Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Kong King of Skull Island #1
Markosia Comics
Satterlee, O’Connor, Johnson & Castillo
The first full issue of this mini series is basically a set up issue to the real story. I cant say there is a ton of action or even character development, but the story does put the major players in harms way by the issue’s end. I was entertained but not really satisfied.
Let me begin by saying that there is more than the requisite number of pages, which brings in some brownie points and can partially justify the $3.99 price tag.
The issue begins in 1957 or about 25 years after the original King Kong. The setting is a museum and the meeting is between Jack Driscoll and Vince Denham. Vince is the son of the filmmaker in the original and Jack is still Jack, only now he is married to Ann Darrow instead of saving her life.
Vince feels the urge to investigate his father’s work. It seems that theories run-a-muck that the whole King Kong thing was a hoax. The conversation between the two highlights the facts that the body of Kong was never accounted for and that poor quality of the pictures taken of Kong could have been fakes. Denham, unable to convince Jack then plays his ace, which is that he found a map of Skull Island hidden away in a picture frame. Apparently the map reveals some unknown fact about the Island.
So they all take a little boat trip. Once they get close to the Island the ship runs aground. Jack decides to stay abroad the ship while Denham and some crew takes a rowboat to the Island. Trouble crops up for the rowboat in the form of a giant sea-creature. All seem to be killed except Denham. Jack gets to the Island and stays there alone to look for him.
Shortly after, Jack ends up in a native’s underground tunnel and finds some dead bodies. All the while, the natives have Denham captured. Denham has some hallucinations and seems to be getting seduced by one of the natives (your standard super model type).
Aside from the initial meeting between Denham and Jack we don’t learn a whole lot about either character. From a story perspective this issue sets a bunch of stuff up, but doesn’t really give us all the motives of the involved participants.
The artwork is good, but not great. Until we get some grand art stage settings like Kong himself I will stay on the conservative side of saying that its good for now.
Questions about the issue are small ones, but nagging. Why would Jack let Denham go to the Island without him? Why would Jack follow after? Did he see the rowboat get sacked? Why would Jack remain on the Island alone?
I am looking forward to the next issue and I hope the action, story and motives pick up somewhat. Still, this story has a ton of upside potential so I am hanging with it. But this issue is only slightly above average.
3 out of 5 geek goggles.
 Kong King Of Skull Island #4 (Cover A - Castillo) AAM Markosia DEC073296H |
 Kong King Of Skull Island #4 (Cover B - Devito) AAM Markosia DEC073297H |
