Talk:The Return of Godzilla (Manga)/@comment-343942-20160401123239

From what I understand, this series was an English translation of the manga adaptation of "The Return of Godzilla." As I've only seen the American cut of the film, I cannot be sure how faithful the comic is to the original version, but from what I've heard, it's pretty close.

The story is simple, but well-executed. Godzilla's return is presented with an almost apocalyptic vibe, reestablishing him as a destructive force of nature as opposed to a campy superhero. The human characters are also likable in their own ways. I like that there isn't a contrived human "villain" in this version, just a bad situation made worse by bad decisions, like keeping a control console for an orbiting nuke in the city that had already been trashed by the Big G once and in all likelihood would be his target again... Derp.

The art is a bit of a mixed blessing. Though the majority of the line work is pretty good, the black and white presentation is a bit of a problem. Though it depends on the story and artists involved, I've never been a big fan of black and white comics and manga (just a personal preference), so the lack of color kinda sticks out for me. At the same time, however, this also emphasizes the darkness and shadows cast onto Godzilla and his rampages, which often makes for a powerful and imposing image.

Overall, in comparison to the American cut of the film, this comic (and I assume the film it's based on) really is the superior version of the story. It's narrative flows more smoothly, and it's lack of... political editing... makes it a lot less cliché.