It’s back to the beginning for the King of Monsters. After decades of retellings and creative interpretations, the latest Godzilla comic book series from IDW Publishing is set for a return to its horror roots by revisiting the kaiju’s first attack on humanity.
As reported by horror fan-site Bloody Disgusting, The Horror of Godzilla is set in 1954 Japan and follows the onslaught, its consequences, and how Godzilla’s Kai-Sei power has impacted those exposed to the attacks. It’s written by Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan (Marvel Zombies: Red Band, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone), with artwork from Tristan Jones (Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Aliens: Defiance).
“It’s a terrifying look at the Kai-Sei era’s first Godzilla attack. It grabs the reader and places them on the ground in the middle of the most petrifying night in human history… the arrival of Godzilla. Through the power of Tristan Jones’ visceral art style, this is the first Godzilla comic we’ve released that goes 100 per cent in on horror. It very well might become the best Godzilla comic ever made… it’s certainly the scariest,” said editor Jake Williams, highlighting that the work would especially appeal to fans of Godzilla Minus One, Shin Godzilla, and Godzilla ‘54.
Alongside the announcement, an inked cover and two pages were also unveiled, featuring a classic white-and-black aesthetic — a neat nod to the monster’s first appearance — and low-angle perspectives:
“Godzilla’s been such a huge part of my life as far back as I can remember, and as someone that had Godzilla 1985 on near permanent loan from our local video store, and hounding my local bootlegger every day on the walk home from high school for the original Japanese cut, I’m genuinely hard-pressed to think of anything I’ve been this excited about in my career,” added Jones.
“As a storyteller that’s become something of a fixture in the horror genre, it’s a genuine honour and a thrill to work with Griffin and Ethan (and our incredible editor Jake) on a Godzilla story that leans so hard into my favourite visuals and even harder into things I always wished the films would. It’s a huge departure from what I’ve been known for so far, and everyone’s given me incredible space to both try new things and bring visuals to comics I’d never had a proper chance to before.”
The iconic monster has been enjoying a renaissance in recent times, including an in-the-works sequel to 2023’s Godzilla Minus One titled Godzilla Minus Zero, a 40-metre statue installation at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, an upcoming anime series with a protagonist who possesses its powers, a surprise appearance in the Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla comic series, and Season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
The Horror of Godzilla #1 releases this July.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
