Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre

Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre #1-3

by Tom Scioli

Godzilla takes on his greatest foes yet—Jay Gatsby, Sherlock Holmes, and the Time Machinist—in this graphic novel mash-up! The year is 1922. Mysterious man of luxury Jay Gatsby continues to throw parties at his palatial Long Island estate in hopes of attracting the attention of his love, Daisy Buchanan. But his latest affair is interrupted when it attracts the one thing more dangerous than Godzilla! Now, Gatsby has no choice but to turn his undying will away from his love of Daisy and onto revenge against the monster who has destroyed his home. Come along with Gatsby on the journey of a lifetime as he combines forces with the Time Machinist and Sherlock Holmes to stop the 20th century’s greatest monster! Written and drawn by cult-favorite comics creator Tom Scioli (Fantastic Grand Design, Jack The Epic Life of the King of Comics). Collects Issues #1-3 of Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Monsters, Historical

152 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2025

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

For five pages this is a fairly straight comics adaptation of The Great Gatsby, until a rather different green light appears over the water and Godzilla crashes the Jazz Age party.

Now, I first started paying attention to Tom Scioli when he took a Transformers/GI Joe crossover, which could so easily have been a leaden exercise in IP-servicing, and made it at once outsider art and high art, not to mention doing better than any other crossover I've read at catching the fundamental smashing-the-toys-together appeal of the form. Since then, I've picked up pretty much anything he touches, even though generally speaking it's been stuff that wouldn't in itself have interested me otherwise: the Wonder Twins, graphic biographies of Stan and Jack, the ruddy GoBots. Here, finally, is a pitch I would have been all over almost regardless of the names attached.

The remarkable thing, especially in the first issue, is how much of the (freshly released from US copyright) novel Scioli quotes directly, or with only a word changed, yet fitted as perfectly to the new circumstances as when McKellen's Richard III did 'my kingdom for a horse' with his jeep's wheels spinning hopelessly in mud. Yes, "boats against the current" is obvious, but I laughed and/or gasped aloud at the ingenuity of some of the others.

The focus does dissipate a little as the story goes on, not least because Jay recruits some other familiar faces, like Wells' Time Machinist and an elderly Sherlock Holmes, for the anti-Godzilla G-Force to which he now devotes his fortune. But even the lulls feature delights like an effort, instead of those familiar scenes of Godzilla smashing up world landmarks, to weaponise one city's most famous sights against him. And by the end, an entire panoply of classic horror monsters have been thrown into the mix, building up to one brilliantly stupid gag for which I suspect the entire project may have been conceived as set-up. And you know what? It was worth it.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I figured this was in my wheelhouse with Gatsby, Sherlock Holmes and The Time Machinist all taking on the Big G but it ended up being even better and more Wold Newtonian than I could have possibly imagined.

Special Thanks to IDW Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Danté E. Corrales · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a wacky guy Godzilla is

[Christian Koller]

Wow…this story went places!
I didn’t know what to think of the art style before I read it, but found myself loving it. The strangely classic, almost Archie Comic style worked great for crossing over so many characters. They played with simplistic, stylistic colors to really make characters and moods pop out. Godzilla also looked legitimately frightening in several panels when most other items are quite cute.
I always toyed with the thought that if you put Godzilla in any story, it suddenly becomes more interesting. This comic took that idea and really ran with it—not only do they add Godzilla to one story (The Great Gatsby, of all things), but they suddenly start adding several other stories into the mix.
Obviously, there’s humor that comes out of this, and the comic does quite well highlighting it, but it also holds itself to a high standard for setting up stakes creating a story with interesting twist and turns. By the end, you’re thinking “Wow. And we started with The Great Gatsby.”
Next they should do To Kill a Mockingbird.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Or, Godzilla vs. the public domain. A contender for weirdest ever crossover, this absolutely shouldn't work... yet the earnest portrayals of Gatsby and other guest stars, and the sheer audacity of the concept, somehow keeps this afloat. (B+)

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely demented expired-copyright beauty, though a bit too wordy (a Scioli comic? too wordy? Shocking!)
Also, it's Odesa, not Odessa, ya goon!

[MannyLikesPie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 holy moly so good and unique

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very funny and clever! Definitely an interesting idea for a comic!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read, but it did not engage me as I was hoping it would. I still prefer Nghi Vo's retelling of Gatsby, The Bold And The Beautiful.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

just happy to see ripped Dracula and Godzilla with their foot stuck in the Arc de Triomphe :))

[Adam Endacott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely bonkers in the best way.
So many good panels and moments.

[Brett Marcus Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Godzilla Vs Jay Gatsby and other literary figures! Jules Verne is a cyborg! Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula! Somebody at Toho had to sign off on this! Bless them for it!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply deeply silly, but also a lot of fun, with an astonishing visual pun at the end that was probably the raison d'être for the whole book. I can well imagine Scioli cackling to himself as he put each new demented idea down on paper.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for an advance copy of this graphic novel that tells a story of a man who in his quest to win back the love of his life, takes on the King of all Monsters, with a cast of characters that are drawn from the real world, and the world of imagination.

My father always said I was reading cartoons from birth pulling the weekend funnies out of his hand the first Sunday I was home from the hospital and just looking at the colorful pages in joy. As such I have seen things many can't imagine, though I don't think I could have imagined this story even with Hunter S. Thompson drug filled Cadillac. Usually one knows what to expect from Intellectual Property comics. Fan-service. The characters do what they are known for destroy cities, fight the Empire, the story begins, ends and a pleasant time is had by all. I'm not sure what blackmail material Tom Scioli has on the owners of Godzilla, but it most the some horrible stuff. For that is the only reason I could think of allowing Scioli to do what he has done. Crafted the most outrageous, intriguing, and mix-of-character stories about a giant lizard, a world-renowned detective, a self-made millionaire, in a story that is pure city wrecking havoc, and about the strength of the human heart. Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre by written and illustrated by Tom Scioli take Godzilla to new places, which he destroys, pursued by a mix of characters mostly gentleman, with one extraordinary lady.

This is a hard comic to try and summerize so I won't write spoilers, I promise. Honestly I could write a thousand words and not touch on some of the weirdness present. The time is 1922, and the man known as Jay Gatsby is ignoring the party going on in his massive estate, as he stares across the water at the house occupied by the only woman he has loved. The party is interrupted by something rising from the depths, 30 stories high breathing fire, and reducing his mansion and guests to ash. Jay and his companion Nick cross the water, saving Daisy, Jay's love, but are swamped by the creature, taking Daisy away. Jay wants revenge on this huge creature, turning to Thomas Edison for help in developing weapons to fight this King of All Monsters. Daisy is found, but New York is lost, the creature turning towards Europe. For allies Jay approaches the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. Joined by the man known only as the Time Machinest and others Jay leads the efforts to save the Earth, but other forces work in the shadows, for they also have plans for the one known as Godzilla.

I can say this is like no other Godzilla story. I don't know how Scioli got this passed, but what a great story. I wish more owners of IP's would not be afraid of making fans write mean letters, and stop giving fans what they want, give them what they need. Comics needs more stories like this. One does have to know who the characters are, both fictional and nonfictional. And maybe there are too many to keep track of. However the story is rollicking and never really slows down. Godzilla destroys lots of cities, blows a lot of smoke and does some bad wrestling. No flying drop kicks, but I don't want to ruin anything. I love that a lot of dialogue is adapted from the works the characters came from, mainly in the first issue. A lot of work went into this, one can tell, and love. The art I enjoyed. A washed out look befitting black and white, and the way we look at the past. Godzilla is seen seldom, eyes, tail, fire, until near the end, which I liked, giving Godzilla a sense of scope and majesty.

I really loved this story, one I couldn't tell where it was going, nor who might appear next. I can't recommend this enough, and wish that more publishers allowed their writers this kind of leeway in writing the same old characters. New can be good. This is the first thing I have read by Tom Scioli, but I will be looking for more after I finish this review.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Thank you to NetGalley & IDW publishing for providing me this as an ARC ebook]

I really wanted to love this - it has a mix of literary characters, Universal Movie Monster iterations of characters and, of course, Godzilla - all my favourite things. The illustration design is made to look like an old vintage comic which suits the content and characters but there was something about it that just didn’t quite work for me.

It has all the camp of a Universal monster movie but not much of the heart. Things move fast and there’s almost TOO much going on with the amount of characters crammed in and the conclusion is a bit lacklustre.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

There is no real explanation as to why Godzilla takes off in the end and they all just let him go after they spend an entire comic trying to stop him.

The team of Jay Gatsby, Jules Verne, The “Time Machinist” (HG Wells, I assume, though they never name him), Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson, along with Tom & Daisy Buchanan chase Godzilla around the world after he attacks West Egg and Daisy is presumed dead. She’s found alive, but Gatsby promises to be revenge against the creature by destroying him.

It all culminates in a climactic fight in Transylvania thanks to Dracula taking Daisy to be a new bride and luring Godzilla there (which then also brings in the Mummy, Frankenstein & his monster and the Wolfman for a fight where they’re turned into giant version - as is Jay Gatsby becoming the legitimate “GREAT” Gatsby. I like cheesy stuff but that was even too cheesy for me!)

I didn’t get why after that fight Jay didn’t disintegrate from Godzilla’s beam and instead turned into himself again and also didn’t understand why they let Godzilla just walk away to destroy more. Is it because he is heading toward Asia and they only care about what happens to North America and Europe? It didn’t really make much sense to me. (And yes, I can suspend my disbelief enough for Godzilla, vampires, werewolves, etc. but a regular human guy not being killed by Godzilla’s radiation… that’s where I drew the line. 😂)

I give the author an A for effort at an attempt to add all these characters into one cohesive story and it’s a fun idea but there was too crammed in with all the characters to make it work well. It might’ve worked better as a multiple part series focused on introducing a couple of them each time.

I love Dracula but adding him and the others in towards the tail end was just another overloaded part of the story (albeit the most interesting to me).

Also, after all that, Daisy leaves with Tom and her reasoning is “I don’t know”? I mean, it does suit the character of Daisy to make a flaky statement like that but personally it annoyed the heck out of me after all Jay Gatsby did to avenge her being hurt by Godzilla. (I never thought I’d ever say those words… 😅)

I enjoyed the art for being tied to the time periods - Godzilla looked great and goofy, as he should. But sometimes the art was a bit off - occasionally the facial expressions didn’t match the wording and there wasn’t continuity between panels (ie. in one scene, Gatsby is in his uniform but then second panel you can see his shoulders and he appears to be shirtless? Then he’s back to his uniform in the third panel). It was a bit odd, but I can forgive that as having some of the charm of older comics where there may have been some gaps in continuity and style.

So overall, I really wanted to love it but it wasn’t a favourite for me. It was campy and cheesy, but not in a way that had me giddy with excitement as I usually feel with these same characters. Solid effort at a story to bring them together, though.

[Bret · Rating 3 out of 5]

It hurts me to give a comic with God(zilla)-tier art such a mediocre rating, but sometimes the sum totals less than its parts. Such is the case with IDW's Tom Scioli's Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre (no relation to the Muppet institution of a similar title). The constituent elements of the pastiche (indeed, the many pastiches) never gel into a coherent whole. By story's end, and perhaps I should warn of spoilers, I'm left wondering why Thomas Edison and Sherlock Holmes and Jules Verne and The Time Machinist and Dracula and Baron Frankenstein and even Godzilla were needed when Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan end up in much the same place Fitzgerald left them. Ask yourself what a given character actually does and the answer inevitably returns, not much. (With the major exception of the titular kaiju, who in typically spectacular fashion spends the bulk of his time on page wreaking havoc and wrecking shop.)

But that art! So delightfully retro, Scioli's lines capture the appeal of each of his borrowed characters. Gatsby, as handsome and chiseled as one imagines Fitzgerald imagined him, mugs his way through any obstacle—except for two. One, his paramour Daisy, or more specifically, her marriage to the mustachioed Tom, and two, the monster Verne designates (will designate?) God-Z-111-A. The other Big G dominates every panel on which he appears, and he frequently appears in single and double spreads, his scales like radiation burns and his atomic breath a cone of annihilation. As a bonus, some poses evoke scenes from film—and television, for those of us who remember the adventures of the Calico. (The cover for the trade paperback recreates the first issue of Fantastic Four, if you need further proof the author of this highly referential work loves his references.) Holmes never fails to impress in the unseasonable deerstalker an out-of-context illustration has doomed him to donning, and Dracula reads as almost superheroic, with his cape and its Daredevilish D recalling the Kryptonion symbol of hope.

Scioli's inventive paneling also deserves praise, but the highlight for me, vulgar creature that I am, must be his palette. His gorgeously simple pastels are simply gorgeous. They remind us of the past, of course, that should go without saying, but they also just make everything pop in that sublime, pulpy way so-called good taste rarely allows.

You must understand my heartbreak, then, when I tell you I don't like this book with art that I love. Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre feels like art in search of a story and a story in want of a point. Why remind us of the literature we admire, of these characters we adore, and condemn yourself to failure by comparison? It is as though Scioli thinks that by including as many things as possible that readers like, he can trick those readers into liking him—or more charitably, his book. Sadly, this book that overflows with visual virtuosity lacks a self and any direction aside from that preordained by its influences. It is a collection of floating signifiers, of signs without meaning, and upon finishing it, I felt nothing but the passage of time.

But boy, is it pretty to look at.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of Gatsby's yearning over Daisy in New York comes a greater problem - Godzilla! Chasing Godzilla, Gatsby used his money to try to come up with a force to fight Godzilla. Accompanied by Daisy and Tom Buchanan, they travel to England where they join up with an aged Sherlock Holmes, then to France where Jules Verne has a Nautilus submarine waiting for the monster. The Time Machinist keeps trying to aid the crew of adventures with some success. Eventually a grand fight breaks out in Eastern Europe with Dracula making an appearance along with a mummy and various wolfmen. An interesting mash-up of American literature and kaiju culture illustrated in Golden Ages pencils and ink!

Thanks Netgalley and IDW Publishing for the chance to read this title!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely crazy, and I mean that in a good way. Picture a scene from "The Great Gatsby" -- a hoity-toity party filled with socialites. And then Godzilla invades and in the melee, Daisy Buchanan comes up missing. Jay Gatsby makes it his mission to find her, so he starts his own G Force, enlisting the help of Thomas Edison, Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne, and the Time Machinist (from H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine"). Count Dracula also comes into the story, as well as Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, a werewolf, a mummy, and the proverbial cast of thousands. It's like the ultimate in crossovers and steampunk (the action takes place in 1922). A must for fans of Godzilla and classic literature.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the fun of dumping your toys on the floor and having at it. Just a wild mix and match of literary heroes (love a good copyright expiration) fighting against Godzilla. The story itself is silly, if you like books you’ll at least get a kick out of Gatsby.

The art is truly a standout- this is one of the best looking comics I’ve read in forever. The art is playful, colorful and not near the modern realism kick- it’s just gorgeous the best work you could do with a school supply art selection (I mean that in the best way possible). This stuff looks awesome. I would pin up several pages on my wall if this wasn’t a library book.

[Seth Grindstaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is pure fun. Silly mix of Saturday morning cartoons and classic lit deep cuts. This must have been a dream to write and draw.

I love the humor. I love how he used Fitzgerald's famous lines placing them in context with Godzilla.
Although the premise seems simply, I was surprised over and over again.

I first heard about Tom Scioli through IDWs Twilight Zone series (2025), which I also recommend.

Read this. Have fun. Don't take it too seriously. (And read the classics while you're at it!)

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Scioli starts out adapting the Great Gatsby, and then Godzilla attacks Long Island as Gatsby is throwing his party. And it gets crazier and crazier from there, as Gatsby forms G-force to go after the giant lizard, with help from a geriatric Sherlock Holmes, Cyborg Jules Verne, and many more.

I read it just based on the Tom Scioli name it. He is sometimes a miss with me, but he is always interesting. He knocked it out of the park with this one.

[Casey Halvorsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for this arc

4/5 stars

This was a pretty entertaining read. By the time I read this I forgot anything about the description, and it was a wild ride at the start for me 😂😂 This was a funny crossover with an all star literary cast, from Jay Gatsby to Sherlock to Dracula. I really enjoyed the art style, it really encapsulated the style and colouring of vintage comic books so well. A fun read for fans of classic literature and Godzilla alike!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scioli mushes together a bunch of public domain characters into a something that works a lot better than it should have. The Great Gatsby characters fit into a monster book surprisingly well, Gatsby being the self-styled hero and center of the piece with Daisy the shallow damsel in distress. The retro art and coloring are fantastic.

[Willie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I'm just the right audience for this book, but I thought it was the best anyone was ever going to do if given the assignment "make Godzilla fight a bunch of public domain English literature characters". This is the League Of Extraordinary Gentleman without Alan Moore's edge lord bits. This is the Great Gatsby but more tragic. I loved it, unironically more than the Great Gatsby itself which I find one of the most overrated novels of all time.

[Joshua K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Godzilla met the Justice League, the Marvel Universe, and the Ninja Turtles this year. But, this is definitely the best crossover featuring Godzilla this year. The only way to describe Scioli’s work is pure comics, and this is the perfect representation of that ethos. It’s big, epic, and sincere in its ridiculousness. So much beautiful fun.

[Steven Robledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the craziest comic I’ve ever read. I’m not really sure what I expected upon hearing it was Gatsby, Holmes, and more with Godzilla involved but I would’ve never guessed it was the story within these pages. It starts off a little slow but the final act is really something else. A great read for any fan of comics, Godzilla, classic literature, or if you just want a cool read.

[David Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

buck wild mashup in the vein of Moore’s LoEG. Gatsby vs Godzilla and Dracula, the “G” Force, the Time Machinist in a Kirby machine.

If I have one complaint, it’s that East Egg and West Egg never turned out to harbor Mothra.

[Adam Howells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom’s art fits the Gatsby tone perfectly. Then Godzilla shows up. And Thomas Edison. And Cyborg Jules Verne. And septuagenarian Sherlock. And Dracula.

Pretty much the most charming work of art ever put to paper.

[Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah this was cool and fun. Loved the retro art. It's like a pared down, less literary, and more campy league of extraordinary gentlemen. Loved the Godzilla scenes. I would definitely read more of this.

[Julien L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Gatsby teams up with Sherlock Holmes and Jules Verne to take on Godzilla. More characters cameo in this but I don't want to spoil it. I'm pretty sure Scioli is drawing with crayon and it looks incredible.