Comics Corner: A Guide to IDW Publishing’s Godzilla series

Since 2011, IDW Publishing has been releasing Godzilla comics that kaiju fans have been dreaming of.

IDW Publishing obtained the rights to Godzilla from Toho in 2010 and not only did the publisher acquire the rights to the King of Monsters, they acquired all of Toho’s movie monsters as well. This is a feat no other comic book company had done before. Along with Toho’s already impressive roster of kaiju, artist Matt Frank created a new kaiju called Trilopod, and introduced it into Godzilla’s universe.

In addition to Godzilla’s own ongoing series, IDW Publishing also released six miniseries. As of 2017, all single issues have been gathered into multiple volumes with each collection featuring its own unique storylines. They are available for purchase from Amazon, Comixology, and your local comic book store.

Ongoing

Series One — Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters is collected into three volumes. The 12 issues ran from March 2011 to February 2012. Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1 was IDW’s highest selling comic of 2011, selling out on it’s first day.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters Vol. 1

Writer: Eric Powell, Tracy Marsh
Artist: Phil Hester

The King of the Monsters rises again, and for the first time in comics, he’s bringing lots of other beloved Toho monsters with him in one destructive saga! When Godzilla appears off the coast of Japan, the Japanese government must respond quickly to contain the disaster… but before long, other monsters start appearing all over the world. Can humanity survive this mysterious onslaught of giant beasts?

Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters Vol. 2

Writer: Eric Powell, Tracy Marsh
Artist: Victor Santos

After a destructive tussle between Godzilla and Anguirus leaves Los Angeles in ruins, it’s now painfully clear that Armageddon has descended on the human race. Sergeant Steven Woods is one of the many survivors in the US trying to escape the monster’s rampage, making his way through a country that the government can’t defend and people can no longer live in. As more and more attempts to stop the monsters prove useless, will humanity find a way to stave off its own extinction? And also… GIANT MONSTER FIGHTS!

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters Vol. 3

Writer: Jason Ciaramella
Artist: Victor Santos

As the dust settles on another epic monster battle, humanity has finally found a way to beat back the relentless assault of giants. But in this brief moment of respite, new threats arise, and mankind finds itself on the losing end — again! The twins are back, and they are after the King of Monsters himself! Battra, Rodan, Godzilla! Get ready for a battle of titans!

Series 2 — Godzilla

Due to Godzilla’s re-surging popularity and success of his first ongoing series, a second ongoing series was published, simply titled Godzilla. It ran for 13 issues from May 2012 to 2013. A deluxe trade paperback of the issue titled the series, Godzilla: History’s Greatest Monster.

Godzilla: History’s Greatest Monster TPB

Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Simon Gane, Dave Wachter

Godzilla continues to destroy cities and lives all over the world and ex-special forces tough guy Boxer is a man with a grudge who vows to end the terror of Godzilla — no matter what! He assembles a top notch team to take him and the other monsters down at $7 billion a bounty.

Series 3 — Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth became IDW’s third round for an ongoing series. It ran an impressive 25 issues from June 2013-June 2015. IDW began collecting the series into six volumes and in June 2016, re-collected them into a two volume collection titled: Godzilla: Complete Rulers of Earth.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 1

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank

Dozens of new monsters have risen from the depth and are staking out their own territory, regardless of humanity’s political borders! A war of dominance beings… will Godzilla end up on top?

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 2

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

As Lucy and her team embark on their first assignment, more monsters are set on the loose, an alien onslaught begins, and the arrival of a mysterious size-changing robot leads to an all-out giant monster battle.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 3

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

With many monsters now inhabiting a new home, peace seemingly descends on Earth. Little does humanity realize that the greatest danger now lurks under the waves. It all leads to the most cataclysmic monster battle of the ages!

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 4

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

While Godzilla’s disappearance has brought calm to the planet, a threat from the past is set to resurface and take back the world they once had control over. No monster is safe and no future is certain as one of Godzilla’s greatest enemies prepares to return!

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 5

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

Government experiments with new forms of energy bring unintended consequences… in the form of SpaceGodzilla! Plus, Battra and Kumonga begin a ferocious battle that could destroy Monster Island completely! And Godzilla has his hands full with a monster he’s never fought before.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 6

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

The Trilopods arrive, and no monster is safe! Will Godzilla be able to help save the planet? And which kaiju will help or hinder him?

In 2016, IDW re-collected Godzilla: Rulers of Earth into two volumes, titling them Godzilla: Complete Rulers of Earth. The first volume having issues #1-12, and volume 2 containing #13-25.

Godzilla: Complete Rulers of Earth Vol.1

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

Godzilla returns, and the world will never be the same! Giant monsters are appearing across the globe and leaving complete devastation in their wake. But who–or what–might be behind their attacks? It’s up to Commander Steven Woods and his Counter-Kaiju Reaction forces to hold the monsters at bay, while young Lucy Casprell and her scientific research group, the Kaiju Watchers, attempt to find the truth behind the invasions.

Godzilla Complete Rulers of Earth Vol. 2

Writer: Chris Mowry
Artist: Matt Frank, Jeff Zornow

Monsters and the Machines! A mysterious Russian industrialist offers to rid the world of giant monsters with his new Mechagodzilla units. But, will the new fleet of weaponized robots be enough to stop Godzilla when he returns? Will Godzilla be able to battle the newly-created Mecha-King Ghidorah? It’s a war of the machines with Godzilla caught in the middle.

Miniseries

Outside of the ongoing series, IDW also published seven miniseries. Each miniseries consisted of 5 issues and are all currently collected into trade paperbacks.

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths (June 2011 to October 2011)

Writer: John Layman
Artist: Alberto Ponticelli

Detective Makoto Sato is on a quest to bring down the Takahashi crime syndicate. Sato’s efforts earn him a one-way trip to a tropical getaway, courtesy of the Tokyo criminal underworld. The exotic locale? MONSTER ISLAND! Alone and facing death at the hands of both gangsters and goliaths, Sato must use his wits to survive — and enlist the aid of some most unusual friends.

Godzilla: Legends (November 2011 to March 2012)

Writer: Matt Frank, Jeff Prezenkowski, Jonathan Vankin, Chris Mowry, Bobby Curnow, Mike Raicht
Artists: Matt Frank, Chris Scalf, Bob Eggleton, Art Adams, Tony Parker, Simon Gane, E.J. Su, Daniel Haspiel

In a world where monsters roam freely, some stories have been lost to time… until NOW! Focusing on Godzilla’s fearsome rogues gallery, each story in Godzilla: Legends shines a light on a kaiju that has never before been the center of a comic book story. These stories delve into the minds of Anguirus, Rodan, Titanosaurus, Hedorah, and Kumonga to bring the Toho universe to life!

Godzilla: The Half-Century War (August 2012 to December 2012)

Writer: James Stokoe
Artist: James Stokoe

Introducing a new and exciting look at Godzilla’s reign of destruction, courtesy of Orc Stain creator James Stokoe! The year is 1954 and Lieutenant Ota Murakami is on hand when Godzilla makes first landfall in Japan. Along with his pal Kentaro, Ota makes a desperate gamble to save lives… and in the process begins an obsession with the King of the Monsters that lasts fifty years!

Godzilla: Cataclysm (August 2014 to December 2014)

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Dave Wachter

Years have passed since the monster apocalypse nearly destroyed mankind. Now it is merely a distant, nightmarish memory for Hiroshi, an elder in one of the few remaining tribes of humans. Little does Hiroshi know that the apocalypse is not over, and that his memories of the past may yet save the future!

Godzilla in Hell (July 2015 to November 2015)

Writer: James Stokoe, Bob Eggleton, Ulises Farinas
Artist: James Stokoe, Bob Eggleton

Godzilla meets his greatest adversary of all time―the impossible tortures of Hell! Each issue of this special miniseries will see Godzilla enter a new level of the underworld to do battle with the impossible.

Godzilla: Oblivion (March 2016 to July 2016)

Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Artist: Brian Churilla

Dr. Eli Talbert has created a portal to another dimension—one where monsters rule supreme! An expedition begins into a world where hope has died and Godzilla is the unrivaled King of the Monsters. But what happens when a baby kaiju hitches a ride back to the original, monster-less dimension?

Godzilla: Rage Across Time (August 2016 to November 2016)

Writer: Various
Artist: Various

Move over dinosaurs… monsters used to rule the planet! Travel to different time periods to examine the origin of myths that fueled nightmares! Feudal Japan, ancient Greece, medieval England, classic Rome, and The Cretaceous by a multitude of today’s best creators! Includes work by Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas, Chris Mowry, Ryan Ferrier, Matt Frank, Tadd Galusha, Jeff Zornow, and more!

The Tokusatsu Network previous covered its announcement in May of 2016.

IDW Publishing has been producing phenomenal story lines with the King of Monsters, but they have yet to announce any more future ongoing series and miniseries. With Godzilla’s success in comic sales, and the highly anticipated MonsterVerse films from Legendary which includes the upcoming Kong: Skull Island film, we can hope that there will be more.

Fans can contact IDW Publishing through social media and email to provide feedback of how much you enjoy their Godzilla series, a little goes a long way to ensure a bright future for more of his adventures.

There are several places to procure Godzilla comics depending on whether you want to support your local comic book shop, Comixology, Amazon, and Kindle. Check with your local library to see what volumes they carry. If they don’t have what you are looking for, contact your local library branch to place a request.