“That TV was almost paid for.”
Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1
IDW Publishing (August, 2012)
WRITER/ARTIST: James Stokoe COLOR ASSIST: Heather Breckel EDITOR: Bobby Curnow Three credits? (Not counting the alternate cover.) In a modern-day comic? By a big-name publisher? That happens?
Japan, 1954: Lieutenant Ota Murakami of the Japan Self-Defense Forces is there when Godzilla first arrives in Tokyo. His quick thinking and the driving of his friend, Kentaro Yoshihara, saves innocent lives from Godzilla’s feet and sets the stage for his future with the monster.
What they got right: This appears to be set in one of the later Movieverses (I’d be surprised if Godzilla becomes a guardian monster in any story anymore) as it mentions the Oxygen Destroyer and its inventor. Prior to getting my copy, I saw posts on Twitter about how pretty the art was, and it is indeed quite good, giving the human character a manga-style look while still maintaining a Western feel.
What they got wrong: Unfortunately the characters also talked more American, unless Japanese military also refers to lieutenants as “LT” for short. Other expressions are more American, which makes it easier for us Americans to follow but it does distract a bit. And did the Japanese ever use Sherman Tanks? My Japanese history is lacking.
Recommendation: A good start for this miniseries, but not enough to trust it will remain that way. I still keep reading and it’s worth checking out for G-Fans.
“Umm…I think we took a wrong turn somewhere.”
BW Media Spotlight 