Written By: Sam Santiago
Godzilla may be best known as a towering force of sci‑fi destruction, but his earliest attacks on humanity carried a level of terror that leans heavily into horror. This summer, Godzilla: The Horror of Godzilla will explore that fear in a new comic series launching in July from IDW Publishing.
Set in 1954 Japan, the story is crafted by writers Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan, whose previous work includes Marvel Zombies: Red Band and Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone. Artist Tristan Jones, known for his work on Event Horizon: Dark Descent and Aliens: Defiance, brings the grim world to life with visuals designed to amplify the dread behind Godzilla’s initial emergence.
Described as "the most spine-chilling kaiju comic book event you'll ever experience," the series will allow readers to "witness the sheer terror behind Godzilla's first horrifying onslaught on the human race and how the power behind its Kai-Sei energy has a frightening and transformative impact on humans exposed to the grim blasts."
"The first year of the Kai-Sei Era found us in a world — a galaxy, even — steeped in kaiju, as we felt that was the best starting point for this universe," Parker and Sheridan said in a joint statement. "But now is the perfect moment to go back to the narrative bedrock, the genesis of our tale: humanity’s very first meeting with Godzilla."
"To not only be asked to tell this crucial chapter of the Kai-Sei saga, but also to make it as wild and horrific as possible," they continued. "Oh, and Tristan Jones is going to draw it? We’re beyond honoured and cannot wait to share this one with readers."
Jones added, "As a storyteller that’s become something of a fixture in the horror genre, it’s a genuine honour and a thrill to work with Griffin and Ethan (and our incredible editor Jake [Williams]) on a Godzilla story that leans so hard into my favourite visuals and even harder into things I always wished the films would."
"It’s a huge departure from what I’ve been known for so far, and everyone’s given me incredible space to both try new things and bring visuals to comics I’d never had a proper chance to before," the artist concluded.
Fans can expect the first issue in July, with early looks already generating buzz for its dark tone and striking art. We'll be sure to loop back around once we've given this epic new series a read.