Fans of theMonsterVersemight want to hit their local comic stores, as a continuation of the Netflix seriesSkull Islandwill continue in the printed format. With the release of 2014’sGodzilla, Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse has become a bona fide hit shared cinematic universe with popular box office entries likeGodzilla vs. Kongand its sequel,Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The franchise has also expanded to television with two releases in 2023, Apple TV’s live-actionMonarch: Legacy of Monstersand the animated seriesSkull Islandon Netflix.
Titan Comics is publishingReturn to Skull Island, a comic continuation of the Netflix seriesSkull Island. That animated series took place in the 1990s, afterKong: Skull Islandbut before the events teased in the season finale ofMonarch: Legacy of Monsters,which ended with a Kong cameo. The comic series will be written by Simon Furman and illustrated by Christopher Jones and will hit comic shelves on Jul 31, 2025, picking up from the storyline of the animated series. See the trailer below:
The Growling Appeal of the MonsterVerse
Skull Islandpremiered on Netflix in June 2023. The series followed a group of shipwrecked survivors who found themselves on the fabled Skull Island. The series received positive reviews from critics but has yet to be renewed for a second season by Netflix,though the scripts are ready according to series creator Brian Duffield.Skull Islandwas announced in January 2021, an interesting turning point in the MonsterVerse franchise. Following the box office disappointment ofGodzilla: King of the Monsters, all signs pointed to the long-delayedGodzilla vs. Kongbeing the final film in the MonsterVerse franchise, withSkull Islandseemingly being an afterthought.
How COVID Saved the MonsterVerse
The MonsterVerse seemed finished in 2019, but the COVID-19 delay of Godzilla vs. Kong made it the film to bring audiences back to theaters.
However,Godzilla vs. Kongturned out to be a surprise hit at the box office and streaming, made even more impressive because it was released while theaters were reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the MonsterVerse is going stronger than ever asMonarch: Legacy of Monsterslaunched in November 2023 to positive reviews, and Season 2 is on the way. Meanwhile,Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirewas a bigger box office hit than many expected, and athird film is set for release in 2027.
Even ifSkull Islanddoes not return for Season 2, theReturn to Skull Islandcomic continuation is a good thing in terms of the larger MonsterVerse brand.Many iconic series have gotten comic continuations, fromBuffy the Vampire SlayertoSmallville, and nowSkull Islandcan join those ranks. The MonsterVerse now encompasses films, television series, and comics, creating a new generation of fans for classic kaijus like King Kong and Godzilla.
Source: Titan Comics viaDown the Tubes
Skull Island
