INTERVIEW: Gerry Duggan on 'Godzilla vs. Hulk' #1

The second installment of the Godzilla vs. Marvel event is set to stomp into comic book stores on April 16, pitting the King of the Monsters against "the strongest there is" in a kaiju-packed throwdown featuring a version of the Thunderbolts as illustrated by artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. To find out more about what fans can expect from Godzilla vs. Hulk #1, we got in touch with writer Gerry Duggan, who may be eschewing his trademark humor skills in favor of tonal terror. Read on for our full interview with Duggan, plus four full-color preview pages from the upcoming monster showdown.

Godzilla.com: You have a wealth of experience writing monsters. What makes Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 the perfect pairing for you as a writer and a fan?

Gerry Duggan: My first Godzilla encounter was right around the time I was voraciously reading comic books. So, the Marvel heroes and the big guy both were leaving bruises on my young brain back in the Bronze Age of comics. I used to get excited when the baseball games out of NYC were rained out - "Rain Delay Theater" usually meant Godzilla stomping around. At around the same time my favorite toy was the Hulk Rage Cage, so to now help bring two green giants together - literally the stuff that my fever dreams were made from.

Godzilla.com: This title is extra unique in that it stars two unbeatable characters. How do you approach pitting the King of the Monsters vs. the Strongest There Is?

Gerry Duggan: The liberating thing is that these one and done stories really reimagine the orbits of these characters, and I think I bent a few characters, and hopefully surprise. Neither Hulk nor Godzilla are the biggest monsters in the story. So that will be fun.

Godzilla.com: Godzilla is many things to many fans. What is the "ultimate" Godzilla in the Duggan headcanon (it can be a composite)?

Gerry Duggan: The Godzilla that would destroy a city, until it reached a theater that had David Bowie singing, and it would give the monster pause – make it wonder -- if perhaps we're worth sparing?

Godzilla.com: After your extensive work on Deadpool and other titles, you've become known for your sense of humor. Can fans expect any levity in Godzilla vs. Hulk?

Gerry Duggan: Uh oh. It's not very funny, ha. It's a very dark tale, and makes use of some of the older characters we haven't seen in a while -- hoping that any fans of Dr. Demonicus will dine well.

Godzilla.com: We ask everyone this: Tell us about your Godzilla collection. Do you have any prized possessions?

Gerry Duggan: I visited Tokyo a couple of times and have visited the Godzilla hotel in Shinjuku each time -- there are some fun things on offer that you can only get at the hotel - including ones limited to the "Godzilla view" room. I also still have all my old Godzilla Marvel comics and I have a pretty sweet Bandai toy on my desk. But my real prized possessions are these experiences with the big guy -- watching Godzilla with my old man on TV, and introducing my son to him - possibly a little early - he got really scared of the '54 Godzilla and had some nightmares. I think some were mine. I rarely remember dreams but I know Godzilla's appeared in mine. Being scared at the right age is a gift. Oh, and -- I also experienced the strongest typhoon of 2019 to Japan and a modest earthquake, all while in the shadow of Godzilla. I should have paid extra.

Here's two pics of mine from the Toho building during Typhoon Hagibis.