Jay Gatsby of The Great Gatsby fame leads a team of classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, a female Watson, a cyborg Jules Verne and an H.G. Wells-type time traveler called The Time Machinist into battle with Godzilla in Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #2, written and drawn by Tom Scioli.
Set at the dawn of the Jazz Age in 1922 (think lots of flappers and speakeasies), the three issue miniseries rebrands rich loner Jay Gatsby. He’s part Bruce Wayne, part Flash Gordon. He’s rich, has unlimited resources at his fingertips (even ties with the military), but unlike Bruce Wayne, Jay’s more impulsive than analytical. He’s far from a master strategist. Also unlike Bruce Wayne, Jay always lets his feelings get in the way of things. He still pines for free-spirited Daisy Buchanan (even accepting her and her husband Tom into his adventuring band), almost as obsessed with her as he is with killing Godzilla, and it starts to form cracks in the team when Jay and Tom argue over Daisy. Maybe letting Daisy and her husband join the team wasn’t the best move?
This issue hurtles along, beginning with the team coming together in London and being introduced to M.A.S.E.R., Verne’s futuristic transport that can change to a submarine, boat, car or aircraft. Yep, it’s pretty much identical to the Terror, the craft that Robur, the mad inventor of Verne’s novel “Master of the World”, used to attack the United States.
As rendered by Scioli, the M.A.S.E.R. looks like it drifted in from the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine and when it transforms, it “ripples” into a new shape rather than mechanically changing. It all feels wonderfully psychedelic and bizarre while keeping one foot planted firmly in pop culture reality. Maybe this is a hint that Scioli’s next miniseries will have The Beatles battling Godzilla? Take my money, please!
IDW Publishing
I found it hilarious (in a good way) that Jay and none of the other characters were taken aback by this futuristic vehicle. I mean, if I lived in 1922 and someone rolled in with a submarine/car/boat/plane that looked like a huge yellow joint, I’d be pretty awed by it and a little terrified too. You really want me to climb inside that thing and submerge to the ocean floor?
I love the character interaction here and how they each use their unique talents towards the fight. Each of the characters has their own unique personality.
Most interesting is Sherlock Holmes, who in 1922 is an elderly man, far from the daring middle-aged sleuth who could fence, shoot and play a furious violin. He’s there mostly for his ability to solve any problem by thinking outside the box. Despite his age, he still hangs in there with the others, most notably in a scene where the team battles Godzilla underwater.
Yes, we get not one but TWO battles with Godzilla this issue, and they’re both thrilling and very cinematic. Tom Scioli’s art is quite unique and seems inspired by Jack Kirby, but with a twist. He does a great job conveying Godzilla’s size and the perspective from the poor people on the ground looking up at him. This is a beast who devours skyscrapers like M&Ms. Every part of him, the ridges on his back, his monstrous whipping tail and his razor-sharp claws and teeth, are crafted for pure destruction. There’s a splash page where Godzilla is chasing after the M.A.S.E.R. underwater that’s especially stunning.
About midway through the issue, another legendary literary character appears, along with his brides, upsetting the balance of the team in a tragic way and setting the stage for an epic creature feature next issue.
This miniseries perfectly captures the feeling of watching those “Horror Theater” shows I watched on Saturday afternoons on the local UHF channel when I was a kid, where some poor alcoholic stagehand dressed in a cape and fangs presented two “terrifying” old horror films every week. If this book was a movie, I imagine Vincent Price would be playing Jules Verne, with some square-jawed Buster Crabbe-type actor playing Jay Gatsby, and I’d love every second of it.
Next issue promises to be the monster showdown to end all monster showdowns. If you love seeing classic characters teaming up in a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-type way, or if you just love to watch Godzilla devastating some real estate, pick up this miniseries. You’re going to love it!
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