Luke Owen reviews Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #11 from IDW…
Undersea adventure awaits! The Devonian threat has been identified, and monsters across the globe converge in the depths of the ocean! As the humans test new weapons and methods, Godzilla will be forced to face some of his most fearsome foes!
All good things must sadly come to an end. And this penultimate issue of the superb Godzilla: Rulers of Earth is a great example of why it sucks that this series must come to an end.
Things are all coming to a head as Godzilla rests at the bottom of the ocean, as if waiting for something. Meanwhile a stranded Devonian draws a truce with his human “enemies” as his race gets ready to launch an all-out war on Earth as well as The King of the Monsters. But that’s not all the Big G has to worry about as his aquatic foes are about to bring the fight to him.
Over the last 10 months of reviews of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, there haven’t been enough words to describe just how great this series has been. Everything comes together so well and Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #11 is just another piece of the puzzle that gets it right. Chris Mowry has this amazing ability to get the balancing act of main story, backstory and full-on action while never getting bogged down by either element. Not only that, but each element is given the full attention it needs. This issue alone sees the main plot of the creation of Monster Island grow, a detailed history of the Devonians and two giant monster rumbles, the latter of which ranks among the best of the series run. Godzilla: Rulers of Earth has been impressive if nothing else.
Like Pacific Rim was last year, Godzilla: Rulers of Earth feels like a love letter to the Showa era of Toho’s iconic monster. The backstory of the Devonians is a testament to how much Mowry loves this franchise as it feels like it was ripped straight from the likes of Godzilla vs. Gigan. Is it great and well thought through? Probably not. It’s a touch cheesy but that’s why it’s great.
Likewise the monster action is on top form with Matt Frank bringing his A-game. It can’t be easy bringing Mowry’s detailed and intricate script to life but he never seems to struggle. Even when he’s orchestrating a fight between Godzilla, Gezora, Titanosaurus, Destroyah and Manda he never lets it overwhelm him. His earlier work in the issue with Mechagodzilla taking down Baragon is exemplary and it’s times like this where you wish that the pair would work on not only Godzilla comics forever, but a Pacific Rim comic too.
We’re one issue from the end of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, and what a ride it’s been. A war is breaking out in the next issue, and it should be an epic conclusion to what has been an epic Godzilla series.
NOTE: I’ve spoken with Chris Mowry who has informed me that this is not the penultimate issue and the “to be concluded” at the end of this issue was a typo they forgot to remove.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published April 23, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
