After the high-flying worldbuilding and inventive character work of Starship Godzilla #2, the crew of the S.S. Godzilla blasts even further into uncharted territory in issue #3. It’s a chapter that kicks the series’ grand cosmic romp into full gear by exploring yet another world, and further developing the big villain. Following their kaiju-egg heist and every twist that came with it, this latest issue delivers the long-awaited meeting with the mysterious buyer while thrusting our band of intergalactic mercenaries straight into the chaos of an escalating war.
Starship Godzilla #3 opens with the ship flying fast just over an ocean as it heads to a city built on the side of a waterfall. The crew is being ordered to stay on the ship, but Ayan doesn’t trust the captain, and readers know she shouldn’t. She’s on the chase, so to speak, and she not only bites off more than she can chew, but may be one step closer to joining the resistance.
Once again, the worldbuilding is great, as writer Chris Gooch and artist Oliver Ono take Ayan wandering the mining town built with a rushing waterfall just meters from its streets. It’s cool to see Ayan interact with a street food vendor, as well as interact in ways that keep the reader guessing and looking for information. Like watching Star Wars for the first time, the creative team makes me thirsty to learn more.
Street food that looks…interesting.
Credit: IDW
A lot happens in this issue, including real answers as far as what Rohan is up to and how he may be reluctantly helping the admiral. Outside of learning how a kaiju is being used, we also get a brand new element in the form of a resistance army. Again, Gooch and Ono aren’t giving away too much, leaving readers guessing and piecing things together, but that makes it somehow more exciting. There’s also the inclusion of a possible love interest for Ayan, who enters the story like any good anime hero would, moving fast but locking eyes with her.
At the same time, being held just far enough away from the big picture can feel limiting. All may be revealed by the story’s end, but there is something to always chasing answers, rather than getting a full picture for context.
The art continues to be great, with bright and vibrant use of color by Ono. Scale is a key element here, like the Starship Godzilla swooping into the city, or later, when it turns into a full-blown mech to fight off a very angry kaiju. I’d say the art looks a little rougher, a little rushed, but still as dazzling as it was from the start. Ayan’s interaction with the rebellion leader is particularly well done.
Starship Godzilla #3 continues to prove that this series thrives on curiosity and momentum, pulling readers through richly imagined worlds while steadily expanding its mythos. By shifting focus toward Ayan and her growing connection to the resistance, the issue deepens both character and conflict without losing sight of its pulpy, space-opera roots. While the story still withholds key answers, the sense of discovery paired with Oliver Ono’s vibrant, scale-driven art makes this chapter another confident step forward for IDW’s most adventurous Godzilla series.
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