Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths Vol. 1 #1 "Among the Monsters" - IDW Comics

Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths Vol 1 #1
Publisher: IDW Comics
June, 2011
Cover Artists: Geof Darrow, Alberto Ponticelli, Matt Frank

"Among the Monsters"
Writers: John Layman
Artists: Alberto Ponticelli
Colourists: Jay Fotos
Letterers: John Layman
Editors: Bobby Curnow, Chris Ryall

​Appearing in "Among the Monsters"
Featured Characters:
Godzilla
Mothra
Anguirus
Rodan
King Ghidorah
Kumonga
Battra
Supporting Characters:
Makoto Sato
Ryota Takahashi
Oshii
Kou (henchman)
Elias
Keepers of the Elias
Locations:
Monster Island
Tokyo, Japan

​Synopsis for "Among the Monsters"
Detective Makoto Sato wakes up in the morning on a beach the day after he was beat up by Japanese gangsters out in a boat at sea. Those same gangsters observe him from the boat nearby and see Sato is still alive, thinking that he would've died. "He still has some fight left in him," a leader to the others of sorts known as Oshii says, as he orders someone else to shoot him with a sniper rifle. Although the henchman has a clear headshot, Sato realizes what's going on and runs off into the jungle. They get off of the boat and begin searching for Sato, heading into Monster Island. The gangsters catch up to Sato and try to shoot him, but Sato keeps evading their bullets as they get closer the heart of the island.

Three hours earlier, Sato was about to be shot dead at point blank range on the boat. However, the rope that would've constrained him was loose, and he managed to jump off the boat and swim off.

Back to present time, Sato, still running away from the gangsters, comes face-to-foot with Godzilla. Seeing this valuable opportunity, Sato gets into the line of sight of the gangsters, prompting them to shoot, oblivious to Godzilla, but disappears before the bullets can get to him. The gangsters then realize that Godzilla was in the way, and that they had just annoyed him. Godzilla fires his atomic breath at them, which attracts Mothra, who begins attacking Godzilla and tackling him to the ground. Godzilla quickly begins to "explain" to Mothra why he fired his atomic breath, and they both head off. Just then, mysterious orange-robed priests come to Sato's aid, who's laying unconscious on the ground.

​Fourteen hours earlier, it's revealed that the one who wanted Sato dead was Ryota Takahashi, the kingpin of all of Tokyo's crime families. Takahashi just got done killing Takahashi's police partner in front of him after getting fed up with Sato being an honest detective who wouldn't accept bribes like his other detectives to ignore the crime organizations' activities. Sato tells Takahashi he's a monster, which Takahashi replies to with him not being a "mere monster," instead being a "daikaiju." Takahashi then tells his henchmen to take Sato away, and that, if he thought of resisting, he would kill his two sons.

Present time, Sato wakes up in the house of the Elias, where the Keepers of the Elias say the "soul of Monster Island resides." The Elias introduce themselves to Sato, and reveal that they had sent Mothra to stop Godzilla from killing him. Sato thanks them, and one of the Keepers tells a confused Makoto to rest after explaining that the Elias do "control" Mothra to an extent—they bring balance and harmony to that which is discordant. However, Sato instead puts the Elias in a box and gets into a boat. The Elias ask what he's doing, and say that they belong in Monster Island, to which Sato replies that he needs to bring them to Tokyo to protect his family and bring down Takahashi and the Tokyo crime syndicate.

Original Solicitation
Detective Makoto Sato is on an unrelenting quest to bring down the Takahashi crime syndicate. Sato's efforts earn him a one-way trip to a tropical getaway, courtesy of the Tokyo criminal underworld. The exotic locale? MONSTER ISLAND! Alone and facing death at the hands of both gangsters and goliaths, Sato must use his wits to survive-and enlist the aid of some most unusual friends. Join superstar creators John Layman (Chew) and Alberto Ponticelli (Unknown Soldier) for this unusual and exciting miniseries!

Next Issue >