“Godzilla vs. Yetrigar”

GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS — Issue no. 10, February 1978

Book: Godzilla, King of the Monsters

Issue No.: 10

Published: February 2, 1978

Title: “Godzilla vs. Yetrigar”

Godzilla isn’t originally a Marvel Comics character, of course. The comic book company licensed him from Toho, the Japanese movie studio who created the iconic kaiju. So it’s interesting that Marvel just dropped Godzilla into the Marvel universe. That’s what I’m assuming based on jumping into this series with the tenth issue. The book starts with Dum Dum Dugan and another dude in a helicarrier (so I am assuming S.H.I.E.L.D. is involved) chasing Godzilla on the outskirts of Las Vegas (it’s implied the big green monster laid waste to Sin City in the previous issue). Dum Dum and friends are just side antagonists for Godzilla in this issue. The main baddie is Yetrigar, an ancient bigfoot-type creature who was awakened from his frozen slumber by a nuclear blast that also quickly mutated him to kaiju size. If you were around in the late 1970s, you’ll recall that bigfoot fever was running rampant — a giant Bigfoot might be the perfect comic book villain for 1978.

I feel like lettering in comic books is underrated. And I know I’m a grumpy old man, but I really prefer hand lettering in comics as opposed to the digital lettering (which is designed to look like hand lettering) in use these days. I mention all that because John Costanza lettered this issue of Godzilla, and I think Costanza is one of the great letterers (he lettered two of the watershed comics series of the 1980s — Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns).

The issue ends on a cliffhanger when Red Ronin, a giant robot piloted by a kid, shows up at the Grand Canyon to fight Godzilla and Yetrigar. So I will be looking forward to Godzilla no. 11 next month. (Or maybe the month after that — not sure which of these books were monthly or bi-monthly in ’78.)

Next time — Hulk fights the Leader in Marvel Super-Heroes no. 71!