Written and Lettered by John Layman
Drawn by Nick Pitarra
Colors by Michael Garland
Reviews by KrisK
Image comics has dropped a new Kaiju book, which looks like it was discovered in an abandoned underground comic book press shop. The Kaiju, simply dubbed the Leviathan, is a draconian beast with some unusual details like gill protectors that look like they are sticking out of the beast’s neck. No arms, just hands.
The story’s plot follows a familiar road. A guy throws a party and runs out of beer. While on the beer run with his friend, his guests summon a monster from hell, as bored party guests do. Leviathan appears, blowing streams of fire from its mouth. The city gets demolished, and there is no hope in sight. What will our hero do? Will he save his girl, Vivian?
The writing here reads easy. The cliches are done with an aware humor so they don’t usually annoy. The story progresses through action, so it doesn’t ever really slow down. It isn’t an adrenaline ride, but it is consistently enjoyable. The black-guy-refusing-to-help-his-friend-because-black-guys-die-first-in-horror-movies-cliche wasn’t necessary, though. That was the one time the writing took me out of the book.
The art tears me in two directions. I don’t like the style. The people’s faces are often a little grotesque, and there is a cartoonish simplicity to much of the background. Leviathan itself looks awesome, though. It comes down to a matter of style, and I dislike this style. The artist executes the style well, and if I liked this style, I am sure I would be in love. Pitarra draws well, just not my cup of tea. The layouts of the pages flow naturally without ever feeling rigid.
The colors pop out at you; the purples, reds, yellows, and oranges color the page like an autumn day.
Verdict: Pass. If you love giant monsters and mass destruction, this book may be just what you need, but if you are looking for a little more you are going to be out of luck. This comic was a one trick pony, and maybe it will evolve with time, but for now, it was simple in its debut.
