If there is one thing that IDW has shown us in recent years, it’s that this is Godzilla’s world and we’re just living in it. There has been an absolute wealth of comics featuring everyone’s favorite kaiju from the publisher. We’ve seen Godzilla cross over with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, stomp his way across America, take on great works of literature, and even get a whole new era with the Kai-Sei era for the King of the Monsters. We even went cosmic with Mechagodzilla in Starship Godzilla and now, Chris Gooch and Oliver Ono are back with all new follow up, Starship Godzilla: Invasion X — and ComicBook has an exclusive early review.
While the crew of Starship Godzilla may have beaten the Xiliens in their first battle, they also started a war and that’s just the start. There are bounty-seeking M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens after them, their ship needs upgrades, and more — and the Xiliens aren’t done yet, either. They’re putting final pieces together for their own cosmic kaiju weapon. This is where things stand with Starship Godzilla: Invasion X #1. It’s an issue with a lot of setup and not a ton of exciting action, but there’s a lot that unfolds across its pages making it very clear things are about to get very interesting for everyone involved.
Rating 4 out of 5
With this review spoiler free, there is a lot that I’m not going to share about what actually happens on the pages of Starship Godzilla: Invasion X #1 — solicits for issues #2 and #3 already reveal a few important things, namely Ayan being the new captain of Starship Godzilla while Rohan and Gen have a mission of their own. The most notable thing, however, is that while you can go into Starship Godzilla: Invasion X cold without having read Starship Godzilla, you really don’t want to. Giant Mechagodzilla in space takes on a whole new sense of excitement and urgency when you have a frame of reference for the battle against the Xiliens and the predicament the crew is in. And that frame of reference enhances everything. Gooch does a really good job of layering in elements of Rohan’s past as it ties to Ayan and adds a depth of the overall relationships of the crew.
That grounding is really useful. While the events of Starship Godzilla are important to the overall dynamic of things, it’s the way that the issue reestablishes that there is a lack of trust setting the stage for Ayan’s next chapter that makes the big shift for Ayan by the end of the issue all the more massive. In a sense, there’s a maturity there, both in terms of the character, and how the story moves us forward into what is setting up for its most dangerous chapter yet. Beyond the story setting us up and setting us on a collision course of sorts, however, is the art. Ono’s art continues to be very kinetic and perfectly suited to the story at hand and its setting. There is, in particular, a great image of the ship that is full of epic Mechagodzilla awesomeness that you can practically feel it vibrating with power on the page. Ono also shines with details — facial expressions, in particular, convey a lot. This issue may be setting the stage, but there is no mistaking the stakes at play because they’re all over everyone’s faces. It’s an excellent combination of things that almost gives the book a Star Wars meets the Wild West vibe.
The bottom line with Starship Godzilla: Invasion X #1 is this: this issue is a great start to the next part of the Starship Godzilla story. Gooch and Ono have created something that, while the reader benefits deeply from reading the first series, you can just hop right into and still understand the dynamics, the stakes, and the scale of what Ayan is dealing with and the dangers ahead. While the issue perhaps doesn’t have as much action as one would like, there are still some truly stunning moments and fantastic art reminding us that the build up is going to be worth it. This is a fun one that may not be perfect but absolutely shouldn’t be missed.
Starship Godzilla: Invasion X #1 goes on sale October 14th from IDW Publishing. Final order cutoff is September 7th.
