Godzilla has overcome many challenges in his life. King Kong. Charles Barkley. The Justice League. Now a new series of IDW Publishing pits the King of the Monsters against an all-star cast of literature’s greatest characters. This battle takes place in epic fashion in Godzilla’s Monster Piece Theater.
Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre is the brainchild of comic book writer Tom Scioli. Scioli is best known for his work on Fantastic Four: Grand Design and also illustrated Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics.. Fittingly, his style is comparable to that of Kirby, who dreamed big and drew even bigger, making Scioli ideally suited to portray literary giants battling the King of the Kaiju.
The comic begins in the midst of a lavish party at Jay Gatsby’s Long Island estate. Gatsby’s mind, however, is elsewhere, his gaze fixed on the emerald beacon across the bay. This puts him in the ideal position to witness the rise of Godzilla and the apparent death of his beloved Daisy. Desperate, Gatsby devotes his considerable fortune to creating a team called G-Force to end the Godzilla threat once and for all.
The following story is as absurd as it is literary: Gatsby consults various experts for his G-force. These include an elderly Sherlock Holmes and the nameless time traveler from the time machine. There are also “real” characters like Thomas Edison and a cyborg Jules Verne.
This is the only point where Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theater falters. I think it would have been better if the book had remained purely literary rather than turning Jules Verne into a stand-in for Nemo. On the other hand, Scioli is right to portray Edison as a “publicity-hungry moron” rather than the great inventor he claimed to be.
Aside from that one oddity, Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #1 lives up to its concept. Scholars may turn up their noses at it, but it stays true to its stylistic sources. It’s a silly book, but it’s also a good read.
Degree: 4/5
Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theater No. 1 will be released in all comic book stores on October 23, 2024.
