Godzilla has been getting big again, both in Japan and America. Toho is putting their money where Godzilla’s mouth is. The last decade has seen two of the greatest Godzilla movies ever — Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One. Both of these movies have been very different, but each of them still does what the best Godzilla movies do — use the monster to discuss the history and culture of Japan. DC already its big Godzilla series — which is getting a sequel — and now it’s Marvel turn for Godzilla goodness. Marvel has a long history with Godzilla, so bringing back the kaiju for an epic Godzilla crossover is perfect, and the publisher has picked the best hero to throw at Godzilla — Hulk. Godzilla Vs. Hulk #1 is a throwback to Marvel’s old Godzilla comics, giving a readers an entertaining yet anemic read.
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Writer Gerry Duggan does a great job of giving readers a nice throwback to the old Marvel Godzilla comics. Duggan mostly does that with the captions, which drip with that Marvel Bronze Age style. Duggan has always been a competent writer, presenting the most basic of superhero stories, and that’s on display here. Anyone jumping into Godzilla Vs. Hulk #1 expecting anything deep, something that makes a lot of sense with characters like Godzilla and Hulk, isn’t going to get what they want. Duggan isn’t the best at depth — his X-Men was entertaining yet as deep as a puddle — but what he lacks in dramatic chops he makes up for with imagination.
The Marvel Universe of Godzilla Vs. Hulk #1 isn’t the one we’re expecting, which is pretty much the most interesting part of the issue’s story. It’s a Marvel Earth where kaijus clash with the Thunderbolts, a team of soldiers led by Thunderbolt Ross and the villain from Marvel’s Godzilla comics, Doctor Demonicus. Duggan sprinkles the issue with little Easter Eggs about the universe — Tony Stark helped create Mechagodzilla but was killed, Rick Jones was believed to be the Hulk, not Banner, and had been killed by the government. Names like Samson and Sterns, familiar to Hulk fans as Doc Samson and the Leader, are there as well. There’s some great kaiju fights, with Mothra, Hedorah, and Kumonga also appearing, and Hulk’s introduction to the book is exciting. There’s nothing really special about the ensuing pages, showing the monsters working together against Ross, and the issue ends with a question mark about what’s coming next. It’s all fine, which has always been the way Duggan’s Marvel work goes.
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Artist Guiseppe Camuncoli supplies the pencils for this issue, and they’re the highlight of the comic. People expect certain things from a Godzilla story, and one of the most important is the giant monster action. Camuncoli definitely delivers here, giving readers great versions of Godzilla, Hedorah, Mothra, Kumonga, and Mechagodzilla, as well as exciting battle scenes. Godzilla fights can he hard to render in two-dimensional medium, but Camuncoli definitely finds a way to give the book the kind of kinetic energy that it needs to sell the fight.
Much like Duggan, Camuncoli does a great job of giving the book a throwback feel. This whole book revolves around reminding readers of Marvel and Godzilla’s history, and the art helps that along. Camuncoli doesn’t drop strange panel layouts on readers, or any touchstones of more modern comics, and Federico Blee’s colors feel old school. Daniele Orlandini’s inks keep up that feeling, adding just the right amount of detail and contrast. Camuncoli’s Godzilla combines the design elements of Showa era and Heisei era Godzilla; he’s not drawing Godzilla as an evil monster, but the slightly heroic version of those eras. His Godzilla is awesome and only gets better when Godzilla gets some gamma power.
The best Godzilla stories use the monster to talk about humanity. Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One are both extremely deep Godzilla movies, while the American Godzilla movies of the ’10s and the ’20s have been more about crowd-pleasing entertainment. Godzilla Vs. Hulk #1 definitely plays into the latter. Duggan was never going to tell a Shin or Minus One-type story — it’s just not his way of writing superhero comics — but he does sell an entertaining kaiju romp to readers, one that hearkens back to the older days of Marvel and Godzilla. Camuncoli, Orlandini, and Blee’s art is the best part of the book, keeping that old school feel while lovingly rendering the kaiju. There’s some interesting bits of world-building throughout the issue, but not so interesting they overshadow the main event. All told, this is an average comic, but that’s fine. Not everything needs to be groundbreaking and deep, and fans of Godzilla will definitely enjoy this book.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Published by Marvel
Released on April 16, 2025
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Guiseppe Camuncoli
Inked by Daniele Orlandini
Color Art by Federico Blee
Letters by Ariana Maher
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Image courtesy of Peacock
