How does one stage the perfect heist? Is it the best gadgets? The sneakiest thief? The perfect getaway? In the comic world, IDW Publishing has come up with an even better answer: get Godzilla to cover for you! In this nostalgic and retro-feeling book, we’re met with a hilarious and cinematic book that packs intrigue, thrills, and a little bit of flavor. With the Godzilla license, IDW usually shines brightest with limited run stories that give us unique characters & settings, and without a doubt, this one’s going to be amongst one of the most fun books from their catalogue.
Right out the gate, we’re thrown face-first into a trope-filled narration from our main protagonist, Jai, who just happens to be the best thief in the world (or so he thinks). The book fully aware of what tropes they’re playing with, being the ultimate heist movie mixed with Godzilla, but wears that as a badge of pride rather than just being a cringe-inducing retread of familiar beats. As Jai pulls off the heist, we come to like his quips and his uncanny and often unintentional survival skills. Whilst Jai is a likeable and fun character to follow, I sadly can’t say the same about his new Ocean’s 11 crew. They all have the traditional codenames and aren’t fleshed out too much. I’d imagine that’s reflective of the Heist movie tropes – everyone’s on a need to know basis. Because of this, once Jai is recruited in their scheme, we kind of come to a slowdown for a bit until the big reveal at the end.
The real star of the show has to be Kelsey Ramsay, whose unique artistic style brought much flair to the book and genuinely impressed me. The character closeups are dynamic and cinematic, with every one of her panels feeling like a carefully framed shot in a movie. The Big G, however, was a pleasant surprise – I appreciated that Ramsay went for her own version of Godzilla, bringing us a very classic-looking Godzilla. It’s very close to the 1954 design, but with her own twist on it. The way Godzilla moves in this book feels less like a man in a suit and more like an actual living, breathing character. The Big G’s rocking some guns in this book, and he’s not afraid to use them!
Many comics have what I dub the “Issue 1 problem”, and sadly, Godzilla: Heist is not exempt. If you’re not into the meta humor, this book may drag a bit. That being said, the book is still copious amounts of fun, the same way a silly Hollywood blockbuster heist movie is. Anyone looking to to sit back and enjoy the thrill ride of such a crazy premise after a long day will have a blast. The debut installment of this limited series kicks off with a phenomenal opener, takes its time to set things up in the middle, and ends on a promising note with an exciting reveal.
