would be King Ghidorah. That was the first answer I got on Twitter when I asked the question. Ghidorah is definitely Godzilla's most popular adversary, and part of the 'big four' which includes Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan. He's appeared in six films, seven if you want to count Keizer Ghidorah. A number of people would also claim that Mechagodzilla is his greatest enemy. No, not the government MG II or the anime-like Kiryu, I'm talking about oldschool Mechagodzilla from the 70's. This guy in his first appearance had everything. A (so awesome) 'Fake Godzilla' disguise, beating up on G's sidekick, and nearly killing the big guy himself. Those two are the usual contenders thanks to their immense popularity.

But really, Godzilla's ultimate enemy is neither. It's Destoroyah.

Now this is just my opinion of course, but I really do think this demonic monster deserves the title. Even his origin helps the matter. Destoroyah was created from the Oxygen Destroyer, the same weapon that destroyed the original Godzilla. Unlike Ghidorah, Destoroyah shows personal malice. I have never seen a creature in Godzilla world so intent on killing a human. King Ghidorah was always a mentally insane monster that loved destroying worlds. But in the Heisei era, Godzilla and him were evenly matched. Until he forced Ghidorah to retreat. Godzilla did seem to to have more of an upper hand in the battle. Ghidorah would appear in GMK as a scrawny weakling, then in Final Wars as Keizer Ghidorah. (Whom I count as a different character.) But Destoroyah is the one opponent that Godzilla couldn't beat even though the latter was souped up. He tried and tried, but Destoroyah was dragging him around like a rag doll. Not only that, but he killed Godzilla Junior. The latter was pretty much begging for mercy as Destoroyah was flying while holding him by the neck. Once he had emerged, he just slapped aside Burning Godzilla like he was nothing. After Junior was killed, Godzilla had something personal against Destoroyah, something he never had with any of his foes in the past. It was a personal battle. But the demonic monster had the upper hand the whole time. Godzilla could barely even get close to him without being struck down by his oxygen ray. And when they did go head-to-head, it was Godzilla who was was trying to knock down his opponent desperately. SpaceGodzilla might consider Godzilla to be his greatest enemy, but Godzilla didn't see him other than a very strong opponent to take down. With Destoroyah, it was personal and a battle to win because he was weaker and dying. Destoroyah literally picked him by the tail and threw him like was absolutely nothing! And he mocks Godzilla the whole time. Godzilla must have known he was dying, and he was going to take Destoroyah with him. But ironically it wasn't Godzilla that destroyed him, it was the JSDF that finished him off. Godzilla's most powerful opponent and he wasn't even the one that finished him off. Fun fact that a lot of fans don't know about is that in a deleted scene, Destoroyah rose up and Godzilla battled him until the latter died. Would have been a better ending I think.

Destoroyah is Godzilla's greatest enemy. Even in Godzilla's raged up Burning form, he proved to be even stronger. (Imagine if he battled G in normal form.) Once Destoroyah disposed of Junior, that's when things got personal. Destoroyah may not have considered Godzilla to be anything other than a major nuisance, but the latter considered this guy to be his ultimate opponent. No matter what he did, he just couldn't beat him. Destoroyah was like a malicious killer, he will slowly give it to the opponent while mocking them. These are things Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla never had, and that is why Destoroyah is Godzilla's ultimate enemy.

Terror of Mechagodzilla Review

Terror of Mechagodzilla is a special Godzilla film for a few reasons. One, it is the final film of the Showa era. Two, it features the reurn of the original Mechagodzilla. Three, it features the first (and sadly last) appearance of Titanosaurus. Four, it is the return of Akira Ifukube on music duties. And finally five, it features the return of Ishiro Honda, the director of the original Gojira, and many films after it. There was a energy crisis at the time, TOHO had shut down the Godzilla franchise right after this film. The big G returned in The Return of Godzilla in 1984, which started the Heisei era. This would also be the last time we see Godzilla as a full-fledged defender of Japan, who actually gets along with the humans. Terror of Mechagodzilla is a farewell the way things were, it truly is a great film.

Official description from Classic Media:

When aliens from the third planet of the black hole attempt to take over Earth with a little help from their friends Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus, they find themselves pitted against Godzilla, who squares off against them in defense of the planet. This film, which is 15th in the Godzilla series, features some of the most memorable fight scenes in the franchise.

You can tell by this film how different Honda's style is to Fukuda's. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla had an upbeat, jazzy tone. This film retains the deep, almost depressing mood of Honda's previous films, much like Gojira. This being a direct sequel to the previous entry, some plot devices were reused. The Aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole are back, (no ape form, but some pretty cool 70's spandex) there are three monsters, (none on G's side this time around sadly,) and the leaders of the Aliens from both films are pretty darn similar. Whereas the previous film had fun fights scattered throughout the film, this film only has one. (Not counting the brief skirmish between G and Titanosaurus in the middle.) However, the final fight is just utterly fantastic. It's of the best battles in Godzilla history. This would also mark the final time the battles would be this crazy, punches/tackling and all. (Until Final Wars brought back this style.) The monsters were what stole the show, but like usual, the next paragraph will be on the cast.

What's interesting about this film is that instead of developing the cast with pointless scenes, (ahem, the Heisei era) it uses the characters to move the story along. There's no house scene with the main character drinking coffee relaxing, the characters are always talking about the plot. I personally like that, it keeps the film from getting dull or boring. Of course, tbecause of this, the characters aren't developed enough to say that there were any award-winning performances. However, unlike the sub-par acting of the previous entry, this one does have some really solid performances. The main character is Akira Ichinose, a marine biologist. He's pretty much just there to move thst story along, another character with no acting emotion like the previous entry's main character. Any type of emotion emitted is forced. However, the sub-plot with Katsura and Dr. Mafune make up for the heroes' lackluster performances. Tomoko Ai as Katsura gives a convincing performance, probably the best in the film. Her tale is both tragic and interesting. Dr. Mafune is an interesting character, aside from his backstory. Apparently after being kicked out for his work in the science community, he wants to destroy all humams? Sorry, I don't buy that. Too unrealistic. Still, his character was well played. The new leader or the Aliens is Mugal, portrayed by Goro Mutsumi. (The same actor who played the other leader in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla!) He's pretty much exactly the same as the previous leader. A very good main villain for the human characters, it's just that he's exactly the same as the previous leader, it might as well been the same character brought back to life.

The new monster is Titanosaurus. Heh, this film is called Terror of Mechagodzilla, but it's Titanosaurus who steals the show. In a world where Gigan, Megalon, and King Caesar appeared, Titanosaurus's simple design was welcome. The suit is fantastic, and the monster is full of character. A proud part of the G universe, it's sad that he was a never a big hit with the fans, truly underrated. (Pretty awesome roar too.) Mechagodzilla makes his proud return here, but doesn't look as good in terms of strength. When G came in close, it could hardly fight back. It's like it lost its melee capabilities. Still a cool robot to watch, the 70's at its finest. Of course, one cannot forget the King of Monsters himself, Godzilla. The suit is the same from the last film, still looking fantastic. I love the fighting character in him, how he has heart and NEVER gives up or retreats. (Ahem, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.) It is both ironic and funny how Godzilla and the humans 'team up' in the final battle, when twenty-one years ago he was their worst nightmare. Ah, I miss those days when he and the humans had a mutual respect.

Akira Ifukube returns for music duties. He truly is one of the greatest composers ever. The dramatic opening theme, Titanosaurus's theme, they're all great. Truly dramatic, couldn't have asked for better music in this film. Also, the effects in this film are fantastic. Like in the last film, the explosions are truly spectacular. The assault that turned Tokyo into a barren wasteland probably ranks as the greatest city-destroying scene ever captured in a G film. As I said earlier, the final fight is truly epic, very well choreographed. The blows are felt, and you are just in-tuned, thinking how the heck G will pull through this, there's a sense that he might not actually win. Really, the final fight in itself makes the film worth watching, I miss those crazy punch/kick/headlock/wrestling battles, good stuff.

Overall, Terror of Mechagodzilla is one of the finest Godzilla films out there. It serves as a farewell to the way things were. Ishiro Honda, by far the best of the Godzilla directors, returns to direct his final Godzilla film. It features the music of the always-awesome Akira Ifukube, and the debut of an awesome monster in the form of Titanosaurus. The final battle is great, and there's a lot of emotion regarding the Katsura subplot. The ending is nice, (albeit the brief scene where the Fake Godzilla suit is used,) it really gives off a sad, yet happy ending to the Showa era. Terror of Mechagodzilla is a Godzilla film that I will keep coming back to, it's one of the ones I'd definitely recommend to non-fans.

8/10.

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla Review

Ah, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. It's probably the most energetic and bombastic Godzilla movie ever made. Before this film, the G series were suffering from some poorly made films. After Destroy All Monsters, the films went into a decline. Godzilla vs. Hedorah would stand out as a well-done entry with no stock footage, but the rest: Revenge, Vs. Gigan, and Vs. Megalon, they had a very low budget. This film would bring back G to his glory with the inclusion of what would be a fan favorite, Mechagodzilla. With its energetic tone and classic plot, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla proves to be a highlight when the films where declining.

Official description from Sony TriStar:

Imagine a monster with the enormity and strength of Godzilla, but enhanced with rocket-propelled legs, nuclear finger missiles and a suit of indestructible steel. At first, this titan of terror wears a reptilian skin, making him indistinguishable from the real Godzilla -- and when the two super-monsters battle, the entire world is confused by this Jurassic imposter. But when the gloves come off, so does the lizard skin, and the real threat is exposed. But who on Earth would create such a destructive creature? Or perhaps, it's not from Earth at all...

Back in the Showa days, there were two main Godzilla directors: Ishiro Honda and Jun Fukuda. You can tell by the films how different they are. Honda appears to prefer a classy and 'darker' tone whereas Fukuda prefers a bombastic and energetic tone. Making his debut in Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, you could already differentiate him from Honda. Who's the better director is up to the viewer to decide, but both have a solid track record. Honda appears to have more of a quality approach, whereas Fukuda prefers a more 'fun' approach, as seen here. The film begans rather awesomely, with Anguirus making his way somewhere underneath the ocean. One must love the character Fukuda injects into this film, all the monsters have distinctive personalities. I also love some of the concepts here, especially the Fake Godzilla disguise. Now that was unique and something you've never seen before in the G films. More on the monsters soon, but first the cast.

The strange thing about this film is that there's really no set main character. It's a bit unusual, it feels like the film wasn't developing the characters on purpose. There's Gosuke, his brother Masahiko, and two female leads, Saeko Kaneshiro and Eiko Miyajima. There's also an Interpol Agent in the form of Nanbara. Now he was a blast to watch on screen, 70's espionage at its best. There's really not much to say about the other characters. They aren't bad, but not much emotion was emitting. They were just there to keep the story moving. Saeko had some genuine acting in some of her scenes, but everyone else wasjust there, nothing to write home about in the acting apartment. Oh, let's not forget about Professor Miyajima. A pretty solid performance, his guilt later and wanting to help Nanbara felt fluid and real. The main villain aside from Mechagodzilla would be Kuronuma, the leader of the Aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole. Nanbara and Kuronuma were definitely the best human characters. Goro Mutsumi really gave a solid performance as the villain, probably the best human antagonist performance from any  Godzilla film, only rivaled by the Controller of Planet X from Monster Zero.

Wow, the monsters had some incredible scenes this time around. Whereas in the previous two entries where there's only one BIG monster fight at the end, the film satisfies with more than one fun fight. After watching Son of Godzilla, the suit used in this film just looks 100x better. In fact, it's my personal favorite suit aside from the one used in 2000. Full of character and is just awesome, this Godzilla is definitely my favorite incarnation aside from the 2000 one. People may think his move-set and the way he fights cheesy, but it's truly fun and a treat to watch on the screen. Mechagodzilla makes his proud introduction here. This robot is the 70's incarnated into a character! Man, looking back at that time, his design was truly unique. Full of character and style, something future robots in the franchise would lack. Anguirus as you know makes his triumph return here. The suit is the same one from Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla vs. Gigan, it still holds up great. By far the best Anguirus suit. Hey, let's not forget King Caesar. A unique design, it looked like a cross between a lion and a dog. (Since it was modeled after a Shisa, a beast that looks like a combination of a dog and a lion.) Great concept, good execution, but underused. I would have liked to see more of a team-up between him and G.

This is one energetic soundtrack. You can tell that this is a Fukuda film thanks to it. Can't touch Ifukube's themes, but they are fun nonetheless. They're great for battles, especially the Fake Godzilla vs. Anguirus theme. And Godzila gets his classic theme back, with a 70's remix to it. (And who doesn't like the incredibly catchy King Caesar theme?) The monster scenes are just fun, and doesn't get tiresome at all. (The Heisei films are guilty of this.) Fake Godzilla's emergence was dramatic, as was his transformation into his real form. The fight with Anguirus was very well-done and just brutal. The part where Fake Godzilla breaks his jaw ranks among the most brutal in the G films. (At 16, I still flinch at that scene.) You really do feel for Anguirus as he walks away limping. Godzilla's emergence was cool, but a bit strange. The way the film shows you was like he juat popped out of that warehouse. The first showdown between him and Mechagodzilla was well choreographed, we even get a beam war, something the Heisei films would later overuse. The final showdown is very impressive and just (yes, I'm using this word again) energetic. Mechagodzilla's final assault was a pretty spectacular show. In fact, the effects as a whole were very good in this film. The explosions were just spectacular. I must question a few things however. The scene where Azumi Nobility has a vision that a monster will come down and bring fire to the land is accompanied by a few stills. In those stills you hear the familiar cackle of King Ghidorah, then they actually show a still of him burning Japan and its people It always did puzzle me why they did that since ol' Ghidorah doesn't have anything to do with the story. (Perhaps a vision for Destroy All Monsters? You never know.) But yeah, that didn't make much sense. I also must question the part where Gosuke was chasing a Simeon on the ship. He had a gun, why didn't he use the blasted thing? Then it's an eye-roll scene when the Simeon uses the gun that he COULD have used against the alien. And....while being steamed to death why does no one take off their coats? Now that I didn't get. It also seems that Godzilla gets some strange powers in the later Showa films. In Vs. Hedorah, he flew, in Vs. Megalon, he flew-kicked, and in this one he uses magnetic powers. It's execution was pretty cheesy, (you could see the strings when he was pulling Mechagodzilla to him) but plain fun. You just gotta love these films and their craziness.

Overall, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla represents a highlight in the Showa era. After Vs. Gigan and Vs. Megalon, this was truly welcome. The monsters have character and are just a blast to watch on screen. The acting was a bit stale however. Not horrible, but not much emotion. The story is great, with the Simeons being good alien invaders. (Planet of the Apes fans will get a kick out of them.) Mechagodzilla proves to be a great adversary for the King of Monsters. King Caesar makes a fine addition to the universe. It's just a really great and fun Godzilla movie. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is something I'd even recommend to non-fans, you will have a blast watching it.

8/10.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #10 Review

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.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #9 Review

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.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #8 Review

Heh, I guess this is the part where I say "Kingdom of Monsters has been a mixed read," and all that. Well, I've probably said that a thousand times already, so let's get down to business.

What do you get when you put a giant lizard named Godzilla in the same place with a giant three-headed dragon named King Ghidorah? AN ALL-OUT MONSTER BRAWL! It's a true clash of the titans as these two foes battle it out for what is the greatest battle on earth. Meanwhile, Steven Woods is bitten by a poisonous snake, and MECHAGODZILLA returns......

Unlike in a lot of the other reviews surprisingly, I thought the last issue was a HUGE step in the right direction. Kingdom of Monsters in it's early mid-stage suffered for it's political-references, it gave you the impression that this series was being used to poke at today's world. The last issue helped separate from that, the focus is where it should be: The monsters. This issue had really no real-life references. (Besides the President of course.)  It's focus was on the showdown between G & KG (believe it or not) and Steven Woods.

I'm not ashamed to say that this was one of my most anticipated comics of the year. I live for these fights. Surprisingly, there haven't been that many monster fights in this series. There's only been Godzilla vs. Anguirus, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Rodan vs. Battra, all of which were too short to be satisfying. This is the issue we've been waiting for. With a titanic showdown teased last issue, we get it here, and it was epic.

My eyes were wide as these two titans battled each other. After I was finished with this issue, I wanted to go back and read it again, it's that epic. The best fight in a comic I've seen in a long time. I could hear the roars and beam sounds in my head as I read. That's the focus, but really the main focus is on Steven Woods and Allie. Their plot hasn't really been going anywhere these past issues, they just travel and travel and travel. That's over, when Mechagodzilla shows up. Now it gets interesting. Seeds are planted for the upcoming new arc, and I have rekindled interest in this series.

The only problem that all fans will agree with is......King Ghidorah losing. Now, it's not the actual lost, it's how fast it happens. We can all agree that this three-headed beast is Godzilla's greatest enemy, and one of his most powerful. (Second to Destroyah.) He's based solely on his GMK counterpart, which is fine, but for a lot of build-up, he gets washed away a bit TOO quickly. It seems that this series is favoriting those creepy twins as the main villains, while those like King Ghidorah, get the shaft.

The art for this series has been alright. It shines in this issue, Ghidorah looks awesome, a perfect portrayal of his GMK counterpart. Godzilla looks great too, the fight really comes alive as if you were watching one of the films. There's this really great scene where Mechagodzilla first appears, the art makes him look astounding. The regular cover a lot of people like, it's pretty cool. What I don't get, is why the way Godzilla and Ghidorah are drawn on the cover don't match their interior designs. It's a cool cover, but the looks don't match. The second cover, which showcases Mechagodzilla, is another amazing job my Matt Frank. (And this time, it doesn't give off an illusion that we won't see him in action.)

Overall, this is definitely one of the best issues of the series. It features a big satisfying monster showdown, and that's really all we want, right? Fans will be disappointed at how fast Ghidorah loses, the only real negative. Gone are the real-world references for good, the monsters are the focus. Hopefully it will stay like that.

8/10.

Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths #5 Review

Gangsters and Goliaths has been a very good Godzilla story, and just as a story itself. It has a real plot with established characters, (something Kingdom of Monsters doesn't have) very good, intelligent writing, (another thing Kingdom of Monsters doesn't have) and EPIC MONSTER SCENES. Indeed, I've given each issue an above eight, it's that's good.So now we enter the final issue, and oh man, was it big.

The story continues with Detective Sato unleashing his plan: MECHAGODZILLA. He plans to get the Elies from crime lord Tekahashi. Of course, he'll have to get through all-powerful beasts to restore order......namely Godzilla.

When these issues go together in trade, it's going to be an awesome read for those that are waiting for it. This mini-series felt like a Heisei film. Mix the Return of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, and the mafia, you have this.

Detective Sato once again proves to be a character the reader can root for and like. I like how he fully understands the mistake, and seeks to fix it. Tekahashi comes off a good antagonist for this type of series. The Cosmos again looks pretty weak and just pitiful. Then again, they never did look that tough in the films, have they?

Of course, we want to see some monster action, and it delivers. I was smiling the whole time, seeing the likes of Rodan and Titanosaurus destroying things. Naturally, it's Godzilla who gets the most page of them. What I like about this series, is that he has some character, whereas in Kingdom of Monsters, he seems to be nothing than a mindless beast. I LOVE his appearences in this issue, he looks nothing but AWESOME. Mechagodzilla fans might be disappointed at how weak it looks, displaying really no strength whatsoever. I did find this piece of dialogue funny and cool.

"That's not going to stop Godzilla. In fact, that's not even going to slow him down." Classic. Of course, you have to be a longtime fan to see the humor in it.

The art is really the only downside of this series. The humans look way too sketchy, and just plain bad. The monsters look great for the most part. Godzilla especially looks amazing, sporting a look akin to his Heisei incarnation. Mechagodzilla looks amazing....well, the headshot scene in the building. It's lacking sufficient detail. There are two covers, the main one with Godzilla towering over some buildings with airplanes, and one with Detective Sato, his son, and Mechagodzilla. I liked Cover A more, it has really good detail and the perspective makes Godzilla look even more imposing.

Overall, this issue was the best in this mini-series. Gangsters and Goliaths has been a great read, it has set the standard that hopefully Kingdom of Monsters will follow. I'm sad to see it go, but it had its run. Next month we'll have another mini-series, Godzilla: Legends, which I hope will be as good, if not better. With its great story, excellent pacing, interesting characters, and awesome monster destruction, you'll want to check out Gangsters and Goliaths, Godzilla fan or not.

10/10. PERFECT score.