Part of the fun of the “Kai-sei” era of Godzilla comic IDW is the way he expands beyond the King’s King, or other monsters he has fought over the years. Godzilla: Escape from the dead zone you went out this August is a great example of this. This is because it shows that Kaiju’s appearance caused the world to completely change. Once a prosperous city in Seattle, Washington, the honorable “Dead Zone” is a desolate wasteland inhabited by the rest of the survivors who were not lucky enough to escape monsters and fallout.
The person who has undergone the biggest change is a man known only as “Wanderer.” He is brave enough to walk through the dead zone and can make him fight for you if you have the right amount. However, the wanderer’s ability to confront monsters living in the dead zone is not born out of revenge or altruism. Through some unknown means, he gained abilities like Kaiju, allowing him to fight monsters that come in his way. In the aftermath of one of his battles, he discovers a shocking secret that threatens to overturn his world.
From start to finish, Godzilla: Deadzone #1 is a fascinating read. Part of it comes from someone’s idea of Half Man Half Kaiju, but most of it comes from books that explore things rarely seen in Godzilla movies. What happens to the city after a monster attack? In short, what happens if you can’t rebuild? From the various states of a particular survivor to the monsters that live in it, to the final page that sets up the mysteries that undoubtedly promote future problems, everything about the Dead Zone is the best kind of worldbuilding. Readers are given enough to hook them for future issues, but keep most of that card close to their chest.
IDW Publishing
Godzilla: Escape from Deadzone #1 work thanks to the writing skills of Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan. The duo previously wrote a dark fantasy and scripted your darling for images, and thanks to some powerful character works, it made me crazy from start to finish. Deadzone #1 has most of the same vibe. Especially on that last page (I keep cultivating it because I want the next problem right away and get frustrated that the next problem isn’t in your hands). Griffin and Sheridan also know how to tense and act as an entertaining scene that reveals how to overhang.
Such a great script deserves a great artist, and Pablo Tunica makes Godzilla: I feel Dead Zone #1 is visually different. His designs for wanderers stand out. Most of his body is covered with a layer of clothing, but you can see hints of the tail and green scale skin protruding from behind his jeans. As he induces his Kaiju’s abilities, his hands were extended to the claws, his eyes growing the reptile, making it look like a human version of Godzilla. Tunica also embeds various characters and locations in Deadzone, making it look different from the apocalypse you’ve seen. Some of the survivors have cybernetic limbs reminiscent of Akira.
Finally, Nathan Widdick develops a unique style of lettering throughout this issue. The wanderer’s speech bubble is irregular and hints at the fact that he is not human. His inner monologue is given a stone orange tint that perfectly matches the stone’s aesthetics. And each time Kaiju appears, their roaring literally fills the page.
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 expands the Kai-sei era in style. But it also shows that there is plenty of room for IDW to explore new Godzilla universes other than Godzilla and hook some new fans in the process.
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 is available anywhere comics are on sale on August 6th, 2025.
“Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone” #1 gives a post-apocalyptic punch to the Kaisei era
Godzilla: lets dead zone #1 escape
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 expands the Kai-sei era in style. But it also shows that there is plenty of room for IDW to explore new Godzilla universes other than Godzilla and hook some new fans in the process.
Parker and Sheridan create a fascinating apocalypse story and an intriguing mystery that boots.
Tunica’s artwork is action-packed, visually distinctive, and creates an entire world that begs to explore more.
We will expand the Kai-sei era in a wonderful way.
Nathan Widdick’s lettering gives Wanderer a unique voice, literally filling the page with Kaiju’s roar.
