GODZILLA: Rulers of Earth #5 Review


“We saw it. Something new. Something never seen before. Something unbelievable.”

Rulers of Earth is finally back. The previous issue had Godzilla and Mothra team up to take down Destoroyah. How can one top that you ask? By having Rodan battle Varan of course!

Here’s the official description from IDW:

On her first assignment, Lucy and her team witness the battle between the great Rodan and the fearsome Varan! But all is not as it seems… what secrets are being held in the Chinese wilderness?

GODZILLA_ROE_05_cvr

Rulers of Earth is certainly delivering in the kaiju action department. Last issue we had an utterly fantastic fight between Godzilla and Destoroyah. This time we have more of a ‘fantasy match.’ Rodan takes on Varan the Unbelievable. It’s battles like this that make the comics so much fun to read, since they haven’t happened in a film. Issue #5 is an enjoyable comic. It’s not as good as the last one however.

Chris Mowry brings Lucy full front here. She’s the narrator, and a pretty good one at that. The writing nails her young demeanor, and caring personality. For anyone skeptical of her being a main character, this issue should put those fears to rest. Her friends are nice side voices. However, I have to question why she didn’t bring Jeremy up after he literally shoved Kristina to the back where Varan was, and then later he shouts “out of my way!” and runs for the safety upstairs. None of this is brought to anyone’s attention. Rodan’s role is an interesting one, because he’s the one that initiates the fight between him and Varan. Was Rodan deliberately trying to stop Varan from destroying the humans? Or was he just picking a fight?

The other major plot point is the inclusion of Gaira. I wasn’t sure how the Gargantuas were going to fit into this story, but it’s pulled off really well. Some might find it sketchy just much of a match Varan was for Rodan. It’s not a big deal of course, and maybe Varan fans will like his big power boost. The interesting thing about this issue is that Jeff Zornow takes over the interiors from Matt Frank. Sadly his amazing cover art style doesn’t look quite as good within. He does a, as Rarity would say, fabulous rendition of the 60’s era Rodan however. It’s an interesting change of pace since these comics use either the 56 or 04 design. But while the fights look good, it just doesn’t have as much energy as Frank brings to the table. The main cover by Zornow is fantastic, a classic piece showcasing the fight between Rodan and Varan. The RI variant by Matt Frank is a very bright and unique piece.

Overall, while not quite as ‘wow’ as the previous issue, #5 is pretty fun. The fight doesn’t disappoint, though the outcome might. Lucy is proving to be just as good as a protagonist as Steven Woods, I’m looking forward to seeing more with her. The Gargantuas also get to appear, somehow their appearance works in-between all the madness. While the story doesn’t actually develop much, it’s still a solid issue.

3.5/5

threehalfstar

 


Daniel is the biggest Godzilla fan on Unleash the Fanboy. Besides the Big G himself, his favorite monster is Rodan and you can follow him on Twitter:@Destroyer_199

S#!T Talking Central