Godzilla vs Spider-Man Is as Flimsy as You Expect (Review)

Two of my biggest passions in life are Godzilla and Spider-Man. A comic starring both should be a slam dunk, yet the outcome is only a resounding okay. The biggest problem with Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 is that Godzilla doesn’t mesh well with Spidey’s world. Adding the King of Monsters in a Spider-Man comic feels like pushing a circle peg down a square hole. It’s not exactly like the expression, “a square peg in a round hole,” because you can fit a circle peg in a square hole. You can put a Godzilla-sized peg in a spider-shaped hole, but why would you? Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 doesn’t really answer this question other than “why not?”

Admittedly, Spider-Man has faced giant monsters before, with villains like Gog. Reptile-based enemies are also his specialty, having been fighting against The Lizard and Stegron for decades. Nonetheless, Godzilla feels so far out of Peter’s depth that it’s hard to justify why the two will fight in the first place. The comic doesn’t really offer much justification other than Spider-Man just so happened to be around, with the comic suggesting Godzilla may have been targeting Spidey specifically for his alien suit. However, given that the epilogue reveals the symbiote remained in New York after Godzilla left, it exposed that theory to be as flimsy as it was when it was first brought up.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 takes place at a specific moment within the Marvel Universe timeline, just like in the other Godzilla vs. comics. The comic book takes place in the 80s, right after Peter got his alien symbiote suit. Writer Joe Kelly makes an admirable attempt to make the comic feel as if it comes from the 80s, flourishing the comic with cheesy dialogue and narration overexplaining necessary backstory. The issue even takes place in an exact moment within the Spider-Man timeline. Godzilla attacks New York before Peter realizes the suit is a symbiote, he’s still dating Black Cat, and Mary Jane has just returned to the city.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man even reveals Mary Jane has already figured out Spider-Man’s identity, fitting in nicely within the original Symbiote Saga, where Mary Jane returns to reveal that she knew his secret identity for a long time. It’s always appreciated when writers and editors figure out these timeline placements, even though they didn’t need to since the comic takes place in an alternate universe. Kelly’s attempts at 80s dialogue don’t always land, with some characterizations suffering. Mary Jane’s and Black Cat’s instant rivalry makes both women seem petty, even though it was a clear throwback to the soap opera drama that was a touchstone to the Spider-Man comics for many decades. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why we left that kind of characterization for women in the 80s.

Despite criticism, the comic is certainly not bland. It would take a lot of work to make a comic book with Spider-Man and Godzilla seem boring. The comic features rare interior artwork from Nick Bradshaw, injecting much-needed life into the story. While some people criticize Bradshaw’s art for being too cartoony and making characters short, his linework and details are impeccable. Some of the perspectives in certain panels don’t always match, yet the characters and monsters are full of personality. There’s even a moment where the Venom Symbiote takes over Godzilla, so there’s that too.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man isn’t a highlight of this line of Godzilla Marvel comics, with the 80s throwback being more of a hindrance than anything. The issue is still filled with plenty of fun webhead action that makes the story fun, but superficial.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on April 30, 2025

Written by Joe Kelly

Art by Nick Bradshaw

Color Art by Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters by Joe Caramagna

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