RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND #1 / Script by SIMON FURMAN / Art by CHRISTOPHER JONES / Colors by CHARLIE KIRCHOFF / Letters by ANDWORLD DESIGN / Published by TITAN COMICS & LEGENDARY COMICS

The 2023 Skull Island animated series was something of an anomaly. Produced for Netflix, it was the first television show set in the Monsterverse setting of the recent Godzilla vs. Kong films. However, without the right to use the King of the Monsters, it settled into an odd place in regards to its canonicity. Kong was still there, but the focus was largely several groups of shipwrecked explorers who found themselves stuck between Kong and a monster they dubbed the Kraken.

Return to Skull Island picks up where the first season of Skull Island ended. To save his best friend, Mike, a teenager named Charlie enacts a bold plan where he steals a necklace from Kong to lure him into fighting the Kraken. Unfortunately, his actions are noticed by a group of tribals, who worship Kong as their protector and god. This leaves Charlie in a precarious position, as his farther breaks off from the rest of the survivors try to rescue him.

Simon Furman tries to explain the story so far for the benefit of those who come into this comic without having seen the show. For the most part, he gets the exposition out alright. However, there’s little to distinguish the characters from one another. There’s no distinctive personalities among any of the cast. This is something of a problem given the story is focused on them and not the monsters fighting. One might argue that’s also a big problem in a kaiju comic.

Thankfully, the artwork is engaging, even if the story is not. Christopher Jones is one of the most underrated talents in modern comics and I’ve been a big fan of his work since his days on Titan’s Doctor Who comics. He does a fantastic job copying the art style of the original cartoon. His pencils and inks are well completed by the vibrant colors of Charlie Kirchoff and the lettering of Andworld Design.

Your enjoyment of Return to Skull Island may depend on how much you enjoyed the Skull Island animated series. Newcomers will have little reason to care about the characters and there’s not enough kaiju action to thrill Monstervese fans. The artwork is fantastic, but that doesn’t mean much with such a flat, cliche-driven story.

Return to Skull Island #1 releases on July 2, 2025.