Godzilla: Half Century War #5

[zechs80]

Part 5: Antarctica 2002

Five Pages since this came out this past week.



So yeah following the ending to #4, you knew once #5 started things would be grim for the Earth. Just how grim? Well...





Yeah things aren't looking all that good for the remainder of the Earth. The AMF have made their last stand in Antarctica using Deverich's transmitters to lure the two space Kaiju there. The ultimate plan for the AMF? Well let's say it involves Kiryu aka the third Mechagodzilla and another device from the Millennium Godzilla series.

As always Ota and Ken are witnesses to this event and due to circumstances which I won't go into (James Stokoe doesn't have Ota tell us what's going on with him, but via a single panel shown to the reader and it's easy to jump to the conclusion that has befallen him in this issue). Which leads to Ota commandeering Kiryu from the AMF and stall Ghidorah/Gigan long enough for "plot device" to ultimately defeat them. HOWEVER, with all the transmitters we get a third guest, GODZILLA.








Yeah you're seeing that right. Gigan was still surfing on that aircraft carrier from my opening page to ride it into battle against Godzilla. Even though he could have easily flown like King Ghidorah. *ahem* Epic awesome-sauce aside, things are looking grim for the King of the Monsters, until Ota arrives in Kiryu and evens things up. Okay folks, brace yourselves for quite possibly the single greatest page of Kaiju goodness:





Yes you saw that right, Godzilla and Kiryu both unleashing their blasts on poor Gigan. SOOO GOOD THIS COMIC IS SO FREAKING GOOD.

Okay I lied, There are other epic things that happen in #5. But I'm not gonna spoil it. You're just gonna have to buy the issue or trade (May 7) when it's released. All I'm going to say is if you read #5 and have read the previous issues? I suggest a box of tissue be next to you. Cause it'll be raining hard by you after you finish this issue. Yeah.. that's right it was only raining hard after I read this. *sniff*

As many have said in previous threads, this is pretty much THE Godzilla story that IDW has made. It's good. It's really good. So kudos to James Stokoe for bringing us this masterpiece!!

Comments

[q99]

Does Kiryu stay around? It's a pretty awesome Mechagodzilla.

(Also, I saw Mechagodzilla II before, was there the original?)

[zechs80]

Nope. No Showa MechaG. The only appearance of it so far in IDW was in the Titanoaurus spot light in Godzilla Legends #3 were we see a TON of them being assembled with an unholy alliance of the two most EVIL of aliens who've appeared in the Showa series.

[zechs80]

Oh I cannot mention what happens at the end with Kiryu but I will say that Stokoe as he's done as always in this mini gives his nugget of goodness with the mecha Kaiju.

[mortimerwclankitybritches]

... god this comic had better become a movie one day.

Also, seeing Gigan surfing an aircraft carrier is possibly the most epic thing I have seen for the past 6 months

[his_spiffynesss]

Considering how much is going on in these issues, you'd need a whole trilogy at least.

[cainofdreaming]

Each with big enough explosives budget to make Michael Bay convert into the Church of 'Zilla.

[the_phantom]

Out of all the Mechagodzillas i would say that number three is the one i like the best.

And damn i got to get this TPB.

[q99]

Kiryu does have a lot of personality, though I have a soft spot for the original too.

[thanekos]

Man, Red would look so cool with this art and colors.

Solomon too.

[silverzeo]

Where's JetJaguar? Has Big G use a tree yet?

[zechs80]

No Jet Jaguar. He hasn't shown up in any of comics from IDW YET. Megalon did in #3 of this series and another mini called Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths.

[silverzeo]

How does IDW work BTW? Just heard of something called KP Comics that helps gets licensing for products for comic creators...

[zechs80]

Work how? On how they've been able to get the licensing of so many properties?

[silverzeo]

Yeah that....

[zechs80]

They built up a real nice client base early on when they were formed and then began to expand on it with toy companies such as Hasbro and playing card companies like Topps. Add in the good relations they have with Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and via Hasbro with the Hub they've built themselves quite a hefty empire.

[silverzeo]

But what about 'Boom!'? I know they started out as something with Disney before they went with Marvel... just hoping to get some of the more forgotten WB and Disney shows a comic so fans can flip out and buy, like Road Rovers (unless it was sold off as a tax-write off like with MEGAS XLR) or Motorcity....

[md84]

You know the Godzilla Threshold has been well and truly crossed when the guy who spent most of his life hunting Godzilla is teaming up with him.

[crinos]

I love Gigan surfing on the destroyer. Its just such a troll move. Classic Gigan.

[mrstatham]

I like how they manage to combine the overal goofiness of Gigan from his debut movie with his really rather vicious streak; I distinctly recall him using his chest buzz-saw on Anguiris's face in one cut of the old movie, which was bizarrely out of place in a movie where the monsters fought each other at a fun park and the two heroic monsters spoke to each other.

[crinos]

Yeah, I watched most of the old movies back when I was a kid, and I was really surprised on how flat out BLOODY Godzilla vs. Gigan was compared to the others. Though I suppose it couldn't be helped considering they designed a monster with a freaking buzz saw in its torso.

Honestly, IIRC, it was the second bloodiest giant monster movie I've ever seen, the first being Gamera vs. Guiron (And again, not much choice but to make it a gore fest when your monster is, in essence, a giant walking steak knife.)

[cypherfdp]

Please tell me that Destoroyah is somewhere in this series. I will literally cry with joy. Maybe not entirely literally. Pretty literally.

[zechs80]

No Destroyah in this mini. The Kaiju has only appeared in Godzilla Legends #1 though.