Why do we risk our lives for others? Is it that we’re endowed with a strong sense of goodness and righteousness? Is it the teachings that our family gives us about caring for our fellow man, or is it merely just our fear of judgement in the great beyond after a life of selfish inaction and stubborn inability to do right? For our hero in the Deadzone, it may be any of those reasons, or simply, to atone for failing to save his family to begin with. These answers may vary in real life, but those themes take center stage in this third issue of IDW’s post-apocalyptic, R-rated Godzilla book. In this chapter, our Wanderer has now saved two children for a deeper, more thoughtful reason than just “it was the right thing to do,” but still leaves that answer hanging.. for now. And through those quiet character moments, we still get a kaiju comic centering around monstrous, weird, and gross protagonists that feels… human, perhaps the deepest examination of humanity and this world the Kai-Sei era has done yet.
After escaping the clutches of the Church of Godzilla, our heroes are on the run in the Deadzone, having some calmer and quieter character moments as they formally get to know each other. The Wanderer finds out the identities of these mysterious children and their glorious purpose intended by the Church, and it’s here that Runt & Glasseater really get to shine as the stubborn brats they really are. I’ve never read a comic where literal children get to swear like sailors, but I suppose in this desolate wasteland, any semblance of proper society and its puritanical clean values are thrown out the window. Quite frankly, it feels very real, and how I’d expect a society of filthy kids that can biomechanically control monsters like a Pacific Rim Jaegar would act when they have absolutely nothing to lose.
All of these great character moments I’ve touched upon are thanks to the continuously great writing of Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan, whose ability to find humanity in the dirtiest and slimiest of scenarios continues to impress me. With all of the language, guts, and disturbing things going on in this book, it never once feels like it’s trying too hard or like it’s a comic built for edgelords. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The writing duo of Parker and Sheridan gets readers to care about noisy, gross, and loud children, and I think that’s a feat in of itself. I’m also really liking The Wanderer and his character growth, going from a guy that keeps to himself but does the right thing to a more fatherly type of figure. I’m excited to see how their arcs all culminate.
TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
Pablo Tunica’s art still continues to bring life to the Deadzone with its dynamic, weird, and gory goodness; he’s truly on his a-game here and within this whole run. This issue in particular does two great things: it gives us a really fantastic take on Toho’s classic creature Kumonga as Runt showcases his ability to take control of monsters on a juvenile version they encounter in a cave, and secondly, I can’t spoil too much here, but we finally get our first full look at somebody special in this issue, even if just for a brief moment. The wait was so worth it; it’s remarkable seeing Tunica’s take on the character in question. The design is demonic-looking, giving off a sinister and monstrous appearance with exaggerated, unfathomable features that really make this character stand out and have a godly presence in the Deadzone. It’s really interesting seeing how these characters perceive this particular appearance, ranging from Wanderer’s hatred to the shock and awe from Runt & Glasseater; it truly was the highlight of the book for me aside from the phenomenal character growth.
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone has hit its third issue with great stride, never once letting the foot off the gas, nor running out of steam. The book is such a breath of fresh air for those looking for something a bit more mature and bizarre in their creature books, providing plenty of morbid humor, blood & guts, and plenty of wicked monster designs. Escape the Deadzone is weird and wonderful in all of the best ways possible, shaping up to give us a story worth remembering through the least likely of characters – the bottom tier of a broken society – who are without a shadow of a doubt going to be extremely important in the Kai-Sei world as it continues to expand. This book is still my favorite amongst the three Kai-Sei titles, and after reading about seven of these comics from IDW, Escape the Deadzone continues to hold its place on the throne of Kai-Sei, and remains not only one of my favorite IDW projects, but seriously, one of my favorite pieces of Godzilla media in the franchise’s entire history.
| Overall Score: 9/10 Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone Issue 3 gives us a quieter, more character-driven issue to unpack, but it still maintains the gross body horror and apocalyptic vibes that we have enjoyed so far in this run. It’s great to see a consistent, solid Godzilla book that focuses on more of the humanity and what cultures & belief systems would arise after a cataclysmic kaiju attack. |
