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MonsterVerse #5
Godzilla: Aftershock
Godzilla: King of the Monsters graphic novel tie-in with exclusive Art Adams variant cover
The official prequel graphic novel tie-in for the upcoming Warner Brothers/Legendary Entertainment film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This version features and exclusive Art Adams cover.
The official prequel graphic novel tie-in for the upcoming Warner Brothers/Legendary Entertainment film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This version features and exclusive Art Adams cover.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2019
37 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Arvid Nelson
323 books20 followersArvid has worked on everything from film to video games, but he’s best known for his original comics title, Rex Mundi, published by Dark Horse Comics. The Band of the Crow has occupied his creative memory banks ever since Rex Mundi ended.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 1, 2019
Pros:
-I enjoyed the art work. Clearly the size of the pages doesn’t do Godzilla justice, but some of the illustrations wonderfully represente how majestic Godzilla’s design is.
-If you are into detail (based on the trailers for Godzilla 2: King Of Monsters) Godzilla’s dorsal fins look remotely different from the Godzilla in the 2014 film. I’m taking they wanted to give him a more retro feel or maybe pay homage to his former appearance. If you are curious as to how that change happened, Aftershock most definitely shows us that in a really cool and unique way.
-The brief appearance of Kong’s Houston Brooks in Aftershock, just makes it that more interesting as to how Godzilla vs. Kong’s story will play out.
Cons:
-Honestly, like Awakening, it was really short.
- I was hoping that the other monster in the cover wasn’t a MUTO. But guess what? It’s another MUTO, in fact, basically of the same kind. It’s name, MUTO Prime. Don’t take me wrong, I did like how in a way it explained some of the scenes seen in Godzilla 2014, but I was hoping to see something fresh.
-And finally, like the 2014 film and Awakening, the only human character I feel for is Dr. Serizawa. I think if Aftershock would’ve focused more on him than the other human characters I would’ve loved this even more.
-I enjoyed the art work. Clearly the size of the pages doesn’t do Godzilla justice, but some of the illustrations wonderfully represente how majestic Godzilla’s design is.
-If you are into detail (based on the trailers for Godzilla 2: King Of Monsters) Godzilla’s dorsal fins look remotely different from the Godzilla in the 2014 film. I’m taking they wanted to give him a more retro feel or maybe pay homage to his former appearance. If you are curious as to how that change happened, Aftershock most definitely shows us that in a really cool and unique way.
-The brief appearance of Kong’s Houston Brooks in Aftershock, just makes it that more interesting as to how Godzilla vs. Kong’s story will play out.
Cons:
-Honestly, like Awakening, it was really short.
- I was hoping that the other monster in the cover wasn’t a MUTO. But guess what? It’s another MUTO, in fact, basically of the same kind. It’s name, MUTO Prime. Don’t take me wrong, I did like how in a way it explained some of the scenes seen in Godzilla 2014, but I was hoping to see something fresh.
-And finally, like the 2014 film and Awakening, the only human character I feel for is Dr. Serizawa. I think if Aftershock would’ve focused more on him than the other human characters I would’ve loved this even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2020
You know, this should have been included in the film. To make it more logic. But that’s just all in my head.
June 20, 2024
this is sooo good you have to read it
I loved the epic monster battles I did
not like nothing!
It has such good detail and the cool scenes it is such a good deal for that much money pls buy it
I loved the epic monster battles I did
not like nothing!
It has such good detail and the cool scenes it is such a good deal for that much money pls buy it
August 25, 2025
Fun and well illustrated!
March 8, 2022
It’s terrible. It doesn’t work at all as a prequel. It adds no useful information to help explain the events of the movie. It also makes Godzilla look like a chump. And the characters are boring and uninteresting.
March 30, 2024
can’t believe how they massacred my boy kyle chandler 😭
August 24, 2025
This was okay. It really never grabbed me, and I'm not sure if it was really an effective prequel to King of the Monsters since it didn't really seem like it added much. Plus it dragged. This could have been told in one comic rather than four issues.
January 13, 2020
Hot garbage! This tie in graphic novel's lazy art is equally matched by it's half assed story telling that could only be enjoyed by they eight or nine people on earth who didn't think Godzilla: King of the Monsters represents everything that is wrong with IP mono culture and block buster movie making.
June 30, 2019
Not well executed and adds nothing new to the story arc. And instead of trying to tie the story into a new antagonist(s) for Gozdzilla, it falls back to the poorly crafted "Muto" creature from the 2014 film. Another studio tie-in money grab.
January 19, 2024
Drew Edward Johnson’s illustrations are a standout, just like his work on “Godzilla: Dominion”.
The story is fine. However, it revolves mostly around Dr. Emma Russell, which I found to be very uninteresting. This is a prequel comic to the 2019 film “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and all the story does is just further embed her character’s distaste for Godzilla and other titans (kind of). Her motivations here and the movie are kind of a mess so there is no new revelation here.
I was only going to give it 2/5 BUT they reference Megadeth and Metallica in the story so that elevated it one star at least to 3/5.
The story is fine. However, it revolves mostly around Dr. Emma Russell, which I found to be very uninteresting. This is a prequel comic to the 2019 film “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and all the story does is just further embed her character’s distaste for Godzilla and other titans (kind of). Her motivations here and the movie are kind of a mess so there is no new revelation here.
I was only going to give it 2/5 BUT they reference Megadeth and Metallica in the story so that elevated it one star at least to 3/5.
February 10, 2021
Update : Okay, so it's not just Dr. Russell's same bland expression that bothered me, although as often as they zoomed in on her face it did nothing to boost the story's graphic appeal. It's the fact that Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Grant stood around like potted plants while she took the stage. Personally, I liked Ken Watanabe's character, and I wanted to see more of him and Dr. Grant in this comic, not a brand new character upstaging them. Seeing a new character upstage favorites is like hosting a party for friends and having one of their annoying relatives invite themselves and proceed to hog the dip, fart loudly, and constantly swing the conversation back around to their own brilliance. Even if said unwanted guest actually is a world-renowned biologist, it's not a fun time.
Even after re-reading, I'm still not impressed with the Muto Prime. The original Mutos had sleek, elegant lines, a timeless color scheme, and an otherworldy yet believable feel to them. This supposedly superior specimen looked like a literally demon-possessed drunk who had just puked all over herself. In the immortal words of the Fat Albert cartoon, no class , which, sadly, pretty much sums up my opinions.
Sorry, big guy. Hope they do a better job for your upcoming movie.
Still 2.5 stars.
Original review: I finally got this book in the mail after waiting for it on pre-order, and I have to say I was--somewhat disappointed. From page one's phony-looking "Phoenician" art to the Muto Prime's muddled design, this comic was visually underwhelming, and the characters weren't any better. While I like seeing strong women scientists in sci-fi stories, I honestly didn't give a rip about the main character. She spent the whole comic running around with the same stupid expression, almost like a female Nicholas Cage movie cover. I was super excited about King of the Monsters, but if this prequel is any indication of the director's vision, I'm suddenly a bit nervous.
2.5 stars
Even after re-reading, I'm still not impressed with the Muto Prime. The original Mutos had sleek, elegant lines, a timeless color scheme, and an otherworldy yet believable feel to them. This supposedly superior specimen looked like a literally demon-possessed drunk who had just puked all over herself. In the immortal words of the Fat Albert cartoon, no class , which, sadly, pretty much sums up my opinions.
Sorry, big guy. Hope they do a better job for your upcoming movie.
Still 2.5 stars.
Original review: I finally got this book in the mail after waiting for it on pre-order, and I have to say I was--somewhat disappointed. From page one's phony-looking "Phoenician" art to the Muto Prime's muddled design, this comic was visually underwhelming, and the characters weren't any better. While I like seeing strong women scientists in sci-fi stories, I honestly didn't give a rip about the main character. She spent the whole comic running around with the same stupid expression, almost like a female Nicholas Cage movie cover. I was super excited about King of the Monsters, but if this prequel is any indication of the director's vision, I'm suddenly a bit nervous.
2.5 stars
August 13, 2019
A great introduction to the characters of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
March 30, 2021
Writer Arvid Nelson and Illustrator Dre Edward Johnson with Editor Robert Napton created a background graphic novel, "Godzilla: Aftershock", giving readers some more background on the MUTO legacy in the Godzilla Monsterverse. Set between Godzilla 2014 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The artwork was not strong because a) too many middle shots that should be used for exposition and not action panels and b) the annoying use of sound effects words right in the middle of a action panel. This is totally distracting to the impact of the panel and negates the visual impact upon the reader.
For example to see a giant word "KROOM" in front of the action of the MUTO/Godzilla and a human VTOL aircraft. The panel is not well designed because of the middle shot view that jumbles the perspective of aircraft (foreground) with giant word. Then the action of the Kaijus are placed in the background which should be the focal point of the panel becomes indecipherable. This happens in numerous panels throughout the book.
If you are a hardcore Godzilla fan who wants the Monsterverse to be exciting and horrorifc then this tie in graphic novel is a slog to get through. I got through it with a certain sadness at the fact there was not a lot of thoughtful execution in the editing, writing and graphics because there were too many cooks, 25 people involved in the creation, to make it a knockout.
BTW- What was interesting was the ancient Japanese/Phoenician, which had the best artwork, connection which would have made a much better story with a Lovecraft tie in then what I read.
The artwork was not strong because a) too many middle shots that should be used for exposition and not action panels and b) the annoying use of sound effects words right in the middle of a action panel. This is totally distracting to the impact of the panel and negates the visual impact upon the reader.
For example to see a giant word "KROOM" in front of the action of the MUTO/Godzilla and a human VTOL aircraft. The panel is not well designed because of the middle shot view that jumbles the perspective of aircraft (foreground) with giant word. Then the action of the Kaijus are placed in the background which should be the focal point of the panel becomes indecipherable. This happens in numerous panels throughout the book.
If you are a hardcore Godzilla fan who wants the Monsterverse to be exciting and horrorifc then this tie in graphic novel is a slog to get through. I got through it with a certain sadness at the fact there was not a lot of thoughtful execution in the editing, writing and graphics because there were too many cooks, 25 people involved in the creation, to make it a knockout.
BTW- What was interesting was the ancient Japanese/Phoenician, which had the best artwork, connection which would have made a much better story with a Lovecraft tie in then what I read.
August 1, 2022
Starting off with how this graphic novel acts as an alternative sequel to the 2014 film "Godzilla" as we are introduced to characters who would make an appearance in the sequel film "Godzilla: King of the Monsters".
So they want to fill in the gaps between both films, which they try to do, but due to this acting as an alternative sequel, there are many points that become cannoned once the "King of the Monsters" is released.
The explanation of the MUTOs is explained well in the story and was depicted well in the artwork, but once again they were trying to give more attention to the MUTO rather than Godzilla, who the story is supposed to be about.
Now, we did get to see more of Godzilla than we did in the film, but they were focused too much away from him with most of the attention going towards the humans.
Other than that, the story was fast-paced and the artwork was great, but Godzilla should have been present much more.
So they want to fill in the gaps between both films, which they try to do, but due to this acting as an alternative sequel, there are many points that become cannoned once the "King of the Monsters" is released.
The explanation of the MUTOs is explained well in the story and was depicted well in the artwork, but once again they were trying to give more attention to the MUTO rather than Godzilla, who the story is supposed to be about.
Now, we did get to see more of Godzilla than we did in the film, but they were focused too much away from him with most of the attention going towards the humans.
Other than that, the story was fast-paced and the artwork was great, but Godzilla should have been present much more.
March 21, 2021
Apurada precuela de King of Monsters. Hay un intento de dar una pincelada más del lore Kaiju y seguir explorando esa dualidad de opiniones en plano gubernamental sobre si Godzilla es en realidad un aliado de la humanidad. Pero la trama que sustenta la obra que es este enfrentamiento contra este super MUTO resulta bastante decepcionante. Incluso deja en muy mal lugar a Godzilla. Una simple excusa para presentar el origen del ORCA.
El apartado gráfico, aunque se hayan esmerado en que los rostros de los personajes que ya hemos visto en cines se asemejen bastante, por lo demás está muy por debajo de un mínimo de calidad. Poses forzadas o incluso ni un mínimo respeto por las proporciones (con los personajes humanos XD) en alguna viñeta.
Aunque tengo que continuar con el cómic de Skull Island, lo que leí sí que me resulta una expansión realmente valorable del MonsterVerse en cómic.
El apartado gráfico, aunque se hayan esmerado en que los rostros de los personajes que ya hemos visto en cines se asemejen bastante, por lo demás está muy por debajo de un mínimo de calidad. Poses forzadas o incluso ni un mínimo respeto por las proporciones (con los personajes humanos XD) en alguna viñeta.
Aunque tengo que continuar con el cómic de Skull Island, lo que leí sí que me resulta una expansión realmente valorable del MonsterVerse en cómic.
April 19, 2021
A disappointment after the first two MonsterVerse tie graphic novels.
The art was competent but awkward, static and lacklustre. It honestly looked like some characters had been copied and pasted in to panels. I feel like the artist used the same promotional photo of Vera Farmiga as Dr Russell for every panel she was in, which would explain the same bland expression on her face every time you see her. I could rant on about the art for longer than I'm willing to devote to this review.
The story is good to an extent but it's patchy and I feel like it tries too hard to add to the MonsterVerse and it feels disjointed with the King of the Monsters movie it's supposed to be a prequel for. Like jamming in explanations to design changes in the new movie.
The art was competent but awkward, static and lacklustre. It honestly looked like some characters had been copied and pasted in to panels. I feel like the artist used the same promotional photo of Vera Farmiga as Dr Russell for every panel she was in, which would explain the same bland expression on her face every time you see her. I could rant on about the art for longer than I'm willing to devote to this review.
The story is good to an extent but it's patchy and I feel like it tries too hard to add to the MonsterVerse and it feels disjointed with the King of the Monsters movie it's supposed to be a prequel for. Like jamming in explanations to design changes in the new movie.
May 3, 2021
A serviceable but superfluous prologue to the Godzilla: King of the Monsters movie, which gets a bit into the mythology of Godzilla, which is interesting. But true to form, it spends enough time on our human characters to be reminded of why we never care about them in a Godzilla story in the first place. We came to see kaiju knock the stuffing out of each other, and when the fights are a just a panel or two, there's not a whole lot to keep our interest, aside from the very nice artwork throughout.
August 3, 2022
Garbage. Content just to be content and whatever that word is for when a company is just trying to make something that can be a movie, a tv show, a comic book, a book, a tumblr page, a tik tok account, a twitter feed, a youtube show, a streaming service, etc and just elevate THE BRAND and consume the market place. Everything wrong with 21st Century Franchise Development. The MonsterVerse is hot, imitation garbage, and when it comes to its comic tie-ins, it's among the very worst of the media I've ever read.
October 17, 2021
Godzilla: Aftershock is a prequel graphic novel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters officially published by Legendary Comics on May 21, 2019, and by Village Books on May 24 in Japan.
Godzilla: Aftershock Book By Arvid Nelson (PDF-Online Reading-Download-Summary-Review): https://www.toevolution.com/blog/view...
Godzilla: Aftershock Book By Arvid Nelson (PDF-Online Reading-Download-Summary-Review): https://www.toevolution.com/blog/view...
June 16, 2022
Another tale of the Godzilla series.
There are some interesting details in the narrative and in the historical flashbacks (drawn in great style), but the characters interactions and dialogues are a bit forced sometimes and the plot feels a bit rushed and "jumpy".
I'm afraid the art of the fight scenes is a bit lacking in several sequences too.
I'd recommend this one only to hardcore fans of the Godzilla franchise.
There are some interesting details in the narrative and in the historical flashbacks (drawn in great style), but the characters interactions and dialogues are a bit forced sometimes and the plot feels a bit rushed and "jumpy".
I'm afraid the art of the fight scenes is a bit lacking in several sequences too.
I'd recommend this one only to hardcore fans of the Godzilla franchise.
March 17, 2024
This was okay, nothing special. It bridges the gap between Godzilla 2014 and KotM somewhat, but not in a particularly interesting way. Mostly we just get a bit of new MUTO lore, and an explanation for why Godzilla's dorsal plates have a different design in KotM. It's fun for a movie tie-in comic, but that's about it. I found MUTO Prime to be a hideous kaiju design, and not in a good way. The action was middling, and there wasn't really that strong sense of scale you'd want in a Godzilla comic.
April 4, 2020
Interesting story that I enjoyed but I have to be honest and say it is not as good as the excellent Kong Skull Island book. This book tells the story of an ancient battle between Godzilla and Muto. I won't say much more but it links well into the movie with the Monarch scientists creating an important piece of tech which is central to the movies plot.
April 23, 2021
This should have been included in the movie and would have made the story more cohesive. I'm sad that Serizawa didn't get to do much in this story and the centre of attention was Emma who just sweeps in and single handedly saves Godzilla at the last movement. And what was that Dorsal plate move from Gman? Why wasn't it in the movie? That would have been so cool to watch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2023
I would give it 5 stars, but the continuity error with Emma Russell explaining to Serizawa how the MUTOs incubate their eggs clashes with Godzilla 2014, where Serizawa is the one to learn the secret, and Emma Russell isn't even part of Monarch yet on the timeline. Other than that, great story! My 3yr old loves it!
July 27, 2019
Many comic tie-ins are not worth checking out. This book is one of the exceptions where it helps to add to the story and world-building of the film. A great companion piece for the building Monsterverse mythology.
February 25, 2021
This was better than Godzilla: Awakening but not as good as Skull Island: Birth of Kong. I do like that it asks ethical questions on whether Godzilla, a monster who wrecked a city, should be aided if it means taking down another monster who could destroy the world.
May 25, 2019
Takes place between Godzilla 2014 and Godzilla King of Monsters. Vivienne talks more here than she did in Godzilla 2014.
June 1, 2019
Is this more a sequel to 2014's GODZILLA, or a prequel to 2019's GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS? It's both. Even has a small cameo by Houston Brooks from KONG: SKULL ISLAND.
Read
June 7, 2019hi
June 16, 2019
The story is good, being between both films as a connection to explain just what type of creature the MUTO really was. Enjoyed it immensely. The artwork could have been better I think tho.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews