POBB October 2, 2025

Pick of the Brown Bag

October 2, 2025

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag.  I'm Ray Tate.  I'm the guy who reviews the best and worst of comic books.  Truth be told.  I don't do much of the latter because I avoid the stinkers.  Comics ain't cheap folks.  

Every once in a while I buy a turkey that's purportedly an eagle.  Good news, though.  That observation can't be lodged at Starship Godzilla.

I never heard of this book.  Perhaps I missed it in the IDW solicits.  Perhaps Diamond Comics Distributors' bankruptcy influenced its invisibility.  I don't know, but I could not resist the sweet, sweet art.  

Starship Godzilla was nevertheless iffy.  It could have been a cash-in.  Using Godzilla's name for an unrelated-to-Godzilla story.  Just what did they mean by Starship Godzilla anywho?

Oh.  Okay.  See, even that could be an adjustment.  Perhaps the creative team couldn't sell this story any other way.  They  may have had to turn the original starship into a Godzilla-like structure.  I mean.  There's a lot, simply a ton, of ways this book could have gone sideways.  To it's unbelievable credit.  It doesn't.

Starship Godzilla is a whacky idea.  I haven't a clue why anybody would design a starship in the form of Godzilla.  Other than inherent coolness.

Written by Chris Gooch, illustrated by Oliver Ono, and a nod to the lively letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Starship Godzilla is steeped in giant monster lore.  

Unlike the Godzilla films, the humanoids and frenetic artwork are the main characters: Captain of the ship Rohan, pilot Ilsa, operators Lif and Ayan.

One of these individuals may not make it to the second issue, as the somewhat startling cliffhanger touts.

The crew of the Starship Godzilla appear to be procurers.  Not necessarily thieves.  We don't know that for sure, but their current mission demonstrates that the book is more than merely about a starship shaped like Godzilla.  

The kaiju is strong in this book.

Kaiju eggs are the booty.  There furthermore appears to be a cultural development amongst the species.  As evidenced by Ayan's dialogue and confirmed later by Ilsa.

I could stop right there, I think.  However, I know you need more.  Do the kaiju eggs hatch?  One does, and yes, a "monster" is unleashed.  

Ono goes all out when the action centers on our poor, misunderstood beastie.  Don't you worry.  The little fellow has an advocate.

I love Ono's art.  

Look at that visual shorthand.  That's how you create the illusion of dynamic animation in two-dimensional form.  Ono didn't need four or five panels to get his point across.  He just needed two.  Beautiful.

I'll be honest.  I didn't expect much from this title other than excellent artwork, but I found myself rapt in the perky story and caring for the characters.  Although Lif, Rohan's hit-chimp needs some expansion for me to like him.