Since his first film in 1954, Godzilla has appeared in all manner of stories. 2024 alone found him fighting against superheroes and classic literary characters. Now, the King of the Monsters enters into the world of crime thrillers, as IDW Publishing presents Godzilla: Heist.
The story centers around Jaion Kulkarni. A brilliant meteorologist, Kulkarni stumbles across a means of attracting Godzilla and directing the kaiju’s path of destruction. This leads him to arrange a daring casino robbery, using the King of all Monsters as a distraction and a breaching tool.
The daring plot sets Kulkarni up to live like a king. Unfortunately, it also gets the attention of a professional gang of thieves. They have need of a big distraction for their own big score and are ready to kill Kulkarni for the secret of how to summon Godzilla. This leaves Kulkarni in hot water, as there’s no guarantee his new associates will truly share the wealth they promise once they have what they want.
Godzilla: Heist #1 blends two genres seamlessly
I was not surprised I saw that Godzilla: Heist #1 was written by Van Jensen, whose work I have enjoyed for many years. Jensen has a history of writing thrillers and spy stories, including a few licensed James Bond adaptations. He has also written some truly off-the-wall concept comics, like Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer. Godzilla: Heist is born of the same creative spirit, but is paced like a classic crime comic.
That same aesthetic clearly comes through in the artwork. Kelsey Ramsay has a gritty, realistic style, which is better utilized here than her recent turn on the Doctor Who comic. The colors by Heather Breckel are also notable, with a darker palette contrasting with the brighter colors used to highlight objects of note. The cash that is the goal of Kulkarni is brighter and clearer amongst the smoke clouds and fire created by Godzilla. The King of the Monsters is similarly obscured, as his radioactive breath billows forth in a glowing miasma of death.
All in all, fans of Godzilla and crime dramas will both be well-served by Godzilla: Heist #1. One wouldn’t think the two genres would mesh as well as they do. Yet mesh they do. This is an imaginative story, and one I think only the comic book medium could do justice.
Grade: 9/10
Godzilla: Heist #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on February 19, 2025. The cut-off date for ordering it in advance is January 13, 2025.
