Writer: Tim Seely
Artist: Giada Belviso
Colorist: Francesso Segala
The 12th issue of Tim Seely’s Godzilla follows up on an action-packed drama that pays homage to Godzilla vs. Biollante with a unique and tragic take on Biollante’s origins, respecting the source material while setting up future surprises. While I’m not a hundred percent into the concept of Godzilla as a body of energy, Seely does a great job making sure that Godzilla still feels like Godzilla in this issue by highlighting the epic, high-stakes kaiju battle and incorporating human elements that pay homage to several of my favorite Godzilla films.
Minor Spoilers Ahead
Nature Vs Nuture
In this issue, a Godzilla-infused Jacen Braid fights Biollante, whose origins are just as tragic as the classic rendition it is based on. The distinction is the context and the willful neglect of a government weaponizing a child. Jacen Braid, who recently killed Godzilla and absorbed his energy and consciousness to take the title of “King of the Monsters”, must face off against May, a child who was born with a genetic instability that causes her cells to go in a “constant state of flux between plant and animal” and was then used as an experiment to make a weapon against Godzilla. Now, a traumatized, brainwashed May becomes the weapon she was made to be, at the cost of possibly killing a now-ally-turned Godzilla who lives–or is perhaps trapped?–in the essence of Jacen Braid.
A Twist On The Lore
The 12th issue explores more of Jacen and May’s shared childhood and the origin of their genetic mutations, while highlighting the arrogance of man as they attempt to weaponize science at the expense of nature and youthful innocence. One of my personal appreciations of this issue is the unique rearrangement of context surrounding Biollante’s origins. In the movie, Biollante was the result of a grieving father and scientist, Dr. Shirigami, who lost his young daughter to a terrorist attack, so he merged her cells with a rose to keep her soul alive. Later, he gets the idea to resurrect her by merging Godzilla’s cells with the rose, resulting in Biollante. Dr. Shirigami reminds me of General Onishi, whose grief for his daughter from the first Godzilla rampage inadvertently dragged in and ruined the innocence of a young child who reminded him of what he lost.
Both versions of Biollante were girls whose lives were unintentionally ruined by love, grief, and blind revenge. Both versions had ambitious fathers whose grief drove them to disrupt the laws of nature and stubbornly charged head on the uncertainty of something they failed to understand. Both versions served as an allegory to the dangers of ecological destruction for the sake of war.
The Art of Destruction
The issue concludes with a renewed vow to put a stop to whatever the G-Force is scheming and an ominous foreshadowing that another classic threat may rear its head soon. Giada Belviso’s art and Francesco Segala’s explosiveness and soft colors are a treat. I love art that is easy on the eyes, and this was no different. It was very animated–if that wasn’t the point already–and it spotlighted the drama with such transparency that I was still able to enjoy the execution of a concept I’m still not 100% sold on. Overall, I’m curious to see what the next issue brings, and I’m hoping to see more original takes on Godzilla’s rogue gallery.
Conclusion & Verdict
The story has its highs and lows, but this issue renewed curiosity and appreciation for Seely’s originality. Tim Seely took the basis of Biollante’s origins and retold it in a way that felt like a reboot of the original film, and Seely did great at pacing the battle with the human/G-mutant drama. It’s not every day that the human element of a Godzilla story gets my attention; still, the theme of loss and revenge bridged the intensity of the fight between Godzilla and Biollante and the complicated duality of Jacen and May.
Grade: 7.5/10
Until next time!