KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4, by Dynamite Comics on 11/29/23, continues the WWI-era German sailor’s desperate race to reach the high ground while King Kong picks them off, one by one.
The Details
- Written by: Alex Cox
- Art by: Tommaso Bianchi
- Colors by: James Devlin
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Jae Lee, June Chung (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 29, 2023
Is KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4 Good?
And then there were five. Alex Cox’s tale about shipwrecked sailors trying (and failing) to survive Skull Island slowly rumbles along like a steam train on fire as each sailor succumbs to prehistoric beasts, illness, and the great ape who curiously follows them.
When last we left the German WWI soldiers, their attempts to cross a high chasm ended in disaster when their vulnerable crossing was attacked by hungry, winged dinosaurs and gigantic spiders. In the end, only a handful of soldiers survived. Now, seven soldiers press on to reach Skull Mountain, hoping a fire set at its peak will signal a rescue, but the next leg of the journey tragically whittles the group by two.
Of all the King Kong content in the full range of media, Alex Cox’s tale comes the closest to evoking a true sense of horror, as everything on Skull Island is capable of killing men in gory, gruesome ways. Younger readers with an affinity for the Great Ape may find some blood and violence unsettling, so plan your purchase accordingly.
What’s great about KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4? If the goal was to paint Skull Island as a truly terrifying place you’d never want to visit intentionally, Cox succeeded. The sailors are understandably exhausted from their ordeal, and that feeling of harried exhaustion translates off the page quite effectively.
What’s not so great about KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4? As engaging as the tragic horror is in this issue, the plot is paper thin. Each issue could be described as a new day of horrors, but there’s no apparent point other than to see what inventive way we can kill one or more sailors today. Inventive kills have their novelty value, but the series is getting dangerously close to repetitive.
How’s the art? Solid. Bianchi and Devlin slather the book with grim, overbearing shadows, gritty settings, unflinching deaths, and a tragic gloom. The pervasive atmosphere of fear is successfully achieved by the art more than the writing.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #3 review to find out how big the spiders get on Skull Island (hint: really big).
We begin with the captain and his men waking up to see King Kong standing over them with a look of malignant curiosity. The men break for the cover of the tree line, but one sailor stays behind to lay cover fire with his rifle. Kong smashes the sailor instantly.
The sailors eventually break into an open field where they spot Skull Mountain in the distance. One of the sailors, dying from some virus, chooses to stay back and provide cover fire on Kong to buy time for the rest to reach the mountain. Kong reacts to the gunshots with little more than a brief itch, scoops up the sailor, and eats a quick morning snack.
We conclude the issue with an inventory, a teeth cleaning, and a pledge of determination.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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KING KONG: THE GREAT WAR #4 continues the seemingly hopeless race to reach high ground on Skull Island. Cox’s tale of woe whittles the band of shipwrecked soldiers down in horrific scenes of death, and Bianchi’s grim, moody art elevates the atmosphere of dread.
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