Godzilla: Cataclysm #2

Written by Cullen Bunn

Art by Dave Wachter

Published by IDW

**Full Spoilers**

Godzilla: Cataclysm #1 was a good first issue, but seemed like it was running the risk of being a been there done that kind of Godzilla story. With issue #2 of the miniseries, things get a little more interesting. The issue opens with a brief overview of how the few remaining survivors of the kaiju apocalypse now pray to the monsters as if they were gods. The grandfather doesn’t believe that they are the gods that everyone else claims them to be, but he prays nonetheless to Godzilla, begging him never to return.

His prayers are futile though, as the issue cuts back to where the first one ended and Godzilla is duking it out with Biollante amongst the ruins of Toyko. Godzilla gains the upper hand, but Mothra arrives and begins to heal plant monster’s wounds. Her intentions are noble, but she’s too late and Godzilla vaporizes Biollante with his atomic breath.

At the village people begin to talk about bringing back sacrifices to ward of the kaiju which, paired with the religious aspects already mentioned at the top of the issue, make this a very interesting and different story in the vast Godzilla mythology. The last two pages provide two big twists in the story. The first hints at a dark science experiment that the Old Man was involved in that angered Godzilla and the other hints at the return of Biollante, who may be able to “make the world green again”.

The writing by Bunn continues to be compelling and Wachter’s art is even better this time around. The color pallet is still bleak and morose, as it should be in this dark world. Godzilla was drawn a little inconsistently in the first issue, but this time that is not an issue, as Wachter seems to have gotten a handle on the character. The two page spread that opens the fight sequence is truly epic.

Cataclysm #2 continues the idea of Godzilla and his large supporting cast of kaiju friends and foes as mythological figures in the eyes of the survivors. The Old Man makes the correlation between those who worship Godzilla, Mothra, and others to ancient civilizations that worshiped hurricanes and tornados. It’s all a matter of perspective when it comes to ideas of worship like the ones seen in this series. Godzilla and the other kaiju are treated like the forces of nature that they’re supposed to be in this increasingly intriguing miniseries.



