While the 1970s may have seen Godzilla's popularity begin to dip at the box office, it was also a decade that afforded the fire-breathing behemoth a much-needed boost in popularity thanks to an entirely new medium — comic books. Beginning in 1976, the King Of Monsters would step away from the silver screen to kick off a new chapter as the larger-than-life star of the printed page — and North American readers just couldn't get enough!
Jumping ahead some 48 years later, it's clear not much has changed. Now more popular than ever before, comic books continue to be the preferred art form for many. Thanks to gripping narratives coupled with very few limitations and a near-cinema quality scope, they continue to astonish and delight while proving that, even when dealing with giant monsters, great storytelling isn't something solely limited to the streaming series or big budget blockbuster.
I'm about to provide you, the soon-to-be reader, with an extensively researched list of the 10 best Godzilla comic series. Pulling from different decades and a number of publishers, each entry on this list looks to offer readers the quintessential kaiju experience with plenty of thrills, chills, and a heaping helping of monster mayhem that is, quite literally, second to none. Did your favorite book make the list? Let's find out!
10. Godzilla vs. Barkley (Dark Horse)
Published in 1993, and based upon the classic Nike commercial from the previous year, Godzilla vs. Barkley sees the King Of The Monsters taking on the All-American power forward in a makeshift game of one-on-one at a California airbase. Yes, it's a rather goofy concept, one made all the more so when you consider that a magic silver dollar serves as the source of Charles Barkley's incredible size. However, this masterful mash-up from Mike Baron and Alan Smithee is just too over-the-top not to include on this list! Crammed full of vintage art, with just a dash of childlike wonder, Godzilla vs. Barkley unabashedly revelled in its ridiculousness and combined two immense icons to form one of the most entertaining comic crossovers of the last 30 years.
9. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Marvel)
Running for 24 issues between 1977 and 1979, this classic comic series from Doug Moench and Herb Trimpe took place within Marvel's shared universe and was the very first regular American comic book based on Godzilla. In addition to introducing a number of original characters, the series also featured guest appearances from such Marvel mainstays as Devil Dinosaur, the Fantastic Four and the Champions. While the plot looked to avoid both New York City and Marvel's more prominent superheroes, it did lump several supporting S.H.I.E.L.D. agents like Dum Dum Dugan and Jimmy Woo together to form a new team known as the Godzilla Squad. Not bad for the Big G's first official foray into the world of American comic books!
8. Power Rangers vs. Godzilla (IDW/Boom!)
Keeping with the crossover theme, this 2022 comic series from Boom! Studios and IDW Publishing sees the Teenagers With Attitude following Rita Repulsa to an alternate dimension populated by all manner of monster, including the King himself! Playing out like some sort of action figure fever dream, this series packs a punch of near-biblical proportions as Toho Titans thrown down with the Dinozords in an epic adventure that calls to mind the preteen playtime of youth. Cullen Bunn's terrific tale is not to be missed, while the art of Freddie E. Williams II brings this adolescent aspiration to life in a way never before realized on the printed page. It's the very definition of fun, coupled with a healthy dose of '90s nostalgia.
7. Godzilla: Legends (IDW)
A five-issue miniseries that ran until March 2012, Godzilla: Legends focuses on self-contained stories centered around a single Toho monster. Each monster is tackled by a different creative team making every issue feel fresh and new. However, I will admit I wish that it had gone on just a little bit longer. Regardless, it's great to see a series of books focusing on the likes of Anguirus, Rodan, Titanosaurus, Hedorah, and Kumonga — monsters who've oftentimes found themselves playing second fiddle to 'ol Goji over the last seven decades. If you're looking for something that feels different, while still set within the world of these classic movie monsters, then Godzilla: Legends is definitely worth your time. These are some really great stories that finally give a couple silver medal monsters much needed time in the spotlight!
6. Godzilla: Kingdom Of Monsters (IDW)
A near cinematic series from IDW Publishing that featured stories from Eric Powell, Tracy Marsh, and Jason Ciaramella, this 2012 series sees Godzilla emerging for the first time in modern Japan. Soon afterwards, other monsters arise in different corners of the world as a pair of evil psychic twins seek to control as many of the behemoths as possible in an effort to take over the planet. As society crumbles, mankind turns to an erratic Mechagodzilla for assistance during their darkest hour. Will the metal monster be able to turn the tide before it's too late? You'll have to read this series to find out! Following the story's conclusion, IDW would further expand upon the continuity with the release of two subsequent sequels that ran from 2012 to 2015.
5. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Dark Horse)
Running for a total of 17 issues between 1995 and 1996, this sensational series modeled its titular monster after his Heisei incarnation and pitted him against a troop of original foes after the publisher was unable to license any of Toho's additional kaiju. However, while he may be battling baddies with names like Cybersaur and Bagorah the Bat Monster, each new adversary still feels as though they'd be perfectly at home within the ranks of Toho's menagerie of monsters. Featuring the return of the G-Force team, including Professor Yoshiwara and Burton Helzer as supporting characters, the series would end partway through a story arc due to poor sales. Despite this, it represents one of the very best Godzilla comic series of the last three decades thanks to strong writing courtesy of Kevin Maguire and some of the most eye-catching Arthur Adams cover art of all time!
4. Godzilla: Cataclysm (IDW)
A five-issue miniseries from Cullen Bunn and Dave Wachter, IDW's Godzilla: Cataclysm takes place within a post-apocalyptic world where Godzilla has sent mankind back to a more primitive state. It is here that a group of friends discovers a regenerating fragment of Biollante and come to realize that it could serve as the key to restoring the Earth to its former glory. However, Godzilla is far from interested and looks to destroy Biollante once and for all. And, if you think that's intense, just wait until Destoroyah shows up looking to wipe out everything in his path. Bristling with beautiful art, human heart, and beastly battles galore, this miniseries embodies everything fans love about these rubber-suited renegades, while at the same time serving as a stark reminder that Godzilla is a true force of nature that is not to be trifled with.
3. Terror of Godzilla (Dark Horse)
Originally printed in black and white, this 1988 manga would get a full color release ten years later and follow Godzilla's return to the surface following an attack on a Russian submarine off the coast of Japan. Part of the Dark Horse Classics Collection, this six-issue miniseries features loads of giant monster action as the JDF look to meet Godzilla's attack head-on before a Russian satellite can launch a nuclear missile at the maniacal monster. Fortunately, there is a secret weapon waiting in the wings for just such an occasion — the Super X flying vehicle! Kazuhisa Iwata knocked this one out of the park and, while the original black and white version is downright pristine to behold, it is the full-color version that really brings this fantastical fiction to life.
2. Godzilla: Rulers of Earth (IDW)
Running from June 2013 until July 2015, this 25-issue series is currently the longest-running Godzilla comic in the history of the franchise, and the one that hooked me back into Godzilla books in a very big way. Written by Chris Mowry and featuring art by the truly talented Matt Frank, this series is set within the same continuity as Kingdom of the Monsters and centers around an invasion of Earth by the Cryogs. When the aliens unleash their ultimate weapon, Godzilla looks to lead his monster brethren into battle alongside the Counter-Kaiju Reaction Forces to save the planet from total domination. A sprawling monster epic at its finest, this one pulls you in and refuses to let up for even a second. The action is intense, the story gripping and Zilla even shows up and engages in a pretty epic battle with Godzilla before all is said and done! To me, this is pretty much the perfect example of what a Godzilla comic should be and I can't recommend it enough.
1. Godzilla: The Half-Century War (IDW)
Written and illustrated by James Stokoe, this excellent five-issue miniseries from IDW Publishing follows a Japanese soldier named Ota as he runs afoul of Godzilla on numerous occasions throughout his life. Serving as a member of a government-backed monster hunting organization that specializes in dealing with the emergence of kaiju throughout the world, Ota hopes to help prevent another incident like the one that befell Tokyo back in 1954. This, of course, results in the man crossing paths with the King Of The Monsters more than a few times over the years, ending with a final confrontation in Antarctica some four decades later. One of the most critically acclaimed stories in recent years, 2013's Godzilla: The Half Century War is oftentimes referenced as a love letter to the character's legacy — with shoes so big they'll never be filled. Needless to say, this is as good as it gets. If you only ever read one Godzilla comic, make it this one above all the rest!
