Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #20 Review

Rulers of Earth enters its 20th issue! Does the grand climax begin big? Let’s take a look.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

It’s Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla for the ultimate rematch. The Cryog invasion reaches its zenith as new monsters attack across the globe! What unexpected character will Lucy meet?

Before continuing, let’s look at that description. Sadly most of it is false. Godzilla and SpaceGodzilla don’t have their “ultimate rematch,” & Lucy doesn’t meet any unexpected character…let alone appear. Of course, it isn’t fair to fault the comic entirely on this, because this issue is actually quite entertaining. The antagonist, Rhizon, was starting to become generic, thankfully the story added a new, much more engaging villain in the form of Emperor Karkaro. Rulers of Earth looks to have an epic final five issues.

Chris Mowry introduces a new antagonist in the form of Emperor Karkaro, leader of the Cryog. Assuming the story doesn’t have Rhizon take him out, this guy should be around these next five issues, which is good since he’s by far the best humanoid antagonist in this series. (And maybe even best one from all G comics.) At first part of me was against the Trilobites appearing. Not that I was against them personally, but since the story has access to so many monsters was the invention of these creatures truly necessary? That thought process was changed during this issue. Their adaptive abilities make them very, very cool monsters to have around.

Matt Frank‘s art is very good, as usual. The opening fight with Godzilla and Megaguirus against the Trilobites was well done, with a very gritty atmosphere. (Also, Matt draws an an absolutely stellar rendition of the killer dragonfly.) The Trilobites in their adaptive forms look extremely menacing, I’ll be looking forward to seeing them more in action in the coming issues. The main cover by Frank showcases Emperor Karkaro front and center with the Trilobites about to attack G and Megaguirus. It’s definitely a solid cover accurately depicting what’s within. The subscription variant by Jeff Zornow is pretty cool, showcasing G, Battra, and Mothra Larva in the heart of the invasion. It’s not necessarily better, but it’s definitely more intense.

Overall, the final arc to Rulers of Earth continues big. With a good new antagonist and some pretty cool new creatures, the series looks to go out on a high note. With all of the monsters having to seemingly team up against this Trilobite threat, anything can happen. It’s going to be an intense next five months.