Godzilla Horror Comic Pays Homage To An Iconic Horror Movie With A Twist

IDW Publishing's most terrifying Godzilla story of the year is paying homage to the slasher franchise that helped define the genre.

IDW Publishing has officially unveiled the full slate of variant covers for the upcoming The Horror of Godzilla #1, with each offering its own chilling take on the titular kaiju. At least, that is the case save for Pablo Tunica's homage variant, which instead sees Godzilla offer its take on the instantly iconic poster for 1978's Halloween, as seen below.

The Horror of Godzilla #1

• Written by ETHAN S. PARKER & GRIFFIN SHERIDAN
• Art by TRISTAN JONES
• Main cover art by TRISTAN JONES
• Variant covers by PABLO TUNICA; TREVOR HENDERSON; KELLEY JONES; and PATRICK HORVATH

The official solicit synopsis for The Horror of Godzilla #1 from IDW Publishing reads, "Tokyo, 1954. As the country begins to look toward its postwar future, two scientists start an experiment in the Pacific Ocean. It is meant to change everything…and it will. Come now, reader, and bear witness to the incredible horror of the King of the Monsters. There are no heroes. There are no survivors. There is only the wrath of Godzilla... And as readers will soon discover, they’ve never seen a Godzilla attack quite like this one before…"

The Horror of Godzilla #1 kicks off a four-issue miniseries that serves as a prequel to the entire Kai-Sei Era itself. Speaking to CBR's John Dodge, IDW Publishing Editor Jake Williams previously described the Kai-Sei Era as "In some ways... the Ultimate Godzilla universe."

What To Expect From The Horror Of Godzilla

The Horror of Godzilla #1 was first revealed back in February, when readers got their first glimpse at IDW Publishing's take on Godzilla's classic, black-and-white rampage. As noted by Williams at the time, "[This] is for fans of Godzilla Minus One, Shin Godzilla, and Godzilla '54. It's a terrifying look at the Kai-Sei era's first Godzilla attack. It grabs the reader and places them on the ground in the middle of the most petrifying night in human history: the arrival of Godzilla."

Fan-favorite artist Tristan Jones also touched on how far removed The Horror of Godzilla is from previous Kai-Sei Era offerings, explaining, "As a storyteller that’s become something of a fixture in the horror genre, it's a genuine honor and a thrill to work with Griffin and Ethan (and our incredible editor Jake) on a Godzilla story that leans so hard into my favorite visuals and even harder into things I always wished the films would."

Jones added, "It's a huge departure from what I’ve been known for so far, and everyone's given me incredible space to both try new things and bring visuals to comics I’d never had a proper chance to before."

The Horror of Godzilla #1 from IDW Publishing goes on sale on July 29.