Born of a partnership between IDW and Toho, the Kai-Sei Era is dedicated to new visions based on the mythology of Godzilla. Thus far, the line has yielded a superheroic take on the King of the Monsters. Now it heads into the not-too-distant future, with Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone.
The story opens in modern-day Seattle, just before Godzilla goes on a rampage. The resulting damage and radiation turns the Pacific Northwest into a wasteland that is dubbed the Dead Zone. Despite this area being allegedly uninhabitable, some people develop mutations which allow them to survive there.
This sets the stage for the central character: the Wanderer. A legend among the mutants, he is said to have become half-kaiju. Blessed with the strength and durability of Godzilla himself, the Wanderer squeaks out a living as a soldier of fortune. By issue’s end, however, the cynical mercenary encounters something that seems impossible even by the standards of this new world.
Dead Zone is light on Godzilla, but engaging
Fans of traditional kaiju comics and movies may be disappointed in Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone #1. The King of the Monsters disappears from the narrative after the opening scene. There are no epic battles with buildings being destroyed to be found here.
Instead, Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan tell a tale that seems more appropriate to Heavy Metal Magazine or 2000 AD. This is a story about survival in an inhospitable world and one nameless man of mystery making his way through it. It isn’t the most original concept, but the execution is engaging even without the twists born of the Wanderer’s mutation.
The artwork by Pablo Tunica is similarly and suitably grim and gritty. This is not a cheerful, happy-looking comic. Indeed, there’s enough adult language and gruesome imagery in the opening pages to quickly warn wary parents that this is not suitable for children.
Fans of dark dystopian action will love Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone #1. Kaiju purists, on the other hand, may be unimpressed. That being said, this is a great comic taken on its own merits, of which there are many.
Grade: 8/10
Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on August 6, 2025.
