On this week's Pull List we have a giant Lizard, and other things. But mainly the Giant Lizard.

Did you see the new Godzilla Trailer? This is the new Japanese Godzilla and while I don't speak Japanese it got me very excited. I've seen all of the new Godzilla films and I loved them. There something about a guy in a suit that hits me in the right spot. I will admit that this Godzilla design is a bit odd. His skinny arms and overly long tail don‘t really do it for me but I can look pass that.

So why am I talking about Godzilla?

Today, I'll be looking at "Godzilla in Hell". A 5 issue mini series that came out last year. I haven't read it yet, this is a true cold opening, so I have no idea if this series is good or not. Let's not put this off any longer. I'll check out the first issue and then come back with my thoughts.

I was under the impression that the 'Hell' in the title was figurative. I was wrong. This is actually about Godzilla in Hell.

Where do I begin. There is no dialog in this issue, which makes sense since Godzilla doesn't speak. So the art has to convey everything. Speaking of which the story and art are both by James Stokoe.

The story here is very simple. Godzilla falls to hell and he tries to do his normal Godzilla thing. You know, smashing.

Things don't go to well for the big G. He sees what he thinks to be a power plant, you know how much Godzilla loves destroying power plants, only for the structure to fight him back. There is a storm of souls, I guess, that envelopes him. Finally, he confronts a version of himself. From the outside it looks just like Godzilla but with many scars. Then the thing opens up and turns into an abomination. There is a fight and afterwards Godzilla falls deeper into Hell.

Here’s the issue. Without dialog the art has to convey emotion. The artist is very capable but the shots of Godzilla's face are a little wonky. There are problems with the aspect and that just throws everything off. At times it seams like the right, my right, side of Godzilla's face is drooping.

Okay, taking all of that into account is this a good read? I don't know yet. I can't really judge until I read more.

Issue 2 is by Bob Effleton. This issue set itself apart from the first in two ways. Firstly there is a written narrative and secondly the painted art.

The story for Issue 2 is Godzilla facing foes from his past, such as Rodan and King Ghidorah among others. Godzilla's surroundings change with each new battle.

The narration has a very biblical tone to it, which is by design. The problem is that the narration doesn't add anything to the comic. The art here tells the story perfectly. In fact I think this should have been the dialogue free issue. The first one needed to be explained this one didn't.

The art is great. I like that it’s able to get across a sense of scale. Everything in the issue looks big.

There is also a feeling of foreboding. This version of Hell doesn't look like a burning wasteland but it does portray an emptiness and a sense of despair.

Still I'm not loving this. If you took the words away this would be much better. I am sorry to say that the dialogue just takes away from the presentation.

Issue 3 was written by Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitag with art by Buster Moody and Ludwig Laguna Olimba on colors. I don't normally mention colorist but I had to in this case. The coloring in this issue is the best thing about it.

The story for issue 3 is more complex than in the first two issues. This one opens with Godzilla fighting space Godzilla on earth. Their fight destroys the planet and everything dies.

A second later Godzilla is in heaven. This heaven is not what you would expect. The moment Godzilla arrives he is told to submit. I guess this a heaven run by 1984 rules. Godzilla is having none of that, so he is sent to hell.

When he arrives there he re-encounters Space Godzilla and the two pick up right were they left off. Except this time they are backed by armies. Hell is with Space Godzilla and heaven has Godzilla's back.

Godzilla wins the fight and the forces of heaven and hell claim to now worship him. He isn't interested in that so he chomps down on a few devils and angels and then leaves.

I don't really know what to say about this one. The story is odd. I think I was taken aback by the representation of heaven. Firstly why is Godzilla in heaven? He is a force of nature whose only purpose is destruction. But setting that aside this was the most depressing version of heaven I've seen in a while.

It was also the least terrifying version of hell.

The story here was a big miss for me. All I want from this series is Godzilla fighting a giant demon as Satan looks on.

Let's move on to the art. I didn't really like the art here. The style didn't appeal to me. There wasn't any one thing I could point at, I just found myself unimpressed with it. But the coloring, wow, the colors in this book are beautiful. I would suggest picking it up just for that.

All in all this was the weakest of the three issues to date. Hopefully #4 can pick things up.

Issue 4 is by Brandon Seifert and Ibrahim Moustafa and is the best so far.

This one has the most interesting story by far. At first you think Godzilla is back on earth again but then you realize he is in hell, his own personal hell. A hell where he is doomed to fight for all eternity. We see him kill only for the monster to come back and we see the same happen to Godzilla.

Godzilla is smart enough to realize what is going on. He sees a huge wall surrounding the city and attempts to destroy it. The other monster try to stop him but end up, inadvertently, helping him.

This one ends with Godzilla leaving the city and entering a vast empty white space.

I really enjoyed the story here. It was simple but actually got across the idea of hell.

The art was fantastic. This is the first time I've gotten the impression of big screen action. The fights in this looked big and exciting. I would say that this is definitely the stand out issue so far.

So, you may ask, how does Godzilla in Hell end? Each of the first four issues is a separate tale but they all end the same way, with Godzilla continuing on his voyage through the underworld. So while Issue 5, written and drawn by Dave Wachter, can be looked at as it's own story it can also be a second part to each of the previous ones.

It took me a second to realize that but once I did I changed my opinion on this issue.

The final issue begins with Godzilla walking through a frozen wasteland. He is on the verge of freezing when he emerges into a cave filled with lava. He attempts to cross a rock bridge but it collapses.

When Godzilla lands he is set upon by small winged creatures. These things, which look like evil versions of Rufus from Kim Possible, swarm him. Godzilla is able to get away from the swarm and sees a creature on a mountain top. The creature is sitting in what a appears to be a Japanese gate.

Godzilla attempts to use his fire breath but can't, so he tries to climb the mountain. He isn't able to do that either.

There's a weird moment in this comic. I guess Godzilla realizes he is in a weakened state and knows he's dead so gives himself up to the flying creatures. They devour him, leaving only a giant skeleton. That's the end right?

No.

Godzilla's soul (I can't believe I just typed those words) takes over the swarm. These little creatures, I say little but that's compared to the Big G, become his new body. They surround his skeleton and this new swarm Godzilla fires a huge blast of atomic breath that not only kills the guardian but also carves a path for Godzilla to climb. He reaches the gate, and we get the only text for this issue.

The gate is the barrier between hell and earth. Godzilla walks through it and emerges from the ocean ready to wreak more havoc.

I guess, now that I think about it, this doesn't work as a sequel for all of the issues. If you remember in issue 3 we saw the earth get destroyed. So this only works as a sequel to three of the previous issues.

The art here is very good. This is the most intimidating and enigmatic Godzilla. The close up's of his face convey so much emotion. The landscapes are great and the colors are very good as well.

Where this issue really shines is the story. I would say that Issue 4 has a better story but the pacing and ending in this one are a notch better.

The art and story work together to make this the best of the bunch. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a fight between Godzilla and the Guardian.

So all in all how was this series? It was hit or miss. If I weigh it as a whole, I'd say anyone but the most die hard Godzilla fans should take a pass. Actually, I take that back. If you want to write or illustrate comics you should check this series out. It's a great example of how a story can be told with out dialogue, and for the most part without narration.

Other than those two groups most people would be better off giving this a pass.

There is one last Godzilla comic to talk about, "Godzilla Oblivion" #1 by Joshua Fialkov and Brian Churilla. When I came across Godzilla in Hell I picked this one up too.

Godzilla Oblivion, in a nut shell, is about a group of people who create a portal to an alternate dimension. These people have shit luck, because the dimension the make contact with? Yeah it's Godzilla's.

Some things happen and then the group try to get back to their home. Unfortunately King Ghidorah follows them.

The writing here is fine, the premise is interesting and the characters, the two leads at least, are distinct enough.

What lets this one down is the art. The first few pages are fine but then things go down hill quickly. The art seems to degrade, it gets very sketchy and even a little scratchy. If that makes any sense.

I have to say this is kind of a toss up. I can't say that I'll be picking this up again.  I’ll have to see how I feel on the day.

"The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" # 6 by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson. This is not the Squirrel Girl I used to read. The character is completely different. I actually don't mind that.

This was a fun little story with a few nice gags. I'm not sure how I like Squirrel Girl as a female 'g rated' Deadpool but I can get past that. Hell, any comic that gives the world a Wolverine Squirrel can't be all that bad.

And then I remember what this thing looks like. The art here is just so ugly. I can't get past it.

The funny thing is that Howard, Kraven, and the animal character looked fine. But Squirrel Girl, her friend, the main villain, and Beast looked terrible. Squirrel Girl's face, all of the women's faces actually, are just so off putting.

I know she's not supposed to be a super model, in her first appearance she was downright unattractive. But since then she's been drawn to be cute.

She is not cute here. The artist for this seems to have a serious problem drawing faces, female faces especially. Everything else is fine but every time Squirrel girl is shown I just want to stop reading.

If this artist was able to draw a human face that wasn't freakish I might be able to get behind this series. Or if this was the Squirrel Girl I used to read, the naive sweet hero, I might stick with it. The new characterization that I'm not big on and the art are enough for me to walk away from this.

Although, lets be honest. I only read it because of Howard the Duck. Who apparently can't tell the difference between cats. Not even cats of the same breed, just cats in general. He is hired to find a brown cat and grabs a white one. That is the only downside of this book from a story point of view.  Howard comes off as somewhat of an idiot. Also, how does Squirrel Girl not know who Howard the Duck is? Anyway this writer doesn't quite get what Howard is about. He'd be able to tell the difference between cats. He has a problem with hairless apes not our furry companions.

I picked up "Frankenbabe" #1 (Matthew Johnson and Joe Badon) thinking it would be similar to Zombie Tramp. I was wrong. This reads more like "The Goon" if that series was toned down.

The story here is that a stripper was gunned down, a scientist (mad?) found her and brought her back to life. Now the woman, who is being called Frankenbabe, is out to find the people who killed her. She is also the protector of New Transylvania.

That's the back story. The story of this issue, when we're no getting exposition, is that a criminal named Sinn has gotten his hands on a special compound. This stuff has the ability to raise the dead. So why does this guy need a zombie army?

Well, Frankenbabe has been taking out a lot of his men in her search for the person responsible for her death. Shock of shocks, Sinn is the guilty party.

The real selling point of this book is the art. The style is cartoony with an edge but it's the coloring that sells this. The colors go over the lines giving the book a messy chaotic feel. It is reminiscent of old comics, you know the ones with the off center colors.

The art and the story combine for a cool read that feels different. Also, horror fans will like all of the little homage’s to past horror films.

I had been sitting on Frankenbabe long enough for issue 2 to come out. The second issue is similar to the first.  We get more exposition and a bit of forward momentum.

When still alive Frankenbabe, who was a stripper, seems to have made a deal with Mr. Sinn. We don't actually see the deal being made but that's what the story suggest. It's easy to assume that it was a deal for her soul and that Mr. Sinn is the devil.

Well, Frankenbabe didn't stay dead and now Sinn wants his payoff. The issue ends with a confrontation between the two and with Sinn changing from a slick gangster to a hulking demon.

I like this book. The characters have unique voices, and easy to remember names. I'm terrible with names. But I had no problem with them in this book.

Plus this art. I love it. There is so much character and energy in the art here. I really want to see more from this artist.

If you can't tell, I'm really high on this book. This is a definite must read.

Let's end this on a high note of low brow. "Gingerdead Man" #1 (Written by Brockton McKinney and drawn by Sergio Rios) can only be described as a 'hoot'.

I've never seen the movies, I haven't seen much of the Full Moon stuff, except for a few Pupper Master movies. So, I came into this book clean. I knew of Gingerdead man but had no actual experience with it.
After reading this I can only assume it's very similar to Jack Frost, a lot of puns, over the top violence, and sex jokes. So right up my alley.

If you have a love for a bit of dark, dirty humor and don't mind the ridiculous this is for you.

The back story to Gingerdead Man is basically Chuckie but with a cookie. It's that simple. Even though I never saw the movies, and this appears to follow their continuity, I had no problem picking the story up.

We start with a gang, they take over an abandoned bakery. The leader of the gang has some new drug called 'Confection'. The drug is too strong to take straight so she plans on baking it into cookies. I love this idea. Just imagine it. I grew up Spanish Harlem and I remember seeing tons of crack vials on the ground. If this woman go her way it would be cookie wrappers.

Can you imagine a crack head or a meth head looking for a safe place to eat their drug cookies? They're all hunched over with a box of fresh baked cookies. Just the image of a horde of fat drug addicts is hilarious.

Anyway, she (the boss) leaves two henchmen to clean the bakery up. She warns them not to do any of the drug. They don't listen. One of them finds what they think is a cookie mix, but is actually part of the Gingerdead man. They mix that with beer, confection, and  blood. The blood was added by accident. This get's thrown into the oven and boom homicidal cookie.

What happens next is too good to spoil.

Meanwhile we also meet a young woman and her much younger brother. These two actually provide the only bad part of the comic. It is the most clichéd bit of exposition and is also the least natural bit of dialog in this book. But it's only one sentence so it's not worth getting worked up over.

Issue 2 is more of the same and I love it. This is demented in the best possible way. The second issue brings some great imagery but doesn't push the story forward much. I don't really want to spoil this one. It's too much fun. This is at the top of my must read list.


That's it for this edition of the Pull List, sorry it's shorter than normal. Next week we'll be back to Scooby Doo. See you then.


Must Read.

Atomic Robo (Whenever the new Mini is released.)
Invincible
Chew
Tarot Witch of the Black Rose
American Monster
Pencil Head
Kennel Block Blues
Shaft
The Dark and Bloody
Trespasser
Howard the Duck
Afterburner Tales of the Cool and Wicked
The Hangman
Ghostbusters
Action Lab
Another Castle
Action Cat & Adventure Bug
Bigfoot Sword of the Earthman
Venus
Frankenbabe
The Gingerdead Man


Maybe.

Badger
I Mage
Monstress
Replica
Godzilla Oblivion


Back log.

Zombie Tramp
Elephantmen
Hack Slash
Mouse Guard
Project Superpowers
The Goon
Mice Templar
Super Dinosaur
Hero Cats


Pass.

Jonesy
Fake Empire
King’s Road
Rat Queens
Insexts
Devolution
Collapse
Death Rattler
Second Sight
Snow Fall
Wraithborn Redux
Steambusters
Citizen Jack
Johnny Red
Red Fury
Jungle Fantasy:Vixens
Escape From Monster Island
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl


Burnt out.

The Walking Dead.