Review by Frank Plowright

From breakneck start to rocket finish, Duane Swierczynski and Simon Gane’s version of Godzilla has a phenomenal pace that never lets up. It’s great from beginning to end.

Swierczynski faces the same problem as any Godzilla writer in that the monster of the title doesn’t actually speak, so unless you’re going to give him an internal monologue then another narrative voice is needed. Swierczynski supplies shaven-headed, magnificently stubbled ex-British Special Forces soldier Boxer. Boxer carries some baggage with him, but he’s also the best at what he does, and is first seen in a magnificent thrilling escape sequence attempting to save the life of a teenage girl in his position as her bodyguard. As competent as he is, though, even Boxer can’t see off half a dozen giant monsters around the globe on his own. No, for that he needs a driver, an explosives expert and a weapons designer, and he knows just where to find them.

As Boxer and his crew race from one threat to the next, charging $7 billion a time, readers may initially be frustrated that Godzilla remains largely out of sight. However, the few times he’s seen should comfort that Gane knows what we want, and by the end he’s supplying page after glorious page of it. Gane’s a great all-rounder. His storytelling is first rate, his characters have personalities, his layouts maximise the plot and he loves detail. It’s there in the locations, the technology and most especially the rubble. Gane gives great rubble. It’s a line for his tombstone.

A single chapter is drawn by Dave Wachter, who’s very good and makes an effort to fit Gane’s style, but because he inclines toward a greater realism his pages don’t fit well with the remainder.

While the constant escalation might suggest a relatively straightforward plot, there’s no shortage of surprises, some personal, some monster-related, leading to a redefinition of what Godzilla and co. are. History’s Greatest Monster surely provides everything you want from a Godzilla story, and in late 2024 it’s due to be re-released as Godzilla Library Collection Vol. 3. If you’d prefer it separated over three paperbacks, start with Godzilla Volume 1.