While I’ve been loving most of the Godzilla vs. Marvel comics, they always raise the question: who in the Marvel universe could reasonably stand up to the King of the Monsters? It turns out that Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder have the answer to that question in Godzilla vs. Thor #1. The Hand finds Godzilla’s corpse and utilizes their dark magic to bring him back to life. Infused with the power of the Beast, Godzilla cuts a fiery swath of destruction through Tokyo…and the only person standing in his way is Thor!
Aaron has mentioned that Godzilla is one of his favorite characters in all of fiction, and at this point, his Thor run has entered the halls of legend. So it only makes sense that he’d go all out for Godzilla vs. Thor #1. Thor brings the full force of his powers against Godzilla; Godzilla retaliates with atomic fury. Aaron even touches upon a few elements from his Thor and Punisher runs, resulting in some genuine surprises throughout. Godzilla gets a surprising power-up halfway through that calls back not only to Aaron’s Thor run, but Godzilla vs. Spider-Man #1 (which only makes me more intrigued for how Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe will turn out.)
It doesn’t hurt that he’s working with a great artist like Aaron Kuder. While Kuder previously teamed up with Aaron on Avengers Forever, which covered the width and depth of the Marvel Multiverse, Godzilla vs. Thor is an entirely different beast. Most of the issue is rendered in glorious splash pages, which fully displays Godzilla and Thor’s battle. When Thor first enters the picture, he delivers a massive hammer blow to Godzilla’s jaw, sending teeth flying and the King of the Monsters reeling. Another spread has Godzilla standing over the wreckage of Asgard, the Golden City burning at his feet. This is the kind of action that only comics can produce, and it’s the kind of imagery you’d expect in a comic where Godzilla takes on Thor.
Marvel
The art wouldn’t look nearly as good as it does without Jesus Aburtov’s colors. Each of the different hues that Aburtov brings to the table only highlights the power of the titular combatants. Godzilla’s rampage in Tokyo leaves a burning red hue. His resurrection is a blood red hue, as the Hand makes a massive blood sacrifice to bring him back. When Thor and Godzilla clash, it’s a bright burst of blue-white lightning against reddish-orange nuclear fire. That’s not even getting into the different colors being used for the Nine Realms, which make this truly feel like an intergalactic smackdown. So does Joe Sabino’s letters; every roar of Godzilla’s shakes the page, and every bellow of Thor’s feels laced with Shakespearean fury.
Like most of these one-shots, Godzilla vs. Thor ends on a note that will make you want more. In fact, I could definitely see Aaron and Kuder making this into a full series if they could; it’s that good. Godzilla vs. Thor #1 more than lives up to its title, pitting the God of Thunder against the King of the Monsters in an epic clash for the ages. They say to save the best for last, and that’s definitely the case here.
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