The final issue in the Skull Island: The Birth of Kong series. Once more, the creative team of writer Arvid Nelson and artist Mohammad Yazid "Zid" Kamal Baharin, known as Zid from here on out, do good work on this conclusion to the story. While it's somewhat ho-hum as a climax to the whole series, it's still got some satisfying moments that are backed by solid artwork from Zid.
In terms of story, the comic opens with Walter R. Riccio holding the other survivors at gunpoint. He begins to sprout delusions, having accepted Kong as his god and now in an unhealthy state of mind from wanting to see him... wanting to know if he is a god of wrath and judgement or love and mercy. To find this out he plans to destroy the Iwi village wall, leaving them exposed to the many threats of the island. In doing so, he assumes King Kong will arrive to save them. However, Riccio is interrupted by the appearance of Death Jackals. As he fends them off with his gun, the survivors run, heading back to the village to warn everyone before it's too late...
To writer Arvid Nelson's credit, there were a few moments in this issue that had me wondering what would happen and with some general surprises. It's generally not a predictable issue for a number of events, although does suffer from feeling rushed at times. To that point, turn back now to avoid spoilers, and I would suggest those who haven't read it yet to do so. With that out of the way, it's fair to note that Riccio is successful. He blows up the Iwi wall, and no sooner does he do this that Mother Longlegs come pouring in. Literally five of them, one being a larger one too. Problem is, they come in too soon. The turn of events are the explosion, Riccio appearing saying it's too late and then the Mother Longlegs appearing right behind him in the next panel. Are there really that many of the giant spiders just hanging around the wall at all times, and furthermore would their instinct after seeing an explosion be to run toward it? That complaint aside, the spiders also aren't the best climax as far as Kong goes. He's much bigger than they are, and curb stomps them to the point it doesn't feel like much of a climax if not for the fact this is the first time the modern day Kong has showed in the story.
What sells the issue, besides the surprises, is the art. Zid once more knocks it out of the park. Kong looks amazing, while the detail in the Mother Longlegs is consistently impressive. The giant one, or "queen", in particular looks fantastic here. The human cast still remains distinct as well, while the action in the final battle is fluid and exciting. Zid has remained the highlight through the series and what I will miss most now that it's over. Speaking of, this is also the first comic in the series not to have a cover done by Zid. Instead it's done by Drew Johnson, who has been in the industry a long time doing art on comics such as Supergirl and Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron. While Johnson is a great artist, the cover, feels a little off, mostly due to Kong looking strange with his stance and the sense of movement from him.
Overall, it's a good issue which makes this an overall good mini-series. It ends on a nice note, and as a whole crafts a dark fable that works for readers. For those who haven't picked up an issue yet, now's a great time to look toward the trade paperback that compiles them all as well.
As a side note, like previous issues, this one ends in cryptozoology listings. The ones here are for King Kong and the Mother Longlegs. However, the King Kong one has the stats and general listing info obscured by papers that are laying on top of it, sadly. |
