When creators can put a unique spin on a story that has been told countless times in different capacities and still keep it entertaining without sacrificing the source material, you know they’ve done a great job. That’s exactly the case with GODZILLA: THE WAR FOR HUMANITY #1, the debut issue of a four-part miniseries about one of the world’s most famous fictional monsters. Andrew MacLean’s writing and Jack Smith’s art combine for a story about the reptilian kaiju that has been a part of pop culture since 1954 that pays respect to the character’s roots in Japanese culture, while keeping things current with a main story set in the present day.

Godzilla fans will quickly relate to the dynamic between our main character Yuko Honda, who views the monster as a symbol of salvation against more malevolent kaijus, and Phazon Fullchech, a tech-bro billionaire who views Godzilla as a threat as dangerous to humanity as any other kaiju. These opposing views are a staple in nearly every piece of Godzilla content and act as the main point of verbal conflict since the monsters can’t speak. The monsters fight, the humans argue. MacLean’s story adds an interesting extra layer to this dichotomy by opening the book with a flashback to Yuko’s childhood where we see her and her friend being “saved” by Godzilla showing up to defeat a kaiju who could have destroyed them and their village. This encounter set Yuko on a course that saw her become a globally-recognized expert on kaiju studies and an ardent supporter of the titular monster.

While MacLean’s writing is able to quickly establish new characters and develop plot points that will continue throughout the remaining issues, the real star of this book is the art by Jack Smith. In terms of scale and scope, Smith draws one of the best looking books I’ve seen in quite some time (what is it with beautiful books this week? See my review for THE CULL #1). Five different kaiju appear in this first issue and each one looks gorgeous. Each one is so detailed and distinct. And even with how detailed and larger they are, Smith doesn’t shy away from having them appear often throughout the book. There are multiple kaiju fight scenes in just this first issue and they are all visually stunning to watch. Rus Wooton’s lettering perfectly complements Smith’s style and brings the monsters and their fight scenes to life brilliantly.

While I’ve seen the more recent mainstream, American Godzilla movies, this is the first comic book iteration I’ve read. So it might be cheating to say that this is far and away the most interesting take on Godzilla that I’ve been exposed to. If Smith’s art keeps this same quality in the next three issues, MacLean could write gibberish on every page and I’d still love this series. This book was definitely outside my normal comic comfort zone but it was my favorite comic of the week. I’m so glad I gave it a chance and you should too!

Rating: 10/10