Kaiju Score #1

Kaiju Score #1

Writen by: James Patrick

Art by: Rem Broo

Aftershock Comics

2020

It’s the most dangerous heist ever attempted. Four desperate criminals are going all in on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to steal millions in art and turn their miserable lives around. The catch? They have to pull it off under the nose of a one thousand-ton Kaiju. And a giant monster might just be the least of their problems.
Brought to you by James Patrick (Grimm Fairy Tales, Death Comes to Dillinger, The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb) and Rem Broo (The End Times of Bram and Ben, Terminal Protocol), THE KAIJU SCORE is what happens when a Quentin Tarantino film takes place smack in the middle of a Godzilla movie.

Man, I’m really starting to appreciate how hard it is to make a great first issue. Kaiju Score begins with an utterly fantastic idea for a caper, and builds an interesting cast of misfits around it. It’s a good start. But, as a single book, the truth is nothing much happens. It’s all build up for something cool to happen in the future, but it’s hard to fault it for that.

And that future could be amazing. Kaiju Score takes two very different genres and ties them together seamlessly. Both are known to be exciting and suspenseful, and now that I’ve seen someone do it, I’m surprised it took this long to get them together. It just makes perfect sense!

And as much as I do love the premise of the book, that’s not even my favorite aspect of it. The art is. Crisp, colorful, and clear, the art is practically perfect on every page. The characters are all similarly exaggerated, and that gives this book a look all it’s own. Each character is easy to identify through their colors and appearance, and while being stylized, they also appear realistic and believable. The action is clear throughout, and the settings and backgrounds look fantastic. Even the “camera angles” are well done, focusing the readers attention just wear it should be. Every panel of this book is nearly a masterpiece.

So, it’s ok with me that not much actually goes on. The stage is set, and it’s set very well. I’ll be looking forward to issue #2, and I’ll even be alright if not much happens then. With as much love and care as clearly went into this title, I’m sure the pay off is imminent, and I’ll be there when it happens, whenever it happens.

Brian Reed

Brian has been reading comics since January, 1987, when the death of Optimus Prime rocked his young world. Once a regular presenter on The Nerdstravaganza Podcast, Brian now writes for Florida Geek Scene.