Kong: Skull Island is finally in theaters, marking the gorilla's official debut into Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse. For those of you planning to see this movie in the near future, or already caught in a screening last night, you'll have to wait a little bit for King Kong to return to the big screen, as he won't be back until 2020's Godzilla vs. Kong. However, that doesn't mean fans won't be able to reunite with this iteration of the giant gorilla soon, as an upcoming comic book series will explore his origins.
Legendary Comics announced today (via THR) that they will publish a four-issue series titled Skull Island: The Birth of Kong. The comic will serve as both a prequel and a sequel to Kong: Skull Island. The events after the movie will follow a group of Monarch agents traveling to the island to learn why the ape is so protective of protecting that particular territory. While investigating, they'll learn about Kong's past conflicts with other monsters on the island, and how he became the "king." The series will be written by Arvid Nelson, whose previous work includes Red Sonja and Warlord of Mars over at Dynamite Entertainment, and Malaysian artist Zid will handle illustration duties.
In recent years, major movies getting comic book tie-ins have become increasingly more common, and I don't just mean with franchises like Marvel and DC that have roots in comics. For instance, fellow March release Power Rangers is getting a graphic novel sequel called Aftershock, and later this year, Keanu Reeves' John Wick will lead an ongoing series from Dynamite. King Kong is just the latest blockbuster to receive such an honor, though it's by no means the first time the gorilla has appeared in a comic book or strip. That's been happening since right after the character debuted in that original 1933 movie, most recently over at Boom Studios. So if you walk out of Kong: Skull Island and are eager to learn more about the ape, be on the lookout for Skull Island: The Birth of Kong in the coming weeks.
Taking place in 1973, Kong: Skull Island will follow a group of explorers who venture to Skull Island to learn its mysteries, but what they didn't count on was angering the giant gorilla that rules those parts and having to fight for their lives against the other terrifying creatures roaming around. As for what happens from there, well, no spoilers here. But one thing is certain: in three years, King Kong be back to fight Godzilla, one of the MonsterVerse's other notable inhabitants.
The first issue of Skull Island: The Birth of Kong will be available digitally and in comic book stores starting April 5. In the meantime, whether you've already seen Kong: Skull Island or haven't caught it yet, click here to read our review of the movie.
