Superman and the Justice League take on the Titans who last faced each other in the last Monsterverse film! Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 is the clash of epic franchises! The first character is Kong with the 1933 film. Godzilla followed in 1954. Side note: Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1 came out five years after the sensation of King Kong. Then, the Justice League of America first appeared, published by DC Comics, in The Brave and the Bold #28 (1960). The team name was shortened in Justice League #1 (1987). The first film of the superhero group was in Justice League (2017). Godzilla (2014) established the Monsterverse. Kong: Skull Island (2017) debuted the same year as the DC superheroes. The two Titans clashed in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)!
Legendary Comics published the Monsterverse graphic novels expanding the world of the Titans starting with Godzilla: Awakening (2014). The comics’ arrival, sold out at one store so add it to your pulls, it is timely with the upcoming Godzilla Day, November 3rd! The creative team of Brian Buccellato and Christian Duce is working on the limited series. Buccellato is the writer for the current Flash title. I Am Batman featured the artwork of Duce. Drew Johnson is the artist for the gatefold cover that has Godzilla roaring with Wonder Woman confronting him while the Batwing streaks past, the Daily Planet building is in the background, on the other side is King Kong surrounded by attack helicopters constructed by Green Lanterns, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, while Hawkgirl (Kendra Sanders) follows the Batwing. Johnson is the artist of Godzilla: Dominion (2021).
At the Daily Planet roof, Clark, in his suit, is having a dinner just below the Planet globe with Lois. The setting sun has a nice dark orange, great colors by Luis Guerrero. They are on the helipad where they both met. A hint at the Superman (1978) film. She knows his identity as Superman and he goes on one knee. The marriage of Clark and Lois sets this before Superman: The Wedding Album (1996). So there are current Justice League characters and different continuity so this is separate from the main DC universe. Crossing over the Monsterverse is just using the characters with no impact on current content in either universe. The engagement is disturbed by the earth shaking. Spines appear at Metropolis Bay. In a large one and a quarter pag panel, Godzilla emerges with glaring, red eyes! This shifts back twelve hours ago on the Justice League satellite. This is their headquarters since Justice League of America #78 (1970).
Hal Jordan, Green Lantern, and Barry Allen, Flash, are monitoring Superman’s non-stop rescues. They are both part of the original team from The Brave and the Bold. There is a heroic pose of the Flash as he knows that even with his speed, the world can’t all be saved at once. I never understood how Flash could be muscular when you don’t see him workout and I would imagine his body would burn off energy and he would be rail thin. Their questions about Superman is answered by Supergirl who says Clark is asking Lois to marry him and going on his first vacation. Saving the world by himself seems egocentric especially with Supergirl and the Justice League. Superman flies towards a threat, it looks like where we left him going after Godzilla, but instead it is the kaiju sized ape, Titano. The Kong-like ape is a long time Superman foe first appearing in Superman #127 (1959). I like that there is a kaiju threat before any battles with Kong or Godzilla.
This Titano has a cyborg eye and a patch on his shoulder revealing more cybernetics. Green Lantern notes the Kryptonite beams that Titano blasts from his eyes. Flash races away leaving behind Supergirl and Green Lantern. Flash runs from the Hall of Justice, this was originally the setting of the Superfriends cartoon. It entered the DC Universe in Justice League of America #7 (2007). He finds that Superman is already flying in a bound Titano, only a glimpse of the battle which would be a great intro for superhero battles. Flash sitting on the unconscious Titano talks to Superman about the engagement. The focus on Flash seems to emphasize Buccellato’s work on the title. It would make more sense that his cousin talk with Clark. Green Lantern joins them as Superman takes Titano to the Super-Maximum Security Prison on Stryker’s Island. Waiting there is Wonder Woman, strange introduction, she is encouraging about Superman’s engagement.
This moves to a tiltrotor flying towards Supeman’s arctic Fortress of Solitude, this brings in Lex Luthor and Cheetah from the Legion of Doom, a team also from Superfriends. Luthor says it took three years for him to discover the location of the fortress, but I don’t know why he knows the fortress even exists. For some reason, the fortress’ only defense is Kelex, the robot from Man of Steel #1 (1986). Luthor has Black Manta destroy the robot which he does with a laser cannon instead using the blasts from his helmet, confusing. Luthor has Giganta, another Wonder Woman villain, take away Kelex to examine him. He has his fellow villains pull open the fortress doors. The rest of legion includes Gorilla Grodd, Toy Man, and Captain Cold. They enter the trophy room and Luthor is only interested in the Mother Box and Orion’s Sled, really called Orion's Astro-Harness, both objects from the New Gods. I’m not certain why there is no alert or even cameras to warn Superman.
Luthor wants to use the Mother Box to trap the Justice League in the Phantom Zone, instead of a Phantom Zone Projector? The Mother Box has the potential to do much more than just trapping enemies. Black Manta says that the Mother Box will be protected by an ultrasonic alarm that Superman can hear. This is while Toy Man is fascinated by the red Dreamstone, this was an object that was in Justice League of America #19 (1963) and was in the Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) movie. It is part of Sandman’s world so I’m not certain why it would end up in the Fortress of Solitude. Clark is at his apartment packing his suitcase. His attention is taken by Bruce Wayne, shouldn’t he have heard him entering the building with super hearing? Clark shows him the ring that he financed. Bruce brings up that Lois could be in danger with the wedding, but we have already had this dealt with this in the years since the original wedding.
Clark senses the Fortress alarm, but Supergirl contacts Bruce that the Justice League can deal with the intruders. Except it is Superman’s fortress that is invaded. The Justice League including Hawkgirl enter the Fortress. Cheetah is angry that Toyman has tripped the alarm grabbing his neck. Luthor says that they set the coordinates for the Mother Box. I’m not certain how he understood New Genesis technology in moments. Captain Cold tries to warn the others about the Justice League, but gets a tiny, green fist projected by Green Lantern. Luthor is about to place the Mother Box into Orion’s sled, did Orion die?, if so then it should be at New Genesis. Flash socks Captain Cold and then takes away the sled. Captain Cold freezes the Flash with his cold gun and the sled, Astro-Harness, flies away. It isn’t frozen with the Flash? He is hit by Green Lantern’s anvil construct while he deflects a spear used by Black Manta who still doesn’t like to use his helmet blasts.
Supergirl slams down Gorilla Grodd and wants to know Luthor’s plans with the Mother Box. The biggest threat may be Luthor, but the heroes fight the rest of the Legion of Doom. Hawkgirl strikes Giganta in her giant form with her mace while Wonder Woman deflects Cheetah’s claws with her shield. The women have some weak parts here. Toy Man, the weakest villain, runs away and throws a toy stuffie that bounces off Hawkgirl’s mace. It explodes next to the Mother Box which activates. Green Lantern sets up a shield and Wonder Woman has to be rescued by the Flash, she has to be rescued? This goes to the Daily Planet where Lois is working on a story. Clark invites her for their vacation bringing their luggage into an elevator. They reach the dinner table at the helipad. So back to the beginning of the comic.
The Legion of Doom finds themselves in an unknown jungle. I like Cheetah and Gorilla Grodd taking the point, but they should have the scent of what is there. Toy Man says their unexpected transport was an accident. Cheetah is angry at him. Grodd carrying the sled sees that the Mother Box is destroyed, New Genesis tech is really not fragile. Giganta spots a base and Black Manta detects heat signatures. Then, Captain Cold is surprised by the roar of a Skullcrawler that we saw in Kong: Skull Island (2017). A good closeup of the Skullcrawler growling as Kong leaps down! They retreat towards the Monarch base and Grodd is stunned at seeing what he says is an “ape god.” This is interesting since his mind control could probably make Kong an ally.
They enter the command center which has a screen of Godzilla. I'm not certain why a Monarch base would be abandoned with the equipment still running. Monarch is not identified or mentioned so the Monsterverse is not established in the comic. Luthor works out that they are on Skull Island. Outside, Kong defeats the Skullcrawler and Grodd talks to him. Toy Man considers the Titans as toys pointing out Godzilla. He gets angry at the others since he sees them as a way to defeat the Justice League. Toy Man holds the dreamstone and wishes that his toys, the Titans, would take on the Justice League. We don’t get any superhero vs. kaiju action, but it is all set up and super villain fights in this issue. Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 has potential mixing DC heroes against the Monsterverse Titans!
Four Dreamstones out of Five!
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