We’re in the endgame for Godzilla vs. America, a fun and niche look at some of America’s best cities, showcased by local talent with nothing but love and admiration for their residence. The King of the Monsters’ nationwide tour has taken us to the Windy City, Los Angeles, and Boston, encapsulating the East, West, and Midwest. To my great surprise, many of the books have been very comedic, extremely accessible, and a great showcase of how the residents of a city are the reason it’s great to begin with. When it was time to reveal the fifth (and final) issue, many of us in the community were expecting a concluding issue taking place somewhere relatively obvious like New York, but to our pleasant (and eyebrow-raising) surprise, it was announced that Godzilla’s final stop would be in the City of Fountains… Kansas City! It was an intriguing choice with varying responses, to say the least.
To be fully transparent, I am from Utah, and know absolutely nothing about Kansas City aside from that’s where the Chiefs are from, and that my football-loving family absolutely hates em’. Oh, and my old supervisor during my Target days said that they had the best Barbeque in the world, bar none. Yes, even greater than somewhere else you may think of, like Texas or Memphis. (You can take it up with him; I don’t even like barbeque food. Sorry, David.) I only bring this up to provide context; I’m basically going to enter this book blind to the various cultural niches and in-jokes with Kansas City, so I will have the perspective of a casual reader picking this up from the newsstands with some vague ideas of what KC is all about.
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The anthology starts off with what I think is the strongest story of the four: Make A Mark by Buster Moody, Ludwig Olimbo, and Sandy Tanaka. The short story delivers the most unique utilization of Godzilla’s “SKREEONK!” onomatopoeia that I’ve seen in a comic book, showing the cultural significance of the sound word within Godzilla’s rich history in a colorful way. That scores points alone, but the Make a Mark truly does do something refreshing with its central human characters being street level graffiti artists rather than G-FORCE or Soldier Guy #545. After reading every single Godzilla comic put out this year, that was a nice change of pace, and a good way to show scale and perspective. Godzilla makes a stylish appearance that isn’t my favorite take on the King of the Monsters on a purely cosmetic standpoint, but what’s done with the creature is incredible, with vibrant, eye-catching explosions spread across every page as Big G gets to destroy just about everything in the city.
The subsequent stories in Godzilla vs. Kansas City continue this trend, bringing a flavorful blend of self-aware comedy and kaiju destruction. While some humor lands quite well with a general reader, there is a bit of in-joking (with love) aimed towards the city that will definitely fly over heads, as admittedly, I was a little lost here. These books have all been “for the locals,” but there’s a really strong sense of humor woven throughout this one specifically that may lose readers unfamiliar with the area and its culture, even more so than the previous books in the series. There is, however, easily accessible jokes, like the looming presence of the horrifying, disgusting barbeque sauce that has dripped its way into every aspect of KC life. Aside from those in-jokes, every script is sharp and entertaining, being comedic in presentation, yet still reminiscent and proud of the city and its people. There’s no other genre that can do such a thing like comedy can, and it’s utilized pretty well here for a book revolving around a giant monster capable of Armageddon.
Godzilla vs. Kansas City isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re local to the Barbeque Capital of the World, this is a hilarious love letter to your city and the people in it. It’s a little difficult if you’re not in on the really punchy jokes directed towards KC, but it is an entertaining enough romp that is worth picking up. Each story has loads of heart, is dripping with comedy, and has a really fantastic showcase of the style stemming from Kansas City’s artists that no other city can replicate. After reading all of Godzilla vs. America, it’s not my favorite of the bunch, but I can certainly say with confidence that it might be the most visually dynamic and the most humorous. It’s a must-read for the locals, but if you’re not, it’s great if you just want some standout Godzilla art to add to your collection!
| Overall Score: 7/10 Godzilla vs. Kansas City has some visually striking, stylish art, but some of the real saucy jokes aimed at the city and its people that isn’t a joke about KC and its BBQ will go over your head if you’re not a local. |
