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Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth (collected editions) #1
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Vol. 1
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? Collects issues #1-4.
117 pages, ebook
First published January 22, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 12, 2016
A very basic story and nothing to rave about. I kind of read for nostalgic reasons and it was on sale at IDW online.
Some new giant kaiju are coming up out of nowhere and the government don't know why. It's up to Godzilla and friends to stop them.
Some new giant kaiju are coming up out of nowhere and the government don't know why. It's up to Godzilla and friends to stop them.
March 30, 2020
This has lots of giant monster action, unlike the disappointing Kong of Skull Island Vol. 1, with multiple kaiju fights. I received the stunning Criterion Collection of Godzilla (https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/264...) for my birthday, because it is known that I am a fan of this stuff. Yes, it’s silly. I don’t care. Chris Mowry is clearly also a fan, and this book reads like a love letter to these movies.
March 2, 2020
I remember while watching Godzilla-2 movie, getting upset for introducing another godzilla-like creature. Now I know it is kind of common theme in these sort of books. In this, we have been introduced with not 1, not 2 but at least 5 huge monsters or kaijus.
It is almost laughable for any human being to intervene at this point but since Godzilla is on our side, this is a pretty entertaining book.
Notes:
While the artist is talented in drawing huge monsters in great detail, he is not the sort of talented in drawing human faces.
While vol#1 is part of KU deal, vol#2 is not. I am invested in the story but would I buy #2? idk...
It is almost laughable for any human being to intervene at this point but since Godzilla is on our side, this is a pretty entertaining book.
Notes:
While the artist is talented in drawing huge monsters in great detail, he is not the sort of talented in drawing human faces.
While vol#1 is part of KU deal, vol#2 is not. I am invested in the story but would I buy #2? idk...
April 28, 2016
Few cinematic franchises hold as much nostalgia value for me as Toho’s Godzilla films. I watched these movies over and over on VHS as a kid, and I still enjoy them to this day. While my critical, adult brain acknowledges the inherent silliness of many of these films; with all the hokey rubber-suit monster effects, the oftentimes nonsensical plots, the awkward dubbing, and the cheesy dialogue, there’s just something about these movies that releases my inner five-year-old. And, of course, the original 1954 Gojira remains a cinematic science-fiction masterpiece, and a chilling metaphor for the horrors of nuclear war.
With the success of the 2014 Legendary Pictures Godzilla film, and with Toho’s own Godzilla: Resurgence set to release in Japanese theaters later this year, the giant-monster (or daikaiju) genre is back in the public consciousness in a BIG way. In many respects, it’s never been a better time to be a Godzilla fan. IDW’s comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is nothing less than a celebration of Toho’s fifty-year legacy of giant monsters.
It’s important to note that the IDW comics are not in canon with any of the Toho kaiju movies or the earlier Dark Horse comics, but exist in their own independent continuity. “Rulers of Earth” acts as a sequel to IDW’s earlier Godzilla run, “Kingdom of Monsters.” I saw very mixed reviews for “Kingdom,” so I opted to skip it and simply start here.
The plot of “Rulers of the Earth” is pretty standard for a Godzilla story, and that’s just fine with me. For the past several years, giant monsters called kaiju have been appearing across the globe, wreaking havoc in their wake. An international panel of scientists and military personnel have been convened to try and deal with the problem. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, a sinister race of extraterrestrials has been manipulating the kaiju in a scheme to extirpate humanity and take over the earth. Helping the aliens in this quest for world domination are a race of fish-like humanoids, living deep beneath the surface of earth’s oceans, called the Devonians. The name “Devonians” is a neat little Easter egg for any paleontology nerd. It’s a reference to the Devonian geologic period (approx. 419-359 million years ago) known for its diversity of fish and for the arrival of the earliest amphibious ancestors of all modern tetrapods.
“Rulers of the Earth” wastes little time getting right into the monster action. One of the highlights is a proper showdown between the Toho Godzilla and his American counterpart from the infamous 1998 TriStar film (this creature has since been differentiated as its own distinct kaiju and renamed “Zilla”). While these two had a very brief encounter in Toho’s 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars, they have a much more satisfying and thrilling smackdown here. It’s great fan service, and leaves open the possibility for a rematch. I can’t wait!
In the second major battle in this volume, a wounded Godzilla teams-up with fan-favorite Mothra and her twin larvae to take on the diabolical crustacean known as Destoroyah. Destoroyah is notorious among G-Fans for being one of the few kaiju capable of killing Godzilla.
A number of Toho’s other famous monsters (and even a few obscure ones) make notable cameos, including: Gigan, Kumonga, Manda, Gezora, and Varan. IDW was able to secure the rights to use nearly the entire catalogue of Toho’s kaiju, and it’s great to see they didn’t let such an incredible opportunity go to waste. Attentive readers will also catch several fun Easter eggs for the Toho Kaiju franchise, and for nerd culture in general, scattered throughout the comic. There’s even a good-natured lampoon of San Diego Comic Con, which is subsequently attacked by a swarm of Destoroyah-spawn.
The human characters are very one-dimensional. The dialogue comes across as clunky and stilted, rarely ever reading like natural speech. The attempts at humor are often particularly awkward (and not in an intentional way, either). There’s a lot of scenes where characters just stand around stating the obvious. A lot of it seems like it’s just there to fill breaks between action sequences, but on the positive side, these dialogue scenes rarely overstay their welcome. It definitely helps that most of the characters, despite being pretty flat, are not insufferably annoying – which is a plus in any Godzilla story. And, to be frank, I’ve heard far more atrocious dialogue in many Godzilla movies, so I can’t get too mad at this comic for subpar writing.
It is in the spectacular artwork of Matt Frank that Godzilla: Rulers of Earth really shines. I seriously can’t praise his art enough. I’ve been following Matt Frank’s kaiju art for some time before I even knew he was illustrating IDW’s Godzilla title. Without a doubt, he is the BEST artist in the business when it comes to capturing the look and feel of the Toho universe in comic form. His monsters are amazingly expressive; he perfectly captures the personality of each of these titanic characters. There’s even an art gallery in the back of the volume showcasing some fantastic covers drawn by Frank and other artists, as well as some cool concept sketches. This comic is a must-own for Godzilla fans just for the artwork alone!
Perhaps the most positive point that can be made about Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is that it was created by Godzilla fans, for Godzilla fans. As a modern reimagining of Toho’s Godzilla universe that pays loving tribute to the source material, you couldn’t ask for better! I fully intend to read and review the rest of the volumes in this series. Stay tuned!
Final Score: 4.5 stars (rounded-up to 5)
With the success of the 2014 Legendary Pictures Godzilla film, and with Toho’s own Godzilla: Resurgence set to release in Japanese theaters later this year, the giant-monster (or daikaiju) genre is back in the public consciousness in a BIG way. In many respects, it’s never been a better time to be a Godzilla fan. IDW’s comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is nothing less than a celebration of Toho’s fifty-year legacy of giant monsters.
It’s important to note that the IDW comics are not in canon with any of the Toho kaiju movies or the earlier Dark Horse comics, but exist in their own independent continuity. “Rulers of Earth” acts as a sequel to IDW’s earlier Godzilla run, “Kingdom of Monsters.” I saw very mixed reviews for “Kingdom,” so I opted to skip it and simply start here.
The plot of “Rulers of the Earth” is pretty standard for a Godzilla story, and that’s just fine with me. For the past several years, giant monsters called kaiju have been appearing across the globe, wreaking havoc in their wake. An international panel of scientists and military personnel have been convened to try and deal with the problem. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, a sinister race of extraterrestrials has been manipulating the kaiju in a scheme to extirpate humanity and take over the earth. Helping the aliens in this quest for world domination are a race of fish-like humanoids, living deep beneath the surface of earth’s oceans, called the Devonians. The name “Devonians” is a neat little Easter egg for any paleontology nerd. It’s a reference to the Devonian geologic period (approx. 419-359 million years ago) known for its diversity of fish and for the arrival of the earliest amphibious ancestors of all modern tetrapods.
“Rulers of the Earth” wastes little time getting right into the monster action. One of the highlights is a proper showdown between the Toho Godzilla and his American counterpart from the infamous 1998 TriStar film (this creature has since been differentiated as its own distinct kaiju and renamed “Zilla”). While these two had a very brief encounter in Toho’s 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars, they have a much more satisfying and thrilling smackdown here. It’s great fan service, and leaves open the possibility for a rematch. I can’t wait!
In the second major battle in this volume, a wounded Godzilla teams-up with fan-favorite Mothra and her twin larvae to take on the diabolical crustacean known as Destoroyah. Destoroyah is notorious among G-Fans for being one of the few kaiju capable of killing Godzilla.
A number of Toho’s other famous monsters (and even a few obscure ones) make notable cameos, including: Gigan, Kumonga, Manda, Gezora, and Varan. IDW was able to secure the rights to use nearly the entire catalogue of Toho’s kaiju, and it’s great to see they didn’t let such an incredible opportunity go to waste. Attentive readers will also catch several fun Easter eggs for the Toho Kaiju franchise, and for nerd culture in general, scattered throughout the comic. There’s even a good-natured lampoon of San Diego Comic Con, which is subsequently attacked by a swarm of Destoroyah-spawn.
The human characters are very one-dimensional. The dialogue comes across as clunky and stilted, rarely ever reading like natural speech. The attempts at humor are often particularly awkward (and not in an intentional way, either). There’s a lot of scenes where characters just stand around stating the obvious. A lot of it seems like it’s just there to fill breaks between action sequences, but on the positive side, these dialogue scenes rarely overstay their welcome. It definitely helps that most of the characters, despite being pretty flat, are not insufferably annoying – which is a plus in any Godzilla story. And, to be frank, I’ve heard far more atrocious dialogue in many Godzilla movies, so I can’t get too mad at this comic for subpar writing.
It is in the spectacular artwork of Matt Frank that Godzilla: Rulers of Earth really shines. I seriously can’t praise his art enough. I’ve been following Matt Frank’s kaiju art for some time before I even knew he was illustrating IDW’s Godzilla title. Without a doubt, he is the BEST artist in the business when it comes to capturing the look and feel of the Toho universe in comic form. His monsters are amazingly expressive; he perfectly captures the personality of each of these titanic characters. There’s even an art gallery in the back of the volume showcasing some fantastic covers drawn by Frank and other artists, as well as some cool concept sketches. This comic is a must-own for Godzilla fans just for the artwork alone!
Perhaps the most positive point that can be made about Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is that it was created by Godzilla fans, for Godzilla fans. As a modern reimagining of Toho’s Godzilla universe that pays loving tribute to the source material, you couldn’t ask for better! I fully intend to read and review the rest of the volumes in this series. Stay tuned!
Final Score: 4.5 stars (rounded-up to 5)
June 1, 2019
This was fun for what it was. I'm about to see the new Godzilla movie so pretty excited!
So this is basically Godzilla just taking on most of his big foes. Funny enough the first one Godzilla faces off against is Zilla. Yes, the 1998 Godzilla movie everyone hates. And the fight goes in the way we expect. As the story goes on we face other monsters but the biggest threat in this one would be Destroyah. Godzilla and him go head to head, but he might need some help this time.
The art is fun and cartoony and gives a nice overall vibe, especially on the fights. The story, while simple, goes quickly. Watching Godzilla face off against big monsters is what I'm here for, and for the most part, it delivers. The negatives would probably be how simple the story is and sometimes the characters talk too much when really they're trying to say "Godzilla and monster "X" are about to fight".
Overall, pretty fun. I'll probably give volume 2 a read. A 3 out of 5.
So this is basically Godzilla just taking on most of his big foes. Funny enough the first one Godzilla faces off against is Zilla. Yes, the 1998 Godzilla movie everyone hates. And the fight goes in the way we expect. As the story goes on we face other monsters but the biggest threat in this one would be Destroyah. Godzilla and him go head to head, but he might need some help this time.
The art is fun and cartoony and gives a nice overall vibe, especially on the fights. The story, while simple, goes quickly. Watching Godzilla face off against big monsters is what I'm here for, and for the most part, it delivers. The negatives would probably be how simple the story is and sometimes the characters talk too much when really they're trying to say "Godzilla and monster "X" are about to fight".
Overall, pretty fun. I'll probably give volume 2 a read. A 3 out of 5.
July 15, 2020
Since Godzilla is my spirit animal, I might be a teeeeny bit biased in my rating of this masterpiece, but like... It was so. Freaking. Good. Dude. Straight to the point, no BS, just monster wrestlemania with the human cast as the side piece. Now, humans have always been the main priority in most Godzilla films, contrary to popular belief, BUUUT, with a comic like this... Yeah, give me that A+ Kaiju action and destruction first and foremost, please. The artwork by veteran Godzilla and just incredible artist, Matt Frank, dazzles each and every page with his pieces, and does absolute justice to the monsters as the actual characters that they are, and not just mindless rage beasts. As a Godzilla series aficionado, and really just a passionate fan of the franchise since I was stumbling around watching the old Hanna Barbara cartoon, this hit home for me and genuinely made me grin and whoop like an excited kid.
Were there some issues? Sure! Did I care at all about those issues? NO! Give me more of this ASAP, please!
Were there some issues? Sure! Did I care at all about those issues? NO! Give me more of this ASAP, please!
January 6, 2018
I love Godzilla, so when IDW first announced they were going to make new Godzilla comics I was really excited for them and they instantly went on my pull list and stayed there for a long time. And though I have most of the issues of the various Godzilla titles IDW put out, I know I missed a few and I also still regret not getting many of the trade bind ups, especially since now they're hard to find and really expensive. So when the digital versions came on sale I decided to pick up a bunch of them, just to have them, but also just to have a slightly more convenient way to read them again without digging in my comic collection, and even then potentially not being able to read them all without missing a couple issues. These comics are nice to read in digital, some comics don't read very well in the digital format, but with this the kindle versions are just fine for reading again. This series of Godzilla was always pretty cool, it was better than a lot of the previous “Main” Godzilla titles and had so many monsters and action in it that made it just that much better. This is pretty well written, the story seems to pick up after one of the other “Main” titles because one of the characters from one of those is in it, everybody keeps mentioning that he piloted one of the Mecha Gs, and I remember that happening, but it's been a while since I first read these comics so I forget when exactly.
The art is pretty awesome, the humans aren't as good looking as the monsters, but considering my love for these comics was always mainly about if the monsters looked awesome enough or not, that never really mattered to me as much. And this series had better art than a decent amount of the other titles so it was always one of my favorites for that reason.
Overall this was a solid first volume and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. This is a great comic for Godzilla fans and I do recommend it if you can get it for a good deal either in digital or the physical comics.
The art is pretty awesome, the humans aren't as good looking as the monsters, but considering my love for these comics was always mainly about if the monsters looked awesome enough or not, that never really mattered to me as much. And this series had better art than a decent amount of the other titles so it was always one of my favorites for that reason.
Overall this was a solid first volume and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. This is a great comic for Godzilla fans and I do recommend it if you can get it for a good deal either in digital or the physical comics.
October 19, 2021
I bought this book on a whim, thinking I've not seen a Godzilla movie recently and I've never read a book featuring the green giant. I wasn't expecting much and I'm glad to say that this book DID NOT meet those expectations. This book was thoroughly enjoyable. More Toho than Hollywood, this book proves that Americans can get Godzilla and, more importantly, we can write a good Godzilla story. This is Godzilla as he should be - King of the Monsters. He's always angry, shows no mercy, and fights any monster that gets in his way. His atomic breath, the tail swings, and flattened city-scapes are all featured here. There is also a Godzilla team of supersoldiers trying to control him -(and failing)- and the annoying teenagers with too many questions getting themselves in peril. It all works in a story that is more action than talking supported by quality artwork. Add in appearances by Mothra and many other monsters and we have a book that should have been the source material for either of those forgettable Hollywood movies. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series because finally, I have a creative team that gets the big guy and seems to have a blast doing it.
May 6, 2024
Naprawdę bardzo fajne podejście do postaci Godzilli. Chris Mowry podobnie, jak ostatnio Adam Wingard i Takashi Yamazaki pokazuje, że do opowieści z kaiju można podejść na różne, kreatywne sposoby. Autor komiksu obrał drogę, która chyba najlepiej pasuje do komiksu, czyli garściami czerpie z późniejszej tradycji wielkiego jaszczura skupiając się na jego spotkaniach z innymi potworami. Całość jest lekka, czyta się bardzo przyjemnie, jest dużo potworów, a wszystko podlane jest znanym dla serii o potworach absurdem. Fana ucieszą znajome z filmów postacie takie Mothra, ale także bardzo interesujący jest wątek potworów z kosmosu, który bardzo bym chciał zobaczyć w przyszłych filmach od Warner Bros, bo nadaje pięknego kampu. Bawiłem się świetnie.
August 22, 2020
Una lettura da cui esco confusa ma che non voglio lasciare in sospeso: Godzilla è Godzilla e si merita quanto meno una lettura portata alla fine.
Non adoro lo stile di disegno ma ovviamente si parla di stile personale: troppo cartoon e caotico in alcuni casi, talmente caotico da far perdere la potenza dei kaiju distraendo il lettore durante le colluttazioni.
Intrigante la piega però che la storia sta prendendo.
Non adoro lo stile di disegno ma ovviamente si parla di stile personale: troppo cartoon e caotico in alcuni casi, talmente caotico da far perdere la potenza dei kaiju distraendo il lettore durante le colluttazioni.
Intrigante la piega però che la storia sta prendendo.
November 28, 2018
I appreciated when an author who borrows from other mediums [in this case- movies] gets the characters, etc. right. That is what Mowry had done here. He "gets" Godzilla, that is, he understands G, and therefore he does G correctly. Nice artwork, great story, wonderful supporting cast [especially the other "monsters"]. I will be reading more in this series.
June 13, 2021
A lot better then the previous series while they still are jumping around multiple POVs however these multiple POV characters do interact with each other. Also I do like that they do mention how the world has changed since the previous series which is interesting seeing this from the civilian main character.
December 29, 2023
I have to say, I LOVED the artwork in this one. It was descriptive, colored really well, and I definitely was a fan of the way Godzilla was represented, artistically this just covered all the bases for me. It was where the story was concerned that lost me a bit, as it just felt like a lot going on that made it difficult to follow personally, but aside from that, a very solid read for sure!
September 6, 2024
The story opens with a sighting of Godzilla, followed by other monsters like Gigan. A monster, simply referred to as Zilla (due to a communication problem), battles with Godzilla. I wasn't a fan of Zilla's design since it looks like a combination of Anguirus and Godzilla so it didn't seem too original and it was hard to tell what was going on in some of their battle scenes. Steven Woods rescues scientist Lucy Casprell from Zilla's battle. Steven Woods seems to be the same character from Kingdom of Monsters who makes reference to his piloting of Mechagodzilla. A shape-shifting alien race steals a Godzilla specimen, and seem to be scheming with/against another undersea alien race called the Devonians. It contains a lot of action, but also seems to be much more ambitious with the story, especially since it follows on from a previous series.
March 19, 2018
Very exciting comic
Have always seen old Godzilla movies, did not know about current comics till recently. Fits in well with newer Godzilla movies, like to see several monsters fighting together.
Have always seen old Godzilla movies, did not know about current comics till recently. Fits in well with newer Godzilla movies, like to see several monsters fighting together.
March 28, 2022
I wasn't a great fan of how the humans looked, but the monsters looked pretty good and there were a lot of them. Just didn't get much of a sense of scale. It was funny when the American Lady Godzilla was beaten so easily in Final Wars, but I'm glad she was allowed to get some good licks in here.
June 27, 2025
Review is for all six volumes in the series
Every ten pages they throw another kaiju at us, never giving any time for development - and yes I know how ridiculous it is to expect 'character development' among giant punchy bitey monsters - which leaves the entire story without depth or suspense.
Every ten pages they throw another kaiju at us, never giving any time for development - and yes I know how ridiculous it is to expect 'character development' among giant punchy bitey monsters - which leaves the entire story without depth or suspense.
October 26, 2017
If it were not for the content, I might not read this series. The story line was jumbled and mixed up. I was not sure what was going on from panel to panel. The art work was okay at best.
September 4, 2017
Best for teenage or younger.
April 24, 2018
This is exactly what I wanted from a Godzilla comic; epic kaiju battles connected by a loose human plot!
July 30, 2019
I love godzilla but I thought the humans were boring so I skipped whenever they talked. Other than that I loved it.
February 7, 2021
I mena, it's giant monster fighting, and really well written. What else should we expect?
December 21, 2021
Mmm
Ever
Ever
March 16, 2022
it is good
Read
June 2, 2022Gigan, thats all
July 27, 2023
so good
It was so grate and perfect I loved it so much and so good and loved and I love it so much
It was so grate and perfect I loved it so much and so good and loved and I love it so much
April 25, 2024
2.5 stars.
April 30, 2024
For Godzilla fans, it's pretty fun. Nothing to write home about but as a Godzilla fan I liked it.
April 23, 2025
I probably would've appreciated this less if I hadn't seen the movies with all these monsters.
January 9, 2017
It's Godzilla. Giant monsters, science-fiction, and a bunch of destruction. What is there not to like?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews