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IDW has been publishing Godzilla comics for more than a decade now, including many titles where the King of the Monsters grapples with some of their more famous foes, including the likes of King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla. Recently we interviewed some of the creative team behind Godzilla Vs. America, which saw the Big G stomp all over the United States. All good stuff, but now IDW is stepping things up by several notches, first by extending its partnership with Toho International, Inc (the company that owns Godzilla) through to 2029, and by introducing a new shared universe that will launch this July.
The Kai-Sei era is a new series of connected comics "each one expertly designed to unleash completely different genres and tones for all kinds of fans," according to IDW. The term "Kai-Sei" refers to the radioactive energy that has suffused the Earth, leading to the rise of giant beasts such as Godzilla.
Godzilla
The Kai-Sei era launches in July with flagship title Godzilla – a new ongoing comic from the creative team of writer Tim Seeley and artist Nikola Čižmešija. "In 1954, an experiment with a mysterious energy source called Kai-Sei awakened Godzilla and other terrifying kaiju," explains IDW's synopsis. "For decades, humanity has endured an onslaught of monster attacks. While Japan views these unstoppable rampages like natural disasters, the United States' G-Force is attempting to fight these seemingly immortal titans. Now, they've found a boy who wields the power of Godzilla. Will he save the world… or bring about its doom?" As well as new characters, the series promises a brand new design for Godzilla, which you can see in the gallery above.
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone
August's Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone introduces the first half-human, half-kaiju hybrid in Toho history. The new series, by Eisner-nominated Kill Your Darlings writers Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan and TMNT artist Pablo Tunica, "will explore the biggest mystery of the new connected universe… What is the truth behind the post-apocalyptic Deadzone? The search for answers will forever change how fans view this new universe as they experience this thrilling and shocking ride."
Starship Godzilla
Finally – for now – October sees the launch of Starship Godzilla, by writer Chris Gooch and artist Oliver Ono. The new series takes to the stars with a tale that takes various kaiju-battling characters on an intergalactic mission that will "bridge the gap between the various alien races" previously featured in Toho stories. "They've come to Earth in past tales, but now it's time to visit their worlds as a crew of misfits embark on high-risk high-reward kaiju-based missions with a secret that could impact the whole universe," reads the official synopsis.
Godzilla #1 is published on July 23, with Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 and Starship Godzilla #1 to follow in August and September.
Godzilla has featured in some of the weirdest comic book crossovers ever.
