Godzilla: Half Century War #1

[zechs80]

Part 1: Tokyo 1954



Godzilla Half Century is a mini-series with art/plot done by James Stokoe chronicling one man's fifty year war against Godzilla. As with all Godzilla stories, it starts with where it all began:







Yeah.. that's a damn good intro and such fantastic art.

As expected it doesn't go well for Ota's tank division as Godzilla wipes them all out. It all succumbs to a game of cat/mouse between Ota's small tank and the King of Monsters. I won't spoil the twists and turns that happens between the two. Let's just say Stokoe keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout it all.

We all know what happens next follows the events of the original film. The Japanese navy finds Godzilla and unleashes the Oxygen Destroyer on him. Sacrifices are made, but go see that movie to learn about them if you haven't.

The story instead focuses on Ota who watches the event from the pier thinking it's over until several months later as his superior shows him a top secret file; Godzilla somehow survived or there's another Godzilla on the loose. Then we get Ota's choice:





Go buy this issue. BUY IT!!!! Stokoe had knocked it this series out of the park with his layouts and story. For anyone interested in more of Stokoe's work, pick up his creator work, Orc Stain. As for #2? Well, it's got Godzilla, Ota, and a surprise guest kaiju in Vietnam. I'll post that tomorrow!

Comments

[venatosapiens]

Megalosaurus is an actual genus. It is not what you think it is, Stokoe.

[zechs80]

Um.. Megalosaurus (Greek for "great lizard"); pronounced meg-a-low-SORE-us

I think he does.

[filthysize]

I should mention that the AMF is from the Godzilla movies. Stokoe didn't invent it.

[zechs80]

Which one? The Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla/Tokyo S.O.S.? Or the Hensei one? Cause one had Godzilla in it's initials and the other didn't right?

[filthysize]

Yeah, it's from the Milennium series, although I can't remember which movie exactly introduced them. They created Mechagodzilla in that continuity.

[majingojira]

Probably Godzilla X Mechagodzilla and Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla

[kamino_neko]

Gojira is a mutated specimen of his species, whatever that is, be it a megalosaurus (I'll defer to someone with a clearer memory, or better ability to find cites, but I'm pretty sure he was referred to as a mutated megalosaurus in at least some of the movies - presumably the ones with the AMF) or godzillasaurus (not a real genus at the time the movies that coined it came out, however, there is a real gojirasaurus, which was named in 1997)...

[espanolbot]

I was going to wonder whether they'd build Godzilla-sized robots to fight them, but then I realised that would basically be the same as next year's Pacific Rim movie. ^^;

[mrstatham]

Well, more like Pacific Rim is a Del Toro-flavoured approach to stuff like the Heisei-era Mechagodzilla and other movies and stuff where people use giant robots to go toe to toe with rampaging monsters; I'm sure I'd heard Del Toro's name passed around when it came to the prospective live action Eva movies, for instance.

[espanolbot]

So was Robin Williams, as he's been a big fan for Eva since it more or less started.

I am looking forward to PR though. :)

[mrstatham]

"I am looking forward to PR though."

Oh, definitely. I love Del Toro's stuff, and it will be interesting to see what such a Japanese-feeling concept is like when it's refined through his lens. I'm still a little sad that he didn't get to do the Hobbit, even sadder he never got to do At The Mountains Of Madness, but I think this one could be a little more unique for him.

[darkblade]

From the names I heard thrown around for both the now defunct Eva movies and Pacific Rim I'd almost swear it's Del Toro picking up the pieces ADV left behind and making his own thing with them.

[silverhammerman]

I managed to miss the issue and I'm quite upset with myself. I have the series on order now though, so issues 2 and 3 are just sitting in my to read pile while I wait for my comic shop's reprint to come in.

[mullon]

That two page spread is a thing of beauty and needs to be a poster or something.

[kamino_neko]

That's an interesting way to depict Godzilla's roar.

[slippy]

I love the effect. It makes it seem like the sound is so huge it's almost a physical thing, and you feel more than hear it.

[espanolbot]

Anyone else remember the cartoon sequel series to the American Godzilla remake? Personally I was surprised about how it was much better than the actual movie, and how they fleshed out the mythos more including things such as animal rights organisations actively trying to stop the groups opposing the monsters (who are largely genuinely animals and behave as such), Jean Reno's character coming back (and an AWESOME French secret agent woman who filled his role in the team more regularly)...

Was a lot of fun. :)

I would object to the later use of aliens, but from what I understand they're kind of part of the original movie series, so I won't begrudge them that.

[salad_barbarian]

I remember that!

[espanolbot]

A few years ago I kind of went on a binge of shows that I half remembered watching as a kid, but wasn't able to catch every episode due to terrestrial British tv being lousey about things like showing things in chronological order or just stopping series' half way through.

The Batman was better than I remembered, and got better as the series progressed.

Extreme Ghostbusters had a very good start but erroded somewhat as it progressed as they apparently decided to make it less scary (no Clive Barker references for example. :().

The Godzilla cartoon was pretty much consistantly solid throughout, surprisingly so.

[salad_barbarian]

I sort of lost interest in Extreme Ghostbusters at some point. It lost me around the time they brought back the original four guys. I have fond memories of The Real Ghostbusters but it just didn't click for me when they brought them back.

Did they show Extreme Ghostbusters alongside Extreme Dinosaurs over there? Why do I feel like 90s kid should be interrupting here saying we're spelling extreme wrong and it should start with a capital "X" not "E"?

It was a heck of a lot better than the movie though I think they missed an opportunity not having it crossover with the King Kong cartoon.