In full honesty, I was mostly disinterested in Godzilla vs. Texas as a book from the get-go, due to my own personal biases and preconceived notions about the focal state. On paper, it was nice seeing Matt Frank on a Godzilla story that was authentically him, but the rest of the concept just didn’t really click with me, that is, until I read the book, and was completely surprised by how much I ended up enjoying the stories woven within. Godzilla vs. Texas is yet another installment in the recurring series of one-shots that give America’s greatest cities center stage, utilizing the King of the Monsters to talk about the culture, current events, and quirks in each place.
Some of them are very intrinsically tied to the city, but I was overjoyed to see that the Lone Star State’s turn at handling Godzilla packed some stories that felt right at home with the series’ humanistic themes, tying them extremely well into a state that has undergone massive change over the decades. This one really feels like it isn’t just another fun one-shot that might fly over your head unless you’re a local – it’s a well-edited, visually appealing romp that finds the correct balance between local appeal and universal storytelling.
The first story is likely going to be the one everyone talks about the most: Deep in the Podcast of Texas by Matt Frank. It’s no secret where Matt stands with his views on the world, but here, Frank gets to let loose a little, bringing brilliant satire on current events, the manosphere content creators that spill conspiracy and deny basic reality in front of them, and just how much people are willing to shill for the good ol’ content. It’s a very humorous story that packs a lot of satirical punch, but it’s never talking down to readers, only driving home the satire in fun and effective ways. The colors by Heather Breckel and Matt Frank are lovely, adding a vibrant spin on Matt’s very familiar style, while also amplifying beloved artist’s work to levels yet unseen. It’s a great story, and it’s got just as much satire as an Ishiro Honda film, which is incredible to see, especially in an age where people flat out deny the underlying themes of the Godzilla franchise… because it’s all a hoax, right?
My favorite story in the book has to be the second one, Crude. With story, art, and colors by Devin Kraft, the entire short story is a beautifully-presented expose on the environmental issues plaguing Texas, with our favorite pollution kaiju as the centerpiece of it all. I mean it when I say this story is gorgeous; it’s got very lovely green and reds that accentuate Hedorah so well, the blue hues over Godzilla combined with the red skies makes for a visually striking (and very well characterized) King of the Monsters. Everything about this story is wonderful, and it very well might be my favorite story that has graced the pages of the Godzilla vs. America one-shots. When is Devin Kraft going to illustrate a mainline Godzilla comic or do a variant cover? This style and presentation is way too good to just appear in a single one-shot.
I found the last two stories in the book to be not quite as good as the first two, but still fun, nonetheless. Readers will get a great laugh out of the jovial, goofy story where Godzilla faces off against Tex-Mech, a rootin’ tootin’ cowboy-shootin’ mecha that is here to try and lasso Godzilla into submission, albeit to not a great effort. You can’t have stories about Texas without Cowboys, and I think this was a clever way to incorporate that aspect of Texan culture into it without going full Western. It’s fun, but nothing huge to write home about.. but really, do we need a super deep, thematic story about a mustache-twirling, pistol-whippin’ cowboy? I think not.
The final story on our list is You Missed It! by John Lucas and K.J Diaz. I think the title is rather fitting, as this story feels more like the traditional Godzilla vs. America fare, giving locals a dive into how much Austin has changed over the years… and I kind of missed it. I have heard it from friends that have lived in Austin, but it’s a story that I can’t really connect with due to not being a local nor understanding the hipster scene that has inhabited the bustling city. I really appreciated the art, with some great purples accentuating the nighttime skies of 90s Austin and some cooler color schemes to emphasize the modern age being a lovely way to convey the two time periods. That being said, it was a bit harder to connect with, even if I totally understand how a great city can go from unique and underground to jam-packed with influencers and Cybertrucks (looking at you, Salt Lake City). I appreciate the effort put into the story; I just know that a local would absolutely click with it more.
As a collected issue, Godzilla vs. Texas is one of the best amongst the lineup of vs. America stories. I was really, really shocked at just how good this book was, and I completely disagree with a majority of the reviews out there. I don’t think this book is good, and that’s it. This book is great. Quite frankly, I think this book is being slept on, and I hope kaiju fans will check it out, as it’s got some of the best reflections of humanity put to page, even if the second half was not nearly as good as the first. Godzilla stories are not just about monster bashing and smashing as some others would say (I know that’s funny coming from the kaiju site that wants to see more monsters in other comics), but Godzilla at its best is when it holds a mirror up to humanity, showing us our folly, our flaws, and our indomitable spirit of attempting to right wrongs and face these monsters at our doors. Go give this book a read, even if you’re not from the area!
