Gangsters and Goliaths has been a very good Godzilla story, and just as a story itself. It has a real plot with established characters, (something Kingdom of Monsters doesn't have) very good, intelligent writing, (another thing Kingdom of Monsters doesn't have) and EPIC MONSTER SCENES. Indeed, I've given each issue an above eight, it's that's good. So now we enter the final issue, and oh man, was it big.
The story continues with Detective Sato unleashing his plan: MECHAGODZILLA. He plans to get the Elies from crime lord Tekahashi. Of course, he'll have to get through all-powerful beasts to restore order......namely Godzilla.
When these issues go together in trade, it's going to be an awesome read for those that are waiting for it. This mini-series felt like a Heisei film. Mix the
Return of Godzilla,
Destroy All Monsters, and the mafia, you have this.
Detective Sato once again proves to be a character the reader can root for and like. I like how he fully understands the mistake, and seeks to fix it. Tekahashi comes off a good antagonist for this type of series. The Cosmos again looks pretty weak and just pitiful. Then again, they never did look that tough in the films, have they?
Of course, we want to see some monster action, and it delivers. I was smiling the whole time, seeing the likes of Rodan and Titanosaurus destroying things. Naturally, it's Godzilla who gets the most page of them. What I like about this series, is that he has some character, whereas in
Kingdom of Monsters, he seems to be nothing than a mindless beast. I LOVE his appearences in this issue, he looks nothing but AWESOME. Mechagodzilla fans might be disappointed at how weak it looks, displaying really no strength whatsoever. I did find this piece of dialogue funny and cool.
"That's not going to stop Godzilla. In fact, that's not even going to slow him down." Classic. Of course, you have to be a longtime fan to see the humor in it.
The art is really the only downside of this series. The humans look way too sketchy, and just plain bad. The monsters look great for the most part. Godzilla especially looks amazing, sporting a look akin to his Heisei incarnation. Mechagodzilla looks amazing....well, the headshot scene in the building. It's lacking sufficient detail. There are two covers, the main one with Godzilla towering over some buildings with airplanes, and one with Detective Sato, his son, and Mechagodzilla. I liked Cover A more, it has really good detail and the perspective makes Godzilla look even more imposing.
Overall, this issue was the best in this mini-series.
Gangsters and Goliaths has been a great read, it has set the standard that hopefully Kingdom of Monsters will follow. I'm sad to see it go, but it had its run. Next month we'll have another mini-series,
Godzilla: Legends, which I hope will be as good, if not better. With its great story, excellent pacing, interesting characters, and awesome monster destruction, you'll want to check out
Gangsters and Goliaths, Godzilla fan or not.
10/10. PERFECT score.