Godzilla comics are entering a bold new era, as the kaiju’s multiverse is about to undergo a major expansion. IDW, who currently hold the rights to produce comics based on the Godzilla franchise, has just extended the deal until 2029. IDW and Toho have a number of exciting projects in the works, including a Godzilla/kaiju shared universe that promises the King of Monsters like he has never been seen before.

AIPT reported on IDW’s massive new deal with Toho Studios, and gave a first peek at three titles making up what the publisher is calling the “Kai-Sei Era.” Each of the three titles explores a segment of this new world (see table below for individual books). Of this new Kai-Sei era, Godzilla line editor Jake Wiliiams was quoted as saying:

The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind – crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book, and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. We aim to bring you the absolute best stories possible – whether those stories contain super powered G-Force trying to kill Godzilla, mutants in a wasteland trying to survive in its wake, or mercenaries flying around space in Mechagodzilla. Every month readers will be able to take a peek inside a brand new universe composed of unimaginable horrors, kaiju old and new, and heroes to keep it all at bay. We’re telling the best Godzilla stories in the world, inside the best comics on the shelves.

Godzilla’s new era is named for Kai-Sei, a mysterious type of energy. Humanity was experimenting with it, until there was an accident that awakened Godzilla and other kaiju. The books start shipping in July.

Godzilla Is Too Big to Be Contained to One Comics Publisher

IDW Has Published Some of the Best Godzilla Comics

Godzilla is a certified pop culture icon, having starred in numerous films, cartoons and comics. Marvel published the first Godzilla comic in the late 1970s, and it recently returned to print in an omnibus edition. Other publishers have taken a stab at Godzilla, including IDW. The publisher has released several excellent and compelling Godzilla comics that focus not only on the King of Monsters, but his kaiju ing cast as well. Even before the announcement of the new Godzilla shared universe, IDW was doubling down on their kaiju offerings, including Mothra’s first ever solo title.

Now, IDW’s new line of Godzilla comics is going to take the franchise even further. The ambitious new publishing project, the first of its size and scope, will present a new, “from the ground up” take on Godzilla and the other kaiju. The action kicks off in 1954, a nod to the premiere year of the original Godzilla film, but otherwise, the creative teams are charting a new destiny for the Big G. Godzilla’s design, created by Nikola Cizmesija, and featuring green glowing veins, clues fans in that this is an entirely new take.

IDW Has Made Star Trek Comics Exciting Again--And They Will Do The Same for Godzilla

IDW's Godzilla Offerings Are Diverse

IDW holds the license to produce comics based on other pop culture properties, including Star Trek, and how the publisher has handled that franchise proves Godzilla is in good hands. IDW published Star Trek comics for over a decade before relaunching them in the Fall of 2022, to great acclaim and industry awards. The lines’ titles took big creative swings, and many of them connected. As a result, IDW has raised the bar considerably for future Star Trek comics, and judging from the initial offerings in its new Godzilla line, history may be repeating itself.

IDW’s Star Trek line succeeds because of its diversity, and that same spirit is on display in its new Godzilla titles.

IDW’s Star Trek line succeeds because of its diversity, and that same spirit is on display in its new Godzilla titles. Star Trek traffics in big, cosmic ideas, while its sister title Defiant is more grounded and morally gray. Each of IDW’s new Godzilla titles has a different vibe, be it the body horror of Escape the Deadzone or the high-concept science fiction adventures of Starship Godzilla. This range of titles will have something for everyone’s tastes, and is easily one of the most exciting developments in the franchise in years.

Source: AIPT