It’s the year of Godzilla at Marvel Comics, with multiple one-shot comics, and now the big lizard is taking on the entire Marvel Universe in one fell swoop. Out today is Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Javier Garron, two creators who have their fair share of blockbusters under their belts. For the first issue, it’s all about the Fantastic Four and their nearby New York friends assessing the situation, and promptly finding out how much of a heavyweight Godzilla is.
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1 opens on an unexpected, though logical character: Mole Man. He lives under the ground, and so does Godzilla, and so they’re close in some respects. We learn Mole Man has acquired something that awakens Godzilla, setting off an imbalance in nature. Once awakened, the story cuts to the Fantastic Four, who have been monitoring seismic activity. The efficient and fast-paced story picks up from there with a surprise being unearthed from the ground, and utter chaos erupting in New York.
This is how you do a big blockbuster comic. Not only is the art spectacularly detailed, but it is also big and dynamic, with every page featuring some epic moment. Many could argue that Godzilla is just a big lizard, and most of Marvel has faced far more dangerous threats. Still, Duggan has Godzilla take out quite a powerful cosmic entity so early on that one can imagine he’s far stronger than we thought.
Godzilla doesn’t stop there either, with major defeats for Thor and more at his hands (and tail!). By the end of the issue, you’ll believe Godzilla can sustain a multi-part series against any of the Marvel heroes.
He can sure stretch his head very far.
Credit: Marvel
Sprinkled throughout the issue are other enjoyable elements outside of Godzilla destroying or attacking things. Quicksilver ends up being a major player throughout, thanks to his speed allowing him to save people from soon-to-be toppled buildings. In one incredible page, we see his blue energy zig-zagging down the stairs of a building, as if we’re seeing the building from the side. In another great moment, Thing says something cheeky to J. Jonah Jameson. These little moments, be it with Captain Marvel or Captain America, make the universe feel big and honor the title.
Another standout element is sound effects, which sometimes take up the entire side of the page. They help add a kaiju-sized feel to the story. They stretch the background of panels or add emphasis to boost things into blockbuster movie scale.
If I were to pluck out gripes, the story does hand-wave reasons for why a bunch of characters aren’t in the fine. On the one hand, it’s nice to know why Doctor Strange or the X-Men are in the fight, but there are rather convenient reasons as to why they aren’t around.
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1 is an explosive debut that delivers on its title with bombastic action, clever character moments, and jaw-dropping visuals. It’s a love letter to kaiju chaos that respects Marvel continuity while gleefully tearing it down.
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