Last Updated on June 24, 2025 by Angel Melanson
Last year, the folks at IDW announced that they were giving the Godzilla comic book universe a big reboot. This is not uncommon in the world of comics as a reboot offers a fresh jumping-on point for new readers. However, what the publisher is doing with what they’ve dubbed the Kai-Sei era is nothing shy of ambitious. They are launching three new titles beginning later this summer, all of which have something very unique to offer. Arguably the most unique of all is Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone, which is introducing something truly bonkers to the franchise.
The folks at IDW were kind enough to offer Fango a sneak peak at Godzilla #1, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 and Starship Godzilla #1 recently. Writers Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan are tackling Escape the Deadzone with artwork by Pablo Tunica. We’ve got a glimpse at that artwork for you to check out below but the important thing here is the story at hand. As the official synopsis for the book reveals, the Kai-Sei era will be home to a human/kaiju hybrid. Yes, really.
“Inside the new IDW Godzilla universe, there exists a mystery larger than any other-what is the Deadzone? Inhabitants of this new world know the Deadzone to be a walled-off portion of the Pacific Northwest, sequestered after the most disastrous Godzilla attack the country has ever faced. The government would have its citizens believe that nothing is still alive inside the Deadzone…but do you believe that?
There are stories of a man. Or rather…a half kaiju, half man…who travels freely throughout the Deadzone. Some say he can even kill a kaiju. Some say…he's not the only of his kind.”
So yeah, that sounds truly wild, to put it mildly. The Kai-Sei era launches with three very distinct titles, all of which share a connected universe. The stories take place roughly 70 years after most of the Godzilla movies, which helps them stand out. That makes this human/kaiju hybrid all the more intriguing. Is this some unholy beast molded by decades of radiation? Is it some sort of experiment gone wrong? For now, we have fare more questions than answers, but it’s an intriguing concept.
Tunica described the plot as “a mix of Cormac McCarthy and raving mutants, where Godzilla is an unspoken presence” speaking to Fango. He also explained that seeing this all through the eyes of children is what attracted him to the book. “Children, despite what is believed, are much crueler than adults until the game is over. I would love for readers to be able to find themselves in that idea. For children, everything is a game, but at the same time, everything is very real,” he said.
Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 hits shelves on August 6.For more, check out the surprisingly impressive Jurassic World Rebirth merch collection from 7-Eleven.
