San Diego Comic-Con is this week, and having attended multiple times, I can safely say that the best way to describe it is “carefully controlled chaos.” People are lining up to get into Hall H and Ballroom 20 for big panels, or crowding the convention floor to get exclusives and signatures, or even standing outside in the sweltering heat for the various activations. It’s a madhouse, but it’s also my kind of madhouse because it’s a chance to connect with fellow comic book fans. Godzilla vs. America: San Diego #1 asks, “well what if all of that was true, and Godzilla was also there?”
Continuing the trend of certain creators telling tales set in their home state, Godzilla vs. America: San Diego #1 imagines what happens when the King of the Monsters carves a path of destruction through the Gaslamp District in a trio of tales. The appropriately titled “Chaos at Comic Con” is written and illustrated by the legendary Stan Sakai, with colors by Emi Fujii and letters by Simon Bowland. “Godzilla Goes to Comic Con” is written and illustrated by the art team of Greg & Fake. Finally, “Toy Time” is written by Dan Jurgens and illustrated by Margeaux Pepoy, with colors by Jason Millet and letters by Steve Wands.
“Chaos at Comic Con” begins in the thick of SDCC, as attendees browse through short boxes and seek out their holy grails. However, once Godzilla stomps onto the scene, the San Diego Convention Center is evacuated – and turns out to have a secret of its own. Watching Sakai at work is a treat; his signature style captures both the hustle and bustle of the con floor, and the wreckage Godzilla leaves in his wake. He also gets why SDCC, for all of its chaos, is a magnet for geeks. Not only can you pick up the comics you need for your collection or encounter the creators who make the stories you love, but you have once in a lifetime experiences you wouldn’t get anywhere else.
“Godzilla Goes to Comic-Con” captures another side of SDCC: the cosplay. Anyone who’s been will stop to look at gaggles of Deadpools and Spider-Men crossing the street, or someone who’s poured a month or more into bringing Kratos from God of War to life. In this case, the story focuses on a group of fans who dress up as Kaiju that Godzilla’s fought over the years, and when the King of the Monsters approaches, they take it upon themselves to try and deter him. Greg & Fake have fun showcasing the boundless imagination of Comic-Con, and their Archie-style artwork is a delight to witness.
“Toy Time” is the most unique of all three stories, as it not only captures the struggle of trying to table at SDCC when you’re not connected to a major comic book publisher or tying into a blockbuster film but brings Godzilla back – and a new foe into his path. Jurgens and Pepoy deliver what might be the most action-packed story, as it centers on a toy with a major secret and a massive battle with Godzilla. You can feel Jurgens tapping into the same energy that fueled The Death of Superman, and Pepoy gives the toy at the center of the story an Ultraman-style design.
It wouldn’t be a Comic-Con special without an Artists’ Gallery, and Godzilla vs. America: San Diego #1 delivers on that front with a collection of pinups from artists around the industry. Some pinups, like the one by Travis Mercer, are pretty damn epic. Others, especially Dave Baker’s, have a touch of humor about them as Baker explains the struggles of self-publishing. Whether you’re a longtime attendee or this year is your first time going, Godzilla vs. America: San Diego #1 perfectly captures the allure of San Diego Comic-Con and the chaos of a Godzilla movie.
