Move over, Christopher Nolan! The King of the Monsters now has a summer blockbuster adaptation of the famous epic. On paper, it seems like a pretty easy idea to incorporate Godzilla into Greek mythology, given the abundance of Gods and Monsters that permeate the folklore and legends that have stood the test of time. In regard to this unexpected combination, one might say that the conquests of the hero Perseus would be the most fitting, given its adaptation into Clash of the Titans (The name’s right there!), or perhaps the Twelve Labors of Heracles could be retrofitted into twelve kaiju battles (it’s HERACLES, not HERCULES!). Needless to say, the lineup of myths to put Godzilla in are limitless – just think about how cool Godzilla vs. The Kraken could be – and there are thousands of combinations and story directions at the disposal of these creators.
With the Monsterpiece Theatre Presents line of books tapping into the classic literature that have enriched high school classrooms for eons, it’s almost a no-brainer that The Odyssey would be one of the choices amongst Romeo & Juliet and The Great Gatsby. Godzilla’s The Odyssey could have been an easy low-effort slam dunk to tie into the upcoming Nolan film and maximize that tentpole effect, but let it be known now that this book was a labor of love. There is so much effort inserting Godzilla and various other Toho kaiju into the canon of the story and faithfully adapting every aspect of the tale, it is astounding. It’s very clear that the minds behind this book have a great fondness for Greek legends and Homer’s epic; this adaptation is pretty faithful to the original work, it’s kind of amazing. I don’t think that’s a drawback either – this could easily be a good way to get a younger reader into the tale (and the Greek canon at large).
Frank Tieri has always been a brilliant writer in my eyes; he’s just got the right voice for bombastic, huge kaiju tales. He knows exactly how to convey the tone, setting, and even vocabulary for the right setting, going from pirate jargon in Here There Be Dragons to retro Transatlantic in Here There Be Aliens pretty seamlessly. In this tale, Tieri ups the ante, giving us not only a clever story with some great beats of humor, but some genuinely fantastic characterization from the Greek Pantheon themselves. I loved the villainous portrayal of Poseidon, he was the correct kind of arrogant jerk seen in the myths, and the banter between him and brother Zeus felt ripped straight out of the classic tales of old. Oh, and of course, the way the Kaiju are spoken about feels so authentic to the kaiju genre at large, yet right at home in the land of Greek myth. The world we are thrust into feels lived in, alive, and like Godzilla has just been a recurring force of the Gods for thousands of years. It’s fantastic worldbuilding for such a self-contained story. (Need I mention that Godzilla is referred to as “The Hammer of Zeus?”)
TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
The epic tale would not have landed as hard without the stylized and colorful artwork by Ilias Kyriazis. Tapping a Greek comic book writer/artist for this story seems like the natural thing to do, and it is very much appreciated that IDW committed to doing so. Kyriazis’s eye for color is a standout here, giving us incredibly diverse sceneries with color that pops across the page every single time. The kaiju look great, the action, while a bit over the top (I loved Godzilla chucking Titanosaurus into Ghidorah with one hand, that is 10/10 for me), feels right at home with the spectacle featured within. It’s not just the kaiju that look fantastic, though, as the Greek Pantheon feels less like the crazy, over-the-top God of War designs, and more like actual Greek Gods that visually stand out amongst each other in all the best ways. I commented on Poseidon’s characterization earlier, but I have to really emphasize that his design in this tale is one of the best designs for the God of the Sea I’ve seen in fiction. Tieri’s writing and Kyriazis’ art combined makes this a Pantheon that is legitimately entertaining and fun to read about. If this weren’t a Godzilla tale, I would pick up this book for the Greek Gods alone. It’s that good!
After a wonderful epic story, we are treated with Tom Scioli’s short backup story featuring Godzilla and Robin Hood. One might scoff at putting the King of the Monsters and the Prince of Thieves together in the same story (insert Godzilla fandom going “Godzilla could just step on him!”), but readers are treated to a hilarious and utterly absurd second chapter of the tale. My two favorite things about Scioli’s work on Godzilla are present here: The fantastic way he can make a cartoonish-style Big G look absolutely menacing, and the whimsical, child-like fun that is incorporated into these stories. I’ve really liked Scioli’s grand idea of classic lit and Godzilla, and it’s really wonderful and wholesome to see his back-up tale, as it really does feel more like a passion project that we all get to witness unfold rather than Scioli taking a backseat and requiring something to do.
TM & ©Toho Co., Ltd.
While Godzilla’s The Odyssey is not the greatest Godzilla comic ever put to page, the story is still genuinely amazing. It’s got the right kind of kaiju fun for our KU audience; it’s a remarkably accessible version of the Greek epic for students and young readers, and it’s very likely going to be more accurate than Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation on the big screen, in my opinion. That last part is pretty crazy to think about, but come back and read this review after you see that movie, and I guarantee that I’m correct. IDW did not have to put this much love and effort into a silly tale about Godzilla and Zeus, but we’re sure glad they did. The amount of love and respect for lore & canon – both kaiju and Greek mythology – is oozing off of every single page. The Monsterpiece Theatre line of books might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this is the one to check out if you haven’t read any of the previous ones!
Overall Score: 9/10
Godzilla’s The Odyssey is a clever, amusing, and beautifully illustrated retelling of the classic tale that is accessible to readers of any kind. Don’t miss the absurd and whimsical backup story by Tom Scioli, either!
