“Every comic is someone’s first.” That famous Stan Lee quote–though, given what we’ve learned recently about Stan’s MO, could very well also be attributed to Jack Kirby but, we won’t get into that–has helped shape the way I read comics and influenced some of the things I look for when reviewing them. That quote was at the forefront of my mind while reviewing ESCAPE FROM SKULL ISLAND #1, on sale at comic shops on January 28, 2026 from Titan Comics.
Written by Simon Furman (Transformers) with art by Christopher Jones (Teen Titans, Young Justice), ESCAPE FROM SKULL ISLAND is a spin-off of the comic series RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND, which itself was a continuation of the Netflix’s animated series SKULL ISLAND. Got it? Have I said Skull Island enough yet? Because, if you couldn’t already tell, this is where our story takes place. It’s the birthplace of that strapping, sizable, sturdy, stupendous simian himself; the mighty Kong, along with the rest of the island’s monstrous menagerie.
Issue #1 opens up in 1940 on–wait for it–Skull Island. Dr. Josephine is being held against her will by a squad of Nazi soldiers. The leader is a high ranking Colonel hell bent on using Dr. Josephine’s expertise in, presumably, archeology to unlock the secrets of subterranean tunnels that lead to an underworld. How this will help them cure Hitler’s severe case of microphallus is beyond me and it’s not the point. What is the point, is that Nazis are the (near)universal avatars for pure evil so, whatever their end goal, they obviously need a stern talking to and a nap so they cut the malarkey already. Their actions trigger a chain of events that sees Kong get his first taste of brutal action, which is really why we’re all here, right?
The story shifts to the present where those of you who are familiar with the RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND and SKULL ISLAND comic and animated series, respectively, will recognize returning characters traversing the jungle terrain and evading the eviscerating savagery of the island’s ferocious inhabitants while trying to do what the title of the book says should be done which is, ESCAPE FROM SKULL ISLAND! This gives us our second look at Kong but, this time, the full grown “unc” (as the kids say) version in the present day, as he once again encounters a powerful artifact that he first encounters in the 1940 portion of the issue.
The art of Issue #1 of ESCAPE FROM SKULL ISLAND maintains the general look of the animated series. The colors from the flashback are muted while the colors of the present day are vivid and vibrant. The monster battle is well laid out and well choreographed but a little confusing in a couple of panels, but nothing major. It just took a couple of lingering glances for me to get oriented. If the goal was to maintain aesthetic fidelity between the look of the show and comic series, I’d say it was a success.
The writing was where there were a couple of bumpy areas for me. Going back to my opening quote, “Every comic is someone’s first”, I think a bit more care could have been taken to find a way to reintroduce the main characters for the readers who may be new to the franchise. I’m a lifelong comic reader so this was by no means my first comic. It was, however, my introduction to this side of the Monsterverse and as such, I could have used a slightly longer on ramp. In addition, after watching a few episodes of SKULL ISLAND, I felt the writer was attempting to port the wit and banter of the show over to the comic but it ultimately fell a bit flat, in that regard. I’m assuming there are lots of constraints and limitations creators have to operate under while working on licensed IP and I feel that flatness is most likely a direct result of those boundaries and not due to the skill of the writer.
I think this comic will really resonate with die-hard fans of the animated series and previous comic series alike. But, for people like myself, this may not serve as a great starting point to get into the franchise. I’d recommend watching the show and reading the previous comic series before jumping into this series if you aren’t already a fan of the Monsterverse. I’m hoping the issues to follow will correct those bumpy areas. But, if you just want to see otherworldly, prehistoric monsters bash the hell out of each other and also get a reminder of why Nazis will always be the poster boys for little d_ck energy, give this a shot. Who knows? Maybe after reading this, you won’t want to… ESCAPE FROM SKULL ISLAND. Okay, okay… I’m done. I promise.
6 OUT OF 10
