After months of hype and speculation IDW’s big Godzilla relaunch is finally here with Godzilla #1, and the results are overall positive.
Godzilla #1
Writer: Tim Seeley
Art and Main Cover: Nikola Čižmešija
Variant Covers: Kade Bryand, Arthur Adams, Martin Simmonds
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: July 23, 2025
Godzilla #1 opens present day attacks from the big G on New York as captions explain the prehistory of the narrative. As in the original film, Godzilla emerged from the depths of the pacific, ushering an age of kaiju in his wake. Rather than being exclusively atomic power, creatures like Godzilla radiate “Kai-sei” power, which can be harnessed for human application.
It’s then that we’re introduced to G-Force USA, an enhanced military strike team composed of Munitions expert Nuki, e-celeb Incense, classic Godzilla character Jet Jaguar, Commander Riviera and Japanese transfer Dr. Rumi Chiba. The group is tasked with hunting down kaiju. While reviewing the feed from the New York attack, they discover their newest recruit: Jacen Braid, a teenage orphan and “G-mutant” with the power to withstand Godzilla atomic breath and even punch as hard as the monster.
After some team-bonding between the clashing personalities on the squad, G-Forces is assembled when Anguirus emerges in the Gulf of Mexico. While the team attacks in full force, Dr. Chiba uses her abilities to communicate with Anguirus and it appears she convinces him to retreat. The team celebrates on the beach before departing via boat back to the US.
Early in the morning, Chiba, solo, contemplates Anguirus’s rampage, only to be disturbed by a hungover Jacen. Jacen explains ever since he was orphaned he hated being alone and only wanted to spend time with the doctor, only for him to fall overboard. Chiba jumps in to rescue the teen, but deep beneath the waves, Jacen is caught in the tentacles of an unknown creature. Meanwhile, in some shadowy room, a large, scaly man watches Jacen struggle via monitors, claiming to be “family”.
An industry vet, Seeley is able to find a comfortable niche with his new take on the Godzilla mythology. High concept superhero action and giant monsters have gone hand in hand since the Lee/Kirby days of Marvel, and bringing the big-G back to this mode is working great. G-Force’s members all feel distinct not just from each other but from typical superteam dynamics, which means Seeley is able to deliver new interactions from familiar plot beats.
The training sequence, while similar to X-Men issues of the past, is able to feel new thanks to the new characters. For instance, the hardedge commander is actually a softie, the samurai lady is actually very sentimental. Not to mention the inclusion of cult favorite Jet Jaguar, which while a familiar face, I do worry his singing gimmick may grow tiresome. I also can’t say I’m a huge fan of this “G-mutant” hot head teen Jacen. He feels rather stock compared to the rest of the cast, but I’m willing to let him grow on me.
The art of Godzilla #1 is immaculate. While his work on Sword of Azreal intrigued as being outside the usual Bat-office’s house style, Cizmesija has really stepped up his game here. Action goes beyond “wide-screen” into colossal sized multiple page splashes. His use of blazing particles and lighting effects give so much energy to his action, but what really impressed me was his expressions, everyone feels like they can emote, and it’s both the linework and the coloring that sells it. If I had one complaint, as it’s becoming a pattern, it’s the digital lettering. Like in Godzilla Heist, it’s sometimes noticeably artificial, though far less distracting here than there.
Final Thoughts
Godzilla #1 is a solid introduction to this new era of Godzilla comics. It’s nice to see the “indies” being able to compete with their big-two rivals. The art truly is stunning and the characters really pop, and most importantly Godzilla is awesome and does cool things. If Seeley and Cizmesija are able to sell me on Jacen, and if the lettering continues to improve, this may move closer to the top of my stack month to month.
