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Kill All Monsters! 1: Ruins of Paris
Giant monsters have inherited the earth, but humanity hasn't given up the fight just yet. Armed with enormous, robot-like vehicles, a trio of soldiers visits Paris to investigate rumors of another group of monster-killers. What they find are more giants than they've ever faced before and a devastating secret that will affect the entire war. The City of Lights has just become the City of Fights!
136 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2013
23 people want to read
About the author
Michael May
1 book24 followersMichael May writes the comic Kill All Monsters (co-created and drawn by Jason Copland) and other cool adventure stories. He's also the host or co-host of numerous podcasts on a variety of pop culture topics.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 7, 2017
This is everything I wanted from a Kaiju type series. Take Godzilla and throw in some storytelling from the likes of Atomic Robo and we have Kill All Monsters. Michael May and Jason Copeland need to take over IDW's Godzilla series. Great storytelling and world building. I can't wait to see more from these two.
In the world of Kill All Monsters, nuclear tests in the 50's caused the rise of Kaiju. Now, 60 years later, the monsters have destroyed most of society. Those left living in what's left of the cities have devolved back to the stone age. In Africa, humanity is fighting back with giant robots. With society crumbling, May still manages to add in conspiracies and betrayal. It's fantastic.
In the world of Kill All Monsters, nuclear tests in the 50's caused the rise of Kaiju. Now, 60 years later, the monsters have destroyed most of society. Those left living in what's left of the cities have devolved back to the stone age. In Africa, humanity is fighting back with giant robots. With society crumbling, May still manages to add in conspiracies and betrayal. It's fantastic.
November 21, 2017
I love giant monsters and robots, and this one hit on all cylinders for me. The art is not necessarily great, and I do have a problem with that a bit, but the story carried it on through for me. Basically this details a future, kind of post-apocalyptic Earth where giant monsters have arrived from somewhere and destroyed our population centers. Africa is the last bastion of humanity and the ADF (African Defense Force) stands up to these creatures by building large robots that can battle and destroy the threat.
The plot thickens when the team finds out that a human led front has begun working against the defense of the planet, believing that this is the natural order of things and we should let the monsters do as nature directs. In their crazed beliefs they have constructed the greatest monster of them all, the Jormungandr, the huge serpent of legend, destined to swallow the Earth in norse mythology. Of course it isn't that big, but its the greatest monster by far, in power and size that has been seen. The champions of the ADF, including an untested AI driven robot have to deal with threats from without and betrayal from within to win the day. But did they really win, or simply avoid destruction and set it back for a time......
This was a great and fun read and I encourage anyone who like Godzilla, Pacific Rim, Ultraman and that sort of stuff to give this a try. It is a solid and well constructed hardback book and the quality if very good. Was glad to get a hold of this.
Danny
The plot thickens when the team finds out that a human led front has begun working against the defense of the planet, believing that this is the natural order of things and we should let the monsters do as nature directs. In their crazed beliefs they have constructed the greatest monster of them all, the Jormungandr, the huge serpent of legend, destined to swallow the Earth in norse mythology. Of course it isn't that big, but its the greatest monster by far, in power and size that has been seen. The champions of the ADF, including an untested AI driven robot have to deal with threats from without and betrayal from within to win the day. But did they really win, or simply avoid destruction and set it back for a time......
This was a great and fun read and I encourage anyone who like Godzilla, Pacific Rim, Ultraman and that sort of stuff to give this a try. It is a solid and well constructed hardback book and the quality if very good. Was glad to get a hold of this.
Danny
July 9, 2019
I liked when they fought different kinds of monsters Those monsters almost looked like animals like: tiger, bull, monkey, spider and other kinds of animals, that was very cool.When I was reading it, I was very elated. But the only thing I did not understand was that how did so many monsters come out from a manhole? I just understood that it was a trap, I also did not understand why did someone make such monsters? Was it a trap? This book is very interesting and significant. The heading is very good because you should kill all monsters! I want more collections, but it should be on a hill, river and other places. [ This Book Is Very Good]
September 5, 2017
A fun giant robots vs. giant monsters story, not unlike the movie "Pacific Rim," although in this world, the battle has gone on for sixty years, and humanity is on the verge of being wiped out. This volume collects the first part of the story, but not the conclusion. What's included is entertaining, but it's all clearly setting up the second part. The art is adequate, but I'm not crazy about it.
January 28, 2018
Life isn't easy when one's work is an all-consuming endeavor.
Life is even less easy when said all-consuming endeavor is a fruitless and resource-guzzling battle against giant mutant insects and skyscraper-tall rock monsters.
Such is life.
Such is KILL ALL MONSTERS.
Colonel Spencer Djamel is the point man of a crew of soldiers and pilots whom have sworn their lives to the eradication of the giants. Djamel is a skilled pilot. So are his crewmates. But alas, when engaging a conflict with no end in sight -- the monsters just keep on coming -- it's only a matter of time until humanity wears down, and the big uglies take Earth for themselves.
Initially serialized online, then as an indie graphic novel, then later serialized elsewhere, and now collected into a single omnibus, KILL ALL MONSTERS is a clever beat-'em-up, a giant robots versus monsters adventure that finds a rhythm by keeping the details slim and the action consistent. Readers don't know much about how things came to be the way they are (i.e., nuclear bombs = giant monsters), or about the asset allocation that resulted in humanity lying in a ditch somewhere (i.e., urban populations no longer exist; humanity is underground; commercial technology, generally speaking, is dead) . . . But hey, there are giant robots, so that's something.
Djamel and his crew, under the guidance of an enterprising general, take on various scouting missions to see what's left of the planet given how ridiculously widespread the monsters are. And since nobody really knows why the monsters feed on what they do, why they congregate the way they do, or how they grow and reproduce so fast . . . it would behoove some government, any government, or anybody, for that matter, to hop into a big metal beast and take on these ugly things.
KILL ALL MONSTERS eschews the episodic fare common to sci-fi giant-robot literature and settles into an even groove that sends Djamel's crew to Paris (or, what's left of it), after which, everything spirals out of control: new information on the giants is pouring in and it's all the crew can do to keep up (and stay alive). The book doesn't spend much time on who these characters are but permits an array of details to trickle through whenever they're pushed to the breaking point: Djamel's disability; Akemi's filial regret; Dressen's piety. It's hard to focus on the emotional pain of losing a loved one when there are bipedal warthog beasts on the loose, but alas, in the fog of war, sympathy is no longer an obligation afforded to the common person.
When the bulk of this book was first collected, also in landscape format, as an indie publication, the canvas size was much larger (9 in. × 6.75 in.), which facilitated a more dynamic transition between the story's action sequences. And since there's a lot of action, it was deemed a wise choice at the time. Now, however, the KILL ALL MONSTERS omnibus has shrunk things a bit (8 in. × 6.7 in.), which is either a play on the mind, or actually does result in minor lost detail.
The second half of the book includes a newly (more recently) serialized (continuation) story, as well as a pair of side stories. The continuation is solid, but the side stories are woefully out of place. The main story, for example, finishes with a definitive "The End," but a scant two pages later, readers are unwittingly flown into a 47-page prequel. Furthermore, beyond the prequel lies a 40-page side-story featuring irrelevant characters and specious cultural appropriation (i.e., Japan's giant robot is a samurai with a giant sword; the pilot has a red dot on her flight suit).
Minus these aberrations surely meant to round out the omnibus, KILL ALL MONSTERS isn't half bad. The characters have personality and motivation, the monsters and robots are clever and varied enough to keep one interested, and the greater narrative, while devoid of meaningful answers, yet encourages just enough sci-fi whimsy for one to ponder if a second volume is worth pursuing.
Life is even less easy when said all-consuming endeavor is a fruitless and resource-guzzling battle against giant mutant insects and skyscraper-tall rock monsters.
Such is life.
Such is KILL ALL MONSTERS.
Colonel Spencer Djamel is the point man of a crew of soldiers and pilots whom have sworn their lives to the eradication of the giants. Djamel is a skilled pilot. So are his crewmates. But alas, when engaging a conflict with no end in sight -- the monsters just keep on coming -- it's only a matter of time until humanity wears down, and the big uglies take Earth for themselves.
Initially serialized online, then as an indie graphic novel, then later serialized elsewhere, and now collected into a single omnibus, KILL ALL MONSTERS is a clever beat-'em-up, a giant robots versus monsters adventure that finds a rhythm by keeping the details slim and the action consistent. Readers don't know much about how things came to be the way they are (i.e., nuclear bombs = giant monsters), or about the asset allocation that resulted in humanity lying in a ditch somewhere (i.e., urban populations no longer exist; humanity is underground; commercial technology, generally speaking, is dead) . . . But hey, there are giant robots, so that's something.
Djamel and his crew, under the guidance of an enterprising general, take on various scouting missions to see what's left of the planet given how ridiculously widespread the monsters are. And since nobody really knows why the monsters feed on what they do, why they congregate the way they do, or how they grow and reproduce so fast . . . it would behoove some government, any government, or anybody, for that matter, to hop into a big metal beast and take on these ugly things.
KILL ALL MONSTERS eschews the episodic fare common to sci-fi giant-robot literature and settles into an even groove that sends Djamel's crew to Paris (or, what's left of it), after which, everything spirals out of control: new information on the giants is pouring in and it's all the crew can do to keep up (and stay alive). The book doesn't spend much time on who these characters are but permits an array of details to trickle through whenever they're pushed to the breaking point: Djamel's disability; Akemi's filial regret; Dressen's piety. It's hard to focus on the emotional pain of losing a loved one when there are bipedal warthog beasts on the loose, but alas, in the fog of war, sympathy is no longer an obligation afforded to the common person.
When the bulk of this book was first collected, also in landscape format, as an indie publication, the canvas size was much larger (9 in. × 6.75 in.), which facilitated a more dynamic transition between the story's action sequences. And since there's a lot of action, it was deemed a wise choice at the time. Now, however, the KILL ALL MONSTERS omnibus has shrunk things a bit (8 in. × 6.7 in.), which is either a play on the mind, or actually does result in minor lost detail.
The second half of the book includes a newly (more recently) serialized (continuation) story, as well as a pair of side stories. The continuation is solid, but the side stories are woefully out of place. The main story, for example, finishes with a definitive "The End," but a scant two pages later, readers are unwittingly flown into a 47-page prequel. Furthermore, beyond the prequel lies a 40-page side-story featuring irrelevant characters and specious cultural appropriation (i.e., Japan's giant robot is a samurai with a giant sword; the pilot has a red dot on her flight suit).
Minus these aberrations surely meant to round out the omnibus, KILL ALL MONSTERS isn't half bad. The characters have personality and motivation, the monsters and robots are clever and varied enough to keep one interested, and the greater narrative, while devoid of meaningful answers, yet encourages just enough sci-fi whimsy for one to ponder if a second volume is worth pursuing.
October 3, 2017
Not a bad story and leads me to wonder how they will follow this. If you enjoyed Voltron, Ultraman, MMPR, Pacific Rim or any kind of giant robots fighting giant monsters, then you will enjoy this book.
February 20, 2018
A little bit from Pacific Rim, a little bit from Captain America Winter Soldier, a little bit from Godzilla. Disjointed, but maybe that's just the way these sorts of comics are.
I can't exactly recommend it, but if you are tired of too many words on a page, this is ok.
I can't exactly recommend it, but if you are tired of too many words on a page, this is ok.
November 30, 2017
YES!!! I loved it!
September 16, 2021
A fun ride, but I struggled with the art, and had difficulty telling what was actually going on every few pages, and I don’t think it took advantage of the widescreen format the way it could have.
December 26, 2023
Entertaining and accessible, with some interesting backstory and world-building that is hinted at. May grab Volume 2 if I can find it.
May 18, 2014
The kaiju (giant monsters) subgenre is a pretty good fit for comic books. With an unlimited “special effects budget” they can pack monsters and mayhem into a story that would be prohibitively expensive to shoot on film.
This series takes advantage of that, but because printing costs are the limitation, the pages are in black and white. The story (no relation to the Toho movie of the same title) begins in media res, with three giant robots battling monsters in a ruined Paris. In short order we are introduced to the robot pilots, Dressen of England, Akemi of Japan, and Spencer of America (who is missing his legs.)
Our protagonists manage to defeat the monsters, but damage to one of the machines means they have to stay in Paris while a mechanic is airlifted in from their home base in Africa. We learn that the atomic tests of the 1950s apparently spawned these giant monsters, and mankind has been fighting a losing battle with them ever since. Only the protagonists’ mysterious benefactor Rashad has been able to come up with machines that can fight the monsters on their own terms.
While ruined, the city of Paris still has inhabitants of a sort, and mysteries begin to unfold. Meanwhile, a subplot advances concerning a self-aware robot named Archer, which is meant to assist…or replace? the human pilots.
There’s plenty of slam-bang action, a little hard to follow at first until we learn who the players are. The robots are all distinctive, and it’s fairly easy to tell the cast from one another.
The series is marketed for young adults, although none of the focus characters seem to be in that age group. If your kids enjoyed Pacific Rim or the latest Godzilla movie, this should be safe and enjoyable for them.
The second volume is not yet out; if you prefer closure, you may want to wait for that one to be published.
This series takes advantage of that, but because printing costs are the limitation, the pages are in black and white. The story (no relation to the Toho movie of the same title) begins in media res, with three giant robots battling monsters in a ruined Paris. In short order we are introduced to the robot pilots, Dressen of England, Akemi of Japan, and Spencer of America (who is missing his legs.)
Our protagonists manage to defeat the monsters, but damage to one of the machines means they have to stay in Paris while a mechanic is airlifted in from their home base in Africa. We learn that the atomic tests of the 1950s apparently spawned these giant monsters, and mankind has been fighting a losing battle with them ever since. Only the protagonists’ mysterious benefactor Rashad has been able to come up with machines that can fight the monsters on their own terms.
While ruined, the city of Paris still has inhabitants of a sort, and mysteries begin to unfold. Meanwhile, a subplot advances concerning a self-aware robot named Archer, which is meant to assist…or replace? the human pilots.
There’s plenty of slam-bang action, a little hard to follow at first until we learn who the players are. The robots are all distinctive, and it’s fairly easy to tell the cast from one another.
The series is marketed for young adults, although none of the focus characters seem to be in that age group. If your kids enjoyed Pacific Rim or the latest Godzilla movie, this should be safe and enjoyable for them.
The second volume is not yet out; if you prefer closure, you may want to wait for that one to be published.
May 27, 2014
Great Settings. Great Monsters. Great Robots.
It's probably weird that I noticed this first: the international settings are really well-done. The destroyed Paris scenery is cool, and it gives a unique feel to something that has obviously been done a million times before. Beyond that, the monsters are great and so are the robots. This is just the start, and it doesn't get as deep into character development as I would have liked, but what it lacks in that department it makes up for in good old monsters versus robots mayhem, so my appetite is sated for now.
It's probably weird that I noticed this first: the international settings are really well-done. The destroyed Paris scenery is cool, and it gives a unique feel to something that has obviously been done a million times before. Beyond that, the monsters are great and so are the robots. This is just the start, and it doesn't get as deep into character development as I would have liked, but what it lacks in that department it makes up for in good old monsters versus robots mayhem, so my appetite is sated for now.
May 10, 2017
Really good stuff, got hooked on it reading the web comic!
March 7, 2018
im not impressed after reading hundreds of pages of monster vs robot fights. the human drama was boring and dry while the fight scenes stunk of mighty morphin power rangers. yet again i get weird feels this omnibus just wasnt written for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews