Summary:  A Tokyo detective who runs afoul of Tokyo mobsters escapes to Monster Island, after his partner is murdered and a failed attempt on his life.  His killers give pursuit.

Comment:  Equal parts crime story and monster movie, this issue reads like a Japanese gangster film or Toho monster movie from their golden era in film, the 1960s.  I suspect that this is the comic that many die-hard Godzilla fans were expecting from the on-going series by Powell, Marsh, and Hester.  This mini-series, by the way, is wholly unrelated to Powell’s book, as noted on the inside cover of the issue, and is intended to be read and enjoyed as a stand alone story arc.

I hesistate to give too much away.  Needless to say, it is a very enjoyable issue.  Layman’s yakuza are tough, mean mo’fos and are rendered so by Ponticelli.  You can see the the worn determination on the veteran detective’s face.  Ponticelli’s monsters are very satisfyingly drawn as well.  Mothra is shown in all of her fuzzy glory, and Godzilla is as large and imposing as he should be.

Highly recommended–a great issue full of monsters, gangsters, and one determined detective bent on justice!