In almost all monster media, being consumed by the beast is the ultimate end for the characters that meet such a terrifying and grotesque fate. The imagination is left to wonder if they’ll boil alive in the stomach acid, or simply get a better end via blunt force trauma. Either way, quite frankly, you’re screwed. Since the days of King Kong, it’s been one of the tried and true tropes – a tale as old as time itself. Behemoth seeks to push this idea further by having the kaiju dinner service as the main premise, led by an all-star team of creature feature veterans.
Let’s cut right to the chase: the book is an inaugural issue and ends right when you would like it to continue. Some of you may find that disappointing and want the action right out of the gate, but I found that extra level of care to be compelling and humanizing for the characters we know are ultimately going down the esophagus. It’s also great cliffhanger material, enticing you to continue with the book when issue #2 releases. While I agree with the consensus that when this is all collected as a volume it will improve the book overall for some readers, that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad book whatsoever. In fact, I think reading it as it releases makes the story more enticing and episodic, something the comic medium shines well in.
In our story, we mainly follow Sara, a struggling cook dreaming of a better life and a food truck business. Just when her life seems to be taking a turn for the better, a kaiju comes and wreaks havoc in Manhattan. The world around Sara feels real, with great writing & dialogue from Sputore & Engle that evokes how people actually talk in real life. Sara is a character to root for, her working class struggle being extremely heartfelt and relatable. The community she has developed for herself feel genuine, with some of the favors she calls in being something we’d probably all do when nearing personal bankruptcy.
Jay Martin brought his A-game to this book’s art and visual storytelling. The mundane, average existence of city life feels like a character in of itself. I was genuinely blown away by some of the smart visual methods used to convey the story. Martin is utilizing the medium to its maximum potential here, fully immersing readers into this world. Personally speaking, the biggest highlight was the Amazon-esque fulfillment job that Sara clocks into. As a former retail team lead, that evoked some genuine terror, with the shadowy environment truly creating dread. Of course, we have to talk about the monster. The creature is superb, boasting an awesome, out-of-this-world design. Full of multiple eyes, several appendages, and many, many rows of sharp teeth, this kaiju is a nasty-looking one. The way it moves and rips apart buildings, boats, and buses in a fit of rage is a gift to see. The huge splash page at the beginning of the book (and pinned to the top of this review) definitely cemented itself as one of my all-time favorites in the genre
The inciting incident within our story is shocking and hits you like a bus… being grabbed by something unfathomably large. Behemoth does a wonderful job of fleshing out a likable and real world that is doomed. Not too many kaiju stories are successful at doing so: often times fans are just begging creators to skip right to the monsters, but I think you will find that to be the contrary here. This book will be a delight to read going forward, and a must-read for any kaiju fans that enjoy comic books. There is a level of care that is being presented here that is terribly lacking in other kaiju media, especially in the world of comics. I can’t wait to see where the story goes now that we’ve had our setup in the debut issue.
