By Cullen Bunn & Dave Watcher
Cullen Bunn and Dave Watcher’s second issue of their post-apocalyptic Godzilla tale picks up with the Big G taking on Biollante and a surprise fan favorite kaiju. Amidst all the chaos, the humans struggle to escape and once again must cope with the fear and despair…
What is so fascinating about this narrative is that Bunn is not afraid to delve into the bleakness of existing in a world after an event like the cataclysm. Most Godzilla films or depictions in other mediums don’t show the ordeals society must go through after the behemoths battle for dominance. Cullen illustrates that some people, since they can’t rationalize the trauma, choose to worship the beasts just as a primitive civilization would have. Whereas others live in disheartenment due to their complete understanding of the situation.
Also, he explores the three types of conflict effectively in the comic. The obvious is man vs. nature with the giant monsters, but perhaps the most fleshed out right now is man vs. self. The elder constantly has nightmares and flashbacks dating to the cataclysm and struggles to cope. Some readers may be turned off by type this of storyline, but for a Godzilla fan it’s a fresh perspective that will captivate.
Watcher is able to flesh out the themes and mood with his use of Earth tones, specifically yellow hues. In contrast, the kaiju are beautifully rendered and colored. Also, the execution of the fight between Godzilla and Biollante breathes new life into the characters and how they engage each other. In Godzilla vs. Biollante, the fight sequences were not very dynamic due the restraints of having people in suits. In this comic, Dave has free reign to bring real physicality to the fight, which he does!
With the creative team very focused on the human characters and their struggles, the book becomes three-dimensional and elevates it from just another Godzilla comic where he will fight the monster of the month. Devotees of Biollante and Godzilla will find this issue an absolute fan delight, just as I did. Those who love just a good science fiction or post-apocalyptic tale should definitely check out Godzilla: Cataclysm.
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