Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1 Review

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Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1 Review
By Dan Horn
August 9, 2012 - 13:19

IDW Publishing
Writer(s): James Stokoe
Penciller(s): James Stokoe
Inker(s): James Stokoe
Colourist(s): James Stokoe and Heather Breckel
Letterer(s): James Stokoe
Cover Artist(s): James Stokoe with variant by Frank Teran
$3.99 US

When it came to artist/writer James Stokoe on one of IDW's Godzilla titles, the real question from me was, is Stokoe Stokoe without gronches and orcs? Simply put, yes. While his dalliance with a property a bit more mainstream than his Orc Stain series may seem tamer, it's because we've all been incredibly spoiled by Stokoe's ultra-detailed, wildly subversive, and mind-numbingly vibrant artwork in the past. Anyone new to Stokoe's art here is going to experience something absolutely revelatory despite strictures in content. James Stokoe is an artistic genius in any venue it seems. He doesn't simply wear his manga and graffiti influences on his sleeves; he melds the two into something wholly, aesthetically unique. The result, in terms of his debut issue of Godzilla: The Half Century War, is just brilliant.

James Stokoe's Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1 recalls the first encounter the series' protagonist, Ota Murakami, a lieutenant in Japan's defense forces, had with the giant reptilian beast known as Godzilla and the lasting psychological impression that confrontation has left on Ota. The brush itself with the titular creature is action-packed and exciting, but this issue also lays a substantial amount of backstory which keeps its reader invested in the plot.

In some small part, the book misses the mark, though. As Godzilla rampages through Tokyo, never do you get the feeling that the monster is destroying homes or taking lives; it simply seems as though he's obliterating beautifully rendered set pieces. It doesn't quite capture the starkness of the original Gojira film, which was haunting in it's metaphorical depiction of nuclear devastation. Instead, Stokoe's Godzilla is more of an homage to the less sober Japanese monster flicks that followed (even a supporting character humorously emulates the most ridiculous of Japanese film antics). Stokoe presents Godzilla as a force of nature, but focuses almost solely on the instantaneous physical destruction that force affects, and not the anguish left in its wake.

Stokoe's Godzilla does succeed in evincing the sheer magnitude and awesomeness of the monster, however, and that awe really becomes the axle upon which the main character pivots. The obsession this character embodies becomes the saving grace of the The Half-Century War #1's script. While most of the issue hinges on edge-of-the-seat mayhem, Ota's idee fixe becomes the humanity at its center, and his Ahab-like preoccupation with the monster creates an engaging dimension to Half-Century War that supersedes any of the book's previous shortcomings.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1 proves to be a worthwhile monster story that becomes a standout when considered for its artistic achievements. Stokoe's got me hooked again.
Rating: 8.5/10