Godzilla (1985 manga)

From Wikizilla, the kaiju encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Godzilla
Godzilla (1985 manga)
Author(s) Kazuhisa Iwata
Publisher Shogakukan,JP Dark HorseUS
Publish date February 1985,
May 1988 (Dark Horse),
1990 (Dark Horse single volume),
May 16, 1995 (Dark Horse re-release),
1998 (Dark Horse re-release)
Genre Manga
ISBN 978-1569710630 (1995 release)

Godzilla (ゴジラ,   Gojira) is a 1985 manga adaptation of the 1984 film The Return of Godzilla, written by Kazuhisa Iwata and originally published by Shogakukan in Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic Special.

The manga was published as a stand-alone paperback by Shogakukan's Tentomushi Comics label later in 1985. In the United States, it was translated and republished by Dark Horse four times. The first, a 1988 through 1989 release, had the manga split into six issues. The second, a 1998 through 1999 release, retitled Terror of Godzilla and published under the company's Dark Horse Classics label, also had the manga split into six issues, but this time printed in color rather than in black-and-white. Dark Horse also republished the original Godzilla release as a single collected trade paperback in both 1990 and 1995.

Plot

After considerable volcanic activity, Godzilla is stirred from his millions of years of sleep on the ocean floor, and heads into a world that has changed drastically since he ruled it. While surfacing, Godzilla collides with a boat at sea, the Fifth Yahata Maru. It is unclear if he actually attacks it, but he does roar and fire his atomic breath before Shockirus parasites that had been clinging to his body kill and drain the life out of most of the men on board, except for Hiroshi Okumura. While sailing, reporter Goro Maki approaches the ship and hopes to get a good story from it, but he is attacked by a Shockirus. It nearly kills him, but he is saved by Okumura, who quickly passes out due to fatigue. Maki takes Okumura to the hospital, where he asks for him to tell his story to Makoto Hayashida, who fears that his story confirms the return of Godzilla.

Differences from the film

The manga follows the plot of The Return of Godzilla closely, although artistic liberties are taken.

  • Shockirus is depicted as a huge 6-foot-long cockroach-like insect rather than a 1-foot-long isopod-esque creature. Furthermore, there are several of the creatures rather than a single individual.

Gallery

Trivia

  • Godzilla is the only Godzilla manga to be officially republished in English.

External links

Comments

Showing 8 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators.

Loading comments...
Era Icon - Toho.png
Era Icon - Heisei.png
Book
Era Icon - Godzilla.png
Era Icon - Shockirus.png
Era Icon - Super X.png
Dark Horse