Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters (Review)

Cover of Volume 1

Cover of Volume 2

Continuing "Godzilla Week" brings us to Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, a three volume (twelve issue)  story arc that stars President Ogden (who looks a lot like President Obama), Sergeant Steven Woods, a girl named Allie, psychotic & telepathic twins, Godzilla, & most of his Monster "friends".

Cover of Volume 3

The story begins with Godzilla rising up from the depths of the ocean off the coast of Japan.  After destroying a fishing village, the Japanese Government makes the decision to nuke the beast!!
MISTAKE!!  Godzilla can now breath fire (or something to that effect) as a result of the failed attempt to destroy him.  Godzilla takes out his bad breath frustrations on Tokyo's helpless population.

Meanwhile, all across the world in various nations and on various continents.....other monsters are awaking as well!! Anguirus, Battra, Kumonga, and Rodan begin paths of destruction, heading toward one another.

The twins; Mallorie & Minette, decide they want to be Queens.....so they use their considerable telepathic powers to influence and control Battra.  They make their way to Paris.....where Battra cocoons on the Eiffel Tower.

Anguirus decides to leave Mexico and travel across the U.S. border illegally! Rodan eats a juvenile hockey player in Moscow, Russia, and Kumonga takes to the road just outside Pasadena, California.

President Ogden and the U.S. Government begin to panic as Godzilla makes his way across the Pacific and onto our shores.......

Anguirus

Godzilla beats down Anguirus in L.A.,  stops off at Mount Rushmore to destroy the National monument, then begins his trek eastward.  President Ogden tries to "kill two birds with one stone", using the industrial power of Detroit to build Mechagodzilla....a mechanical monster to fight the real ones!  Mechagodzilla and the real Godzilla go toe-to-toe....but in the end, Godzilla stands tall and Mechagodzilla goes rogue (when it's circuits are fried).

King Ghidorah

Meanwhile; somewhere in the mountains of Asia, a monk gives his life for the awakening of King Ghidorah.


Sergeant Woods & Allie struggle to survive somewhere in Alabama, Rodan and Battra fight in Paris, Godzilla and King Ghidorah fight in Washington D.C. forcing the U.S. government and President Ogden underground.  Godzilla "Skreee-Onks!" & Woods and Allie find Mechagodzilla.

Battra before & after...

Woods & Allie; "driving" Mechagodzilla, battle Anguirus...then head north to face Godzilla.  Woods wants vengeance!  Godzilla doesn't care or know why.....but Godzilla backs down from nothing!! King Ghidorah enters the fray as well.....and in stroke of sheer luck, Mechagodzilla comes away victorious....leaving Godzilla & King Ghidorah unconscious in the process.

The real reason for Hastings' downfall!!

The Twins; having now control over Battra & Rodan, steal away Godzilla and carry him to a nuclear power plant somewhere near mountains.....they drop him in and Battra lights up Godzilla and the plant, causing a nuclear explosion.  Godzilla awakens, but the twins soon learn he cannot be controlled like Battra & Rodan.

Godzilla, Rodan, & Battra leave mass destruction in their wake.  But it ends up an unconscious stalemate....and the Twins.....well, they no longer have the ability to control anything.  Humanity begins to rebuild, the monsters leave (?), and Spacegodzilla stares at Earth from the Moon....

It seemed that just before Jason Ciaramella began writing the last issue of this series, IDW came to him and told him they would be starting a Godzilla on-going monthly a few months later so not to do anything too good......sigh.  Everything is great, right up to the ending, which falls flat on it's face......or is crushed by Godzilla's foot just like Hastings!  Other writers included Eric Powell & Tracy Marsh.  Artists for this series were the legendary Phil Hester, and Victor Santos.

CITIZEN'S GRADE: SIGH...(because of the sub-par ending)