Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons & Sons Of Giants Discussion

[Moth]

That first cover is the best Mothra has ever looked on an IDW cover.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I love how gross Mothra looks on the second cover.

Weird that recently Mothra has had a lot of association with the pyramids. First HTBD cameo, then GXK, and now this.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Pretty excellent first issue.

I need to wait until the story unfolds more, but I now appreciate and understand the slower pace. With Here There Be Dragons 1, I was a little worried in issue 1+2 because it seemed to be crawling at a snail's pace, and building up a world and story I didn't quite understand where it was heading towards. Now I love it of course.

First, with Sons of Giants, I think it was really cool to start the issue with a small and simple story about Godzilla. It gets Godzilla into the story upfront, unlike HTBD where it took a while for Godzilla to show up. It introduces some interesting plot ideas: a sword that can hurt Godzilla! I like how within the first few pages we have that little story that connects to the larger story. Even better is how the story is portrayed. Inaki Miranda mimics Hokusai's style pretty well and it feels appropriate for the historical fictional setting. While not a perfect, I appreciate and respect the effort. It then shows Godzilla killing and wiping out the romans, and the implication is that the Sons of Giants aided or caused that. Way better pacing than HTBD1.

Anyways, I don't want to make any judgements on the overall story, but already this is intriguing. I was surprised to see America be a part of this, and the idea of kaiju in the 1800s is an intriguing one. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Oh yeah and all those masks are cool. While this seems like it'll focus on Hedorah or Mothra, I'm really hoping to see Orga or Gabara.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Now this is more like it, IDW!

Things I liked:

• Love the Ukiyo-e style artwork for the Japanese portion of the storyline. Inaki Miranda is quickly growing into one of my favorite G artists. It’s easy to see why he was nominated for an Eisner Award. He and writer Frank Tieri make a great team.

• Love the Ancient Rome setting. Shades of RAT issue #4 with the Hannibal /Punic War setting when he was battling Godzilla in the Alps…only with *MUCH BETTER* artwork.

• Love the kaiju masks that the SOG cult is wearing. Major Kubrick “Eyes Wide Shut” vibes.

• Extremely well-written scenes and dialogue with Aaron Burr’s famous duel with Hamilton (though whether Hamilton intentional missed Burr is debatable amongst historians, but as a story-telling element in a G comic, it’s fine) and his interaction with the mysterious reporter. Again, major Kubrick "Barry Lyndon" vibes with how the duel is depicted.

• Godzilla looks great, and the GFW design is a nice change of pace from the over-used Heisei and Kiryu/Gonzo-Goji suit often seen in these books.

Things I disliked:

Nothing. It’s a shame IDW’s books are so damn inconsistent in terms of quality, so SOG is a very welcomed and much needed shot in the arm.

Great first issue that leaves me wanting more. Can’t wait for issue #2...

[UltramanGoji]

Finally picked up my pulls from the past few weeks, the first issue of this among them.

I haven't read HTBG yet, so I'm hopefully not missing anything by reading this first but I loved it. Great setup, I especially love the Sons of Giants cult, which is something I've been wanting in a Godzilla story for a long time now. Excited to see where this goes.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Finally picked up my pulls from the past few weeks, the first issue of this among them.

I haven't read HTBG yet, so I'm hopefully not missing anything by reading this first but I loved it. Great setup, I especially love the Sons of Giants cult, which is something I've been wanting in a Godzilla story for a long time now. Excited to see where this goes.

I won't provide major spoiler or monster spoilers, but HTBD is mostly about a pirate retelling a crazy adventure. The framing device hints and introduces the Sons of Giant Cult. However, based on the first issue of HTBDSOG2, it seems like it's enjoyable if you haven't read one.

I think in retrospect this comic will make HTBD 1 even better. It's enjoyable as it's own story.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Issues #4 A/B covers:

In issues past, we've learned of the ancient kaiju cult and met some of its more famous members. But now it's time to finally reveal the reason they have reconvened. What threat is so fearsome, so earth-shattering, that it's not only brought together the most powerful men in the world but the most powerful monsters? Also in this issue, an ancient Mesoamerican myth is discovered, detailing a clash between Rodan and Spanish conquistadors attempting to conquer the Aztecs.

[LSD Jellyfish]

It’s been a hot minute since Rodan has had a proper starting appearance.

So it seems like this comic, is basically half an issue of a monster themed story (Godzilla in feudal Japan, Godzilla in Rome/Vs Hedorah, Mothra in Egypt, Rodan…) all while building up towards something that’ll be addressed in issue 5? Seems neat.

[ebirahsmeg1]

SOG #2 preview is out
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/comic-bo ... -giants-2/

Hiding in the shadows of history, there is an Illuminati-esque cult that has been pulling the strings of every major kaiju encounter. In this issue, their identities are finally revealed.

Also revealed for the first time is the story of Smog Monster’s earliest encounter with humans, and its first meeting with Godzilla in ancient Rome.

[HeiseiGodzilla117]

Beowulf successfully taking on Hedorah is wild. The poem is one of my all time favorite literary works. And Grendel is a fearsome creature in the story. But he's nothing compared to a kaiju. That's pretty cool.

[daveblackeye15]

Yeah I like Beowulf too and it sound slike Tolkien was able to rescue it from obscurity.
Anyway the first Here There Be Dragons was really good! I really liked how Ebirah and the octopus were more Godzilla's big opponents than the usual Ghidorah or Gigan. The cult was an awesome idea.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Beowulf successfully taking on Hedorah is wild. The poem is one of my all time favorite literary works. And Grendel is a fearsome creature in the story. But he's nothing compared to a kaiju. That's pretty cool.

Interesting seeing Hedorah playing the Grendel/Grendel's mother role. And apparently a battle between Godzilla and Hedorah in Ancient Rome is soon to follow. I love the angles thus far that SOG is taking, and it certainly isn't just merely a "kaiju just dumped into historical settings" storyline....While the comparisons are obvious, this isn't a Rage Across Time nor a Dark Horse/Alex Cox Lost In Time! 4-issue arc clone...can't wait for issue #2

Yeah I like Beowulf too and it sound slike Tolkien was able to rescue it from obscurity.
Anyway the first Here There Be Dragons was really good! I really liked how Ebirah and the octopus were more Godzilla's big opponents than the usual Ghidorah or Gigan. The cult was an awesome idea.

Not only that, but the battle itself was extremely creative (one of the better comic kaiju fights in quite awhile) and they actually gave Godzilla a run for his money.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Just read issue #2.

Fantastic premise that continues to not disappoint. Some quick thoughts below:

Things I liked:

- As already mentioned about the preview pages, intertwining Hedorah's arrival on Earth into Grendel's role of the Beowolf myth was well done both art-wise (the different art styles used by Inaki for different time periods/myths shows Inaki's range as an artist) and writing-wise.

- Tieri and Inaki are really coming into their own with SOG. HTBD was merely their training ground. Great dialogue and artwork, and the plot points all connect seamlessly.

- Great to see Mothra and Rodan show up. The intrigue as to why all the kaiju have converged in Rome, and why they may be potentially meeting again in the present day (early 1800s in the story) leaves the reader wanting to find out more.

- Nice how they tie in one of the main characters as an descendant of a past character from HTBD (you'll have to read it to find out who).

- Great and very surprising reveal at the end of the story in regards to the Sons of Giants cult.

Things I disliked:

- Rodan is drawn like a strange cross between the Heisei Fire Rodan and aspects of Showa Rodan....and the result is just odd-looking (reminds more me of the Trendmasters Rodan figure).

- Again, Inaki's art is fantastic overall, but Hedorah looks a bit too Cthulu-esque at times, and Mothra's legs look very chunky/spider-like in one panel where she lands on the ground (though I think poor coloring in this panel contributes to it looking a bit off).

The above are just nitpicks. Great example of how a well crafted Godzilla comic should be done with solid art.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Back in NYC, so I can finally get physical editions of all this stuff.

Happy to get a slice of pizza and read issue 2:

(Don't worry, I didn't get grease on the comic!)

Anyways, issue 2 was fantastic. I love the theming and structure of "Older Art style"+"Ongoing Current Historical Story"+"Godzilla and other monsters in ancient times". I think incorporating Hedorah as Grendel is a fantastic choice. While I like my Hedorah as a pollution monster I'm OKAY with it being linked to Grendel because Grendel is associated with filth and uncleanliness in a lot of older texts. Plus, Beowulf has been routinely re-interpretted throughout the ages, so this fits fine within other Beowulf "cannon".

I wanted to comment that the art, or rather the organization of paneling, continues to be stellar. Maybe I'll have to remove this for copyright, but this page by Miranda is fantastic:


Just the way everything loops around itself is stellar.

Spoiler:

Also that page with Mothra in the background and Hedorah and the other monsters in the foreground is just excellent.

I have really strong and positive views about this comic, and admittedly I'm more excited for this than any of the other upcoming comics.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Issue #5 cover revealed:

There's a reason Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and Hedorah gathered in ancient Rome… There's a reason the Sons of Giants have convened… There's a reason Lewis and Clark were sent on their expedition in the first place… and it all comes down to King Ghidorah. Well, King Ghidorah and one final dark, terrible secret… Witness the ancient origins of King Ghidorah, harkening back to Rome and a battle with Hercules, in the explosive finale of Sons of Giants!

[JesstrK]

Issue #5 cover revealed:

There's a reason Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and Hedorah gathered in ancient Rome… There's a reason the Sons of Giants have convened… There's a reason Lewis and Clark were sent on their expedition in the first place… and it all comes down to King Ghidorah. Well, King Ghidorah and one final dark, terrible secret… Witness the ancient origins of King Ghidorah, harkening back to Rome and a battle with Hercules, in the explosive finale of Sons of Giants!

Huh. I was wondering how KG fit into this world. Up until now he’s only been vaguely referenced. Sounds ominous. Maybe we’ll finally get our DAM style Ghidorah battle? Also that cover art looks sick.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Issue #3 preview (issue is out 9/11)

For the first time, the biblical origins of one of Godzilla's greatest allies will be revealed-Mothra. A mysterious kaiju who appears in times of need-now revealed to have once laid siege to Egypt in the real story behind the eighth biblical plague. Then, in 1804, watch as the Sons of Giants begin to unravel... And finally, what brought all of the kaiju to Rome hundreds of years ago? This sequel to the hit miniseries digs deeper into Godzilla lore, unveiling the secret history of the world long hidden-until now!

[LSD Jellyfish]

Issue 3 is good, but once again feels like set-up towards something greater.

The format of monster+historical/significant cultural tale is interesting, but I wonder what they'll do when they get to Ghidorah, whom has already been established. I do like the world building and the ambiguity of whether the Sons of Giants are even "evil". I'm really curious to see where this goes.

However, this suffered a lot from feeling like a. turning point for the climax. Other than one page of Godzilla, Rodan, Hedorah, and Mothra attacking each other, not much monster action. I wished we got just a bit more of this big four way brawl before moving into Ghidorah. As an aside, it's still cool seeing Hedorah, Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah on the same page together, and Its also cool seeing Hedorah "join" with Godzilla. Interesting monster pairings.

But since they've already introduced Ghidorah, I really wonder what surprise twist, if any, will occur/unfold. Ghidorah doesn't seem like the final reveal, although I'm unsure. Jefferson seems to be hinting at the possibility of other monsters /aliens showing up. Will Orga join in? And in that case, if Ghidorah is an alien creature, why have the masks worshipping it?

Curious to see how this plays out and what is in store.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Another solid issue from Tieri & Inaki that works as the perfect mouth wash to rinse away the nasty aftertaste left by the likes of GvsMMPR II and Skate or Die. My thoughts on issue #3 are below:

Things I liked:

- The world building when it comes to the HTBD/SOG universe continues to be intriguing and captivating, especially with famous historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Henry the 8th, Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, etc. being members of the SOG. Very curious to see how the mystery of the Louisiana Purchase will play in the upcoming two issues.

- King Ghidorah’s arrival this early was unexpected and a very pleasant surprise. He looks fearsome and imposing as drawn by Inaki, and this has the potential to be one of his most impressive appearances in the these books (ala HCW / Rivals VS: King Ghidorah / GvsMMPR I).

- I love the different mythology-themed openings that start off each issue to introduce various kaiju: Godzilla in Ancient Japan- ukiyo-e art style in issue #1, Hedorah as Grendal in the Anglo-Saxon English -Beowulf tale in issue #2, and now Ancient Egypt-Moses in issue #3 with Mothra parting the Red Sea. Each has different, unique art styles that gives each issue its own, unique identity.

Things I didn't like:

- Honestly, these kaiju "free-for-all" battles I've seen in these comics have been shockingly underwhelming...as a concept, a battle royal between Godzilla, Hedorah, Rodan, and Mothra should be fun and exciting...unfortunately, they often are just unfocused and make each kaiju's role feel rather...inconspicuous. Similar to the disappointing "free-for-all" battle in HCW #3.

And that's really it to be honest in terms of negatives. I know some might find the slower pace of this issue a letdown, but HTBD showed that Tieri and Inaki are always building meticulously towards an end game that pays off. Bring on issue #4!