Godzilla is more popular than ever in comics. He’s teaming up with Sonic the Hedgehog, fighting Knull, and thanks to IDW, crossing over with literary classics! First up was Romeo & Juliet, and now it’s a far more likely crossover: The Odyssey. Right in time for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming sure-to-be classic, Frank Tieri and Ilias Kyriazis show just how entwined Godzilla can be in this epic poem.
Given there are already monsters in The Odyssey, like the cyclops and the sirens, Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Godzilla’s The Odyssey practically writes itself. Teiri builds an interesting narrative atop monster encounters, starting with a wooden effigy of Godzilla that stands in for the Trojan horse. From there, all the hallmark island visits and calamities of The Odyssey take place, with Poseidon behind many of them, much like in the epic poem.
Cleverly, Tieri makes Godzilla the “Hammer of Zeus.” This makes his inclusion a kind of antagonist to Poseidon’s actions and a natural reason for the monster to appear. Other monsters show up too, woven naturally into The Odyssey’s structure. Frankly, the creative team does such a good job recapping The Odyssey with Godzilla that it might as well be considered a good CliffsNotes for students.
Hell, I’d let that cool statue in too.
Credit: IDW
Kyriazis’s art is a big reason it works, with a textured look that gives it a storied feel. The design of the Greek gods is particularly excellent, with their costumes looking otherworldly, like Poseidon’s floating cloth around his waist, or Athena’s armor that covers her as if she’s a statue. Monsters all look the part from the Godzilla universe, including Godzilla himself. All this, and Kyriazis also keeps the story moving along nicely, fitting it all into these pages without feeling stuffy.
This issue also features a backup by Tom Scioli that weaves Godzilla into Robin Hood. Scioli’s art is a major selling point for this tale, bringing his indie sensibilities and dynamic style to create a rather ridiculous combo that feels epic. The men of Sherwood Forest must fight Godzilla, who sets the forest on fire. A rather convenient dam allows them to flush him out, but the bickering between Robin Hood and the sheriff makes for a cute sort of homage to the old Errol Flynn film.
Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Godzilla’s The Odyssey is one of the strongest entries in IDW’s literary crossover line so far. Frank Tieri finds a natural place for the King of the Monsters within one of history’s most famous adventures, while Ilias Kyriazis gives the story a grand, mythological atmosphere that never loses sight of the fun. The concept could have easily been a novelty, but the creative team commits fully to the premise and delivers a genuinely engaging retelling. Add in a delightfully absurd Tom Scioli backup featuring Robin Hood, and you’ve got a comic that embraces both literary homage and giant monster chaos with equal enthusiasm.
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