Gojira’s Inferno: A Trip to Hell with GODZILLA
Giallo Julian
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Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The chance offspring between prehistoric Animalia and man’s craving for self-destruction. The culmination of saurian ferocity and atomic destruction, the destroyer birthed from man’s arrogance and carelessness. The punishment civilization brought upon itself for meddling with powers best left alone… or, you know, savior of the world against alien threats that seek to do humanity harm. A hero born of man’s curiosity with radiation, a guardian that’ll fight tooth and nail against anything that threatens mankind… also a loving father to an adopted son and a master of flight. Basically, depending on the era and who was at the helm, Godzilla can be a lot of things.
However, a deep dive into what makes Godzilla… well, Godzilla… isn’t what we’re exploring right now. Instead, we’re going to talk a bit about that one time Godzilla went to Hell.
Yes, Hell. Which Hell? I’m thinking it’s akin to the one from Dante’s Inferno, but I’m not entirely sure. As crazy as all of this sounds, this isn’t too out there as far as the Godzilla franchise goes, and it didn’t come out of nowhere.
There was a rumor that in the late 1970’s, Toho (the company that owns Godzilla) considered making a movie called “Godzilla vs. Satan.” Sounds too weird to be true, doesn’t it? Well, you’d be right. Turns out, it was a mistranslation, and it was never officially considered in any capacity. Still, you can’t help but wonder what such a spectacle would be like. Luckily, IDW Publishing was on the case, releasing a comic book mini-series called “Godzilla in Hell” in 2015 to indulge the masses!
So, is it good? Well, as a huge Godzilla fan, it must be understood that I have an extreme bias when it comes to the character… but yes, it’s freaking awesome! The series starts with Godzilla plummeting into Hell, crawling out of the huge impact crater, seeing a stone sign that says “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here”, and then immediately blowing it up with his atomic breath. That pretty much establishes the kind of story you’re getting from then on.
It’s literally Dante’s Inferno, but instead of just observing each circle of hell and seeing what it’s all about, Godzilla destroys everything as he makes his way deeper into the underworld… so, a million times better. That’s not to say there aren’t any challenges he has to face along the way. From classic kaiju brawls, to body horror, to Satan himself, Godzilla has plenty to keep his claws full during his journey through perdition.
Each of the mini-series’ five issues has a different creative team, using their own unique art and writing style to tackle each stage Godzilla fights through during the course of the narrative. While I see how that can be jarring to readers, I think it perfectly encapsulates the chaotic and unpredictable nature presented in this interpretation of Hell. Destroyed cities, frozen wastelands, burning infernos, vast empty deserts littered with the remnants of past travelers; all make up this Hell’s geography.
Godzilla’s design cycles through different incarnations from his franchise’s past, almost as if his body itself transforms as time moves forward, being punished not just for this continuity’s sins, but the sins of the franchise’s other continuities as well… or maybe I’m just looking too deep into it, and the artists just used their favorite Godzilla design for their issues. That’s also a possibility. Whatever the case may be, you can rest assured that all the art looks pretty damn terrific!
The storytelling is visual for the most part (given that there’s literally no human characters to give exposition… which can be a good or a bad thing, given your perspective), with the occasional narration here and there to help move the plot along. Plenty of familiar faces show up including favorites such as Rodan, Anguirus, and King Ghidorah, as well as some new ones like God (maybe) and Satan (more than maybe), who are both extremely Lovecraftian in design. Yeah, there’s a heavy Lovecraft influence in the illustrations, but I feel it fits the nature of the story pretty well. I mean, is Godzilla not an Eldritch Abomination? A physical God walking among our world, who’s motivations transcend what we mere humans can comprehend…? This is a lot of pretension to set up for this aside: Godzilla could kick Cthulhu’s ass. Squid Boy got wrecked by a fishing boat. Godzilla regularly walks through battleships. I rest my case.
Long story short, Godzilla in Hell is fantastic, one of the most unique stories our atomic King has ever been in. It’s a pretty quick read, and well worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of Big G like I am. You can pick it up digitally here or (if you’re willing to deal out the cash) physically here. Now if you excuse me, there’s a comic about Godzilla battling it out with Zeus and the other Greek Gods that’s calling my name. Until next time. Ciao friends!
Categorized:Editorials News
