Review by Lewis Savarese
Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda follow up their 2024 Eisner Award nominated series with Godzilla: Here There be Dragons II – Sons of Giants, shifting the narrative from 16th century British West Indies to the United States of the 19th century. The sitting Vice President Aaron Burr has mortally wounded former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a now infamous duel. Philadelphia Aurora journalist Mortimer Lane approaches Burr, inquiring not about the duel, but a coin emblazoned with the silhouette of Godzilla. Having disclosed his knowledge of an ancient conspiracy, Lane is abducted and brought to the eponymous Sons of Giants, the kaiju-worshipping secret society from Godzilla: Here There be Dragons. Tieri’s narrative is not without flaws, but he gives Miranda ample opportunities to showcase his distinct talent.
While Here There be Dragons included certain fan favourite kaiju sparingly, Sons of Giants abounds with tales of their exploits. A member of the Sons of Giants clad in a Godzilla mask confides in Mortimer Lane that for centuries their order has suppressed various accounts of historical kaiju events, which in turn inspired global myths and legends: Mothra parted the Red Sea for Moses and she was later worshipped by Cleopatra; the Mayans prayed to Rodan to vanquish the conquistadors; King Ghidorah terrorised ancient Greece, becoming the Lernaean Hydra of myth. Miranda and colourist Eva de la Cruz excel at depicting each story in the art style of their respective cultures. Their recreation of Mayan mural paintings hews closely to the few surviving examples we have in the world, portraying Maya glyphs and stylised figures in vivid earth tones.
Unfortunately, Tieri once again stumbles while attempting to balance a fractured narrative. Mortimer Lane is not a compelling protagonist and seems to exist solely as our surrogate, the recipient of exposition from the Godzilla-masked member of the Sons of Giants. Much like the pirate Henry Hull awaiting his execution in Here There be Dragons, our investment in Lane hinges on whether or not he will survive his encounter with the secret society. However, the introduction of several historical figures propels the 19th century storyline, adding twists and turns when appropriate.
Sons of Giants is not immune to a common pitfall of all Godzilla media, that the human storylines cannot compete with the visceral appeal of a kaiju throwdown. Sporadically, a monumental meeting of kaiju in ancient Rome is described to a wide-eyed Lane. What starts as a tussle between Godzilla and Hedorah culminates in a scene straight out of the Showa era film Destroy All Monsters, with Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah entering the fray. Tieri and Miranda certainly commit to their historical kaiju sandbox with relish and when the elements click into place it is hard not to share in their revelry.
As the fate of Mortimer Lane draws to a close, a revelation at the eleventh hour provides a cliffhanger more startling than the last. The trilogy concludes with Godzilla: Here There be Aliens.
