After the Fantastic Four barely survived their run-in with Godzilla in the first Marvel Kaiju clash, Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 picks up the monster mayhem baton with a matchup that’s been decades in the making. But this isn’t your classic Banner-smashes-city situation. Instead, we find ourselves in a Marvel Universe where kaiju are the world’s biggest threat, Thunderbolt Ross leads an anti-monster military force, and Bruce Banner is…a scientist helping out the government? Until things go predictably wrong, of course.
Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 is a monster mash of surprises, twists, and one gamma-powered glow-up you won’t see coming. We open on a militarized Marvel Earth where kaiju threats like Mothra and Kumonga are being hunted down by Ross’s Thunderbolts, now more of a science-slash-security task force than the morally grey Avengers-lite we’re used to. Ross is front and center — barking orders, launching Mechagodzillas, and flexing his anti-monster obsession. Godzilla is public enemy number one, and the plan to take him down involves luring him into a brutal brawl with some old-school monster enemies. Meanwhile, Bruce Banner quietly works in the background… until the monster brawls go sideways, and an even deadlier threat emerges: Hedorah.
The story unfolds like an old-school disaster film, all rising stakes and last-ditch plans. Hulk doesn’t actually smash his way in until later, and when he does, it’s not the solo showdown the cover might have teased. Instead, things veer hard into unexpected territory, culminating in a fusion that’s as ridiculous as it is awesome: Godzilla, supercharged by Hulk’s gamma blood. That’s right. We get Hulkzilla.
Credit: Marvel Comics
There’s a moment about halfway through where I realized I’d stopped reading and was just grinning. This comic leans fully into the “what if a nuclear monster fought Marvel’s rage beast” premise with the energy of a 12-year-old smashing toys together in a sandbox — and I mean that in the best way. You will be let down if you’re here for existential themes or slow-burn character arcs. But if you want wild visuals, military vs. monster chaos, and a straight-up “HULK BLOOD HELP LIZARD” moment? You’re in for a good time.
The narrative plays fast and loose with continuity — Rick Jones is dead, Tony Stark built Mechagodzilla and didn’t make it, and Banner is weirdly calm — but that’s the point. This one-shot exists in its little bubble, like a monster movie matinee where logic doesn’t matter as long as the battles are big and the explosions are louder.
The best part of the issue, no surprise, is Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art. Godzilla looks great. The scale is there. The monster battles hit hard. And when Hulk finally hulks and Godzilla finally roars, the splash pages deliver. The moment where gamma-powered Godzilla shows up? Pure spectacle.
Credit: Marvel Comics
Let’s be real, the title “Godzilla vs. Hulk” sets a certain expectation. You want the two icons to brawl, throw punches, and flatten cities. This issue doesn’t quite give you that. It gives you more of a team-up than an actual throwdown. If that bugs you, fair enough. The pacing also feels rushed — there’s a lot of setup, a sudden pivot, and an abrupt ending. It almost feels like the story was cut short by a few pages.
Character-wise, Bruce is more of a plot device than a protagonist. Ross gets more page time. Godzilla is great, but mostly reactive until the very end. The real star here is the spectacle — the kaiju fights, the transformation, the final big twist. That said, the issue knows exactly what it is: a loud, energetic, old-school monster comic. And it delivers on that vibe from page one. The retro-style narration, the classic comic paneling, and the pure glee of watching Hulk juice up a kaiju are all goofy, punchy fun.
While Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 might not deliver the straightforward monster-on-monster fight you’re expecting, it offers arguably even more fun: a surprise team-up, Godzilla getting a gamma power-up, and some seriously satisfying kaiju carnage. It’s weird, wild, and unexpectedly entertaining.
‘Godzilla vs. Hulk’ #1 Review: Marvel’s Wildest Mashup Unleashed!
Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 might not deliver the straightforward monster-on-monster fight you’re expecting, it offers arguably even more fun: a surprise team-up, Godzilla getting a gamma power-up, and some seriously satisfying kaiju carnage.
