It’s a good time to be a fan of Godzilla and comic books. The King of Monsters has been on an absolute tear recently, fighting his way across every comic book universe he can get his scaly hands on. He’s already battled his way through the entirety of the DC and Marvel universes multiple times, and now he’s branching out to other iconic characters. Specifically, the King of Monsters is smashing his way into the dimension of the fastest thing alive, Sonic the Hedgehog! The Blue Blur is going to have to race faster than ever before if he wants to keep Godzilla and the other kaiju from demolishing his world, but that’s far from the only trials in his way.
IDW’s Sonic comics have been blowing the world away with every release, and now they’re dipping their toes into an all-new crossover style with the legendary radioactive lizard. Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla is a limited series that thrusts the two universes together, and its first issue thrusts us right into the action as Sonic and his team have to deal with Mothra and Mechagodzilla wreaking havoc in the middle of town. However, as awesome as it is to see two iconic characters on page together, the story itself is shockingly bare-bones and left me wanting a whole lot more, but not in a good way.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The story started with Eggman and Sonic clashing in downtown, only for a portal to open, and for the fighting Mechagodzilla and Mothra to spill out. Eggman immediately geeked out over the massive robot, while Team Sonic raced around trying to keep people out of harm’s way. Most of the issue was spent on Sonic, Tails, and Amy just moving people to safety, but once Amy noticed that Mothra seemed to be defending itself, they tried to help. The issue ended on a cliffhanger with the team falling out of the sky after Mothra’s attack. Frankly, this issue left a lot to be desired.
Thrusting us directly into the plot was expected. A random kaiju appearing from nowhere is a staple of the genre, after all, but it becomes a problem when the entire issue is structured around that initial appearance. Sonic and his friends got in some clean action shots, but in reality, they barely did anything of note. An entire issue’s worth of pages was spent on the team reacting to the rampaging kaiju when they could have covered so much more ground. If this scene were animated, it couldn’t possibly last more than three or four minutes, which is absurd for a five-dollar cover price.
The story in a Sonic and Godzilla crossover was never going to be groundbreaking, but it feels like Nick Marino barely tried in this opening. It reads like there’s nothing there, and by the time you finish, you’ll be wondering where the rest of the issue is. On top of that, the dialogue is almost entirely characters stating what’s going on around them. Eggman is the exception, but too many of the conversations are overly explanatory or read like they’re ticking off a box. Tails asking if Amy could read Mothra’s mind because she could tell it was defending itself is just not natural. The dialogue definitely feels tailor-made for a kid’s cartoon, which isn’t a bad thing, but it doesn’t help the skeletal plot any.
The real heavy-hitters of this issue are artist Jack Lawrence and colorist Reggie Graham. Lawrence’s pencils perfectly capture the cartoony, hyperactive style of Sonic and all his friends. They’re wonderfully expressive, and their movement is full of life. I love the little details on every page, like Mechagodzilla’s foot stretching way outside the panel, or Sonic’s spindash carrying him out of it for a moment. Every page with Mechagodzilla is a treat, for sure, showing off a whole lot of dynamism for a robot. I wish the same freedom of expression were given to Mothra, who looks the same on every page, but that’s a minor complaint.
The biggest winner is definitely Graham’s colors. Every page pops with bright, bombastic shades of every color you could think of, perfectly matching Team Sonic’s bright aura. The energy beams from the kaiju are especially worth noting, as their impactful colors definitely help sell their impact and stand out against the rest of the world. My only complaint is that Sonic’s light blue trail can blend in because of how bright everything is, such as when he’s running across Mechagodzilla.
Overall, this issue left me wanting a lot more. The presentation is there, but the story behind it almost doesn’t exist. This is fast food for fans of Sonic and Godzilla, and while it’s getting the job done, it’s just barely doing that and could be doing a whole lot more. I’ll definitely check out the other issues, but that’s because I’m a fan of the IPs in place, not because the issue sold me. Frankly, this is a bit overpriced for what it’s offering, and I would be far more willing to recommend it at four dollars than at five.
Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #1 is on sale now!
What are you most hyped about for this crossover? I’m praying we see Godzilla go Super Sonic.
