Godzilla is coming to Kansas City. Upcoming comic book promises a spectacle
The King of the Monsters has its sights set on Kansas City’s demise in a new comic book series hitting stores in the fall.
Five comic book artists and illustrators in the Kansas City area teamed up to deliver a standalone story titled “Godzilla vs America: Kansas City.” The comic book shows what happens when the fictional monster sets foot into the Midwest city.
The 56-page comic from publisher IDW hits comic book stores Oct. 29, and will feature stories and artwork from Kyle Strahm, Freddie E. Williams II, Baldemar Rivas, Jake Smith and Buster Moody. They have been previously featured in comic books for characters like Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Twig and Godzilla itself.
“People have given us some pretty strange looks when we tell them that the fourth city for ‘Godzilla vs. America’ is Kansas City… but that’s what’s so fun about it,” said IDW Godzilla editor Jake Williams said in a statement. “’Godzilla vs. America’ is partially about seeing the King of the Monsters in places it has never been before — and what’s more unique than Godzilla showing up in a mid-sized midwestern town?”
It was IDW’s editorial team that decided to have Kansas City as one of the locations Godzilla travels to, Moody said. He also said IDW approached him to work on the story, but he said he would’ve asked to contribute anyway because of his local ties.
The editors told the creators involved that the story is Godzilla vs. Kansas City and gave them free rein to create something around that premise. For Moody’s part, he plotted out a story where the characters could travel on foot around downtown Kansas City while Godzilla is battling military forces and causing havoc.
“Like a couple of the other guys involved, I also went to school at Kansas City Art Institute for college, and taught there for a few semesters after graduating,” Moody said. “I have a lot of pride in our city and especially in the comic book and artistic communities that make it up. To be able to represent that while also doing one of my favorite things ever — drawing comics — is quite an honor and privilege.”
There are two covers, each depicting Godzilla targeting a Kansas City landmark. The first cover shows Godzilla towering over the Kansas City Convention Center, Municipal Auditorium and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the second shows the monster engulfing the Kansas City skyline in a blue flame, including Union Station.
Other landmarks in the path of Godzilla include the HR Block Headquarters, One Kansas City Place, Quality Hill and the Christopher S. Bond Bridge.
Fans suggested that the Independence Bridge and Patrick Mahomes could stop the monster from destroying the city on a post from the character’s X account (formerly known as Twitter) announcing the comic.
IDW’s official description of the comic book says:
“Calling it ‘Kansas City’ wasn’t enough to throw Godzilla off the trail — the King of the Monsters knows it’s really in Missouri, and it’s on its way. You may have thought your city was too small to attract a kaiju... well, you shouldn’t have stuffed it so full of incredible comics creators. At this point, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy it. So, join a star-studded group of Kansas City–based comics creators as Godzilla smashes its smallest city yet.”
Penguin Random House and Target have a hardcover version up for pre-order with a release date of March 10, 2026.
“When looking at comic talent, Kansas City bats way out of its weight class,” Williams said. “These artists are absolutely phenomenal, and I can’t wait to see what they have Godzilla do to their city.”
