Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted (2024)
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Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted is a graphic novel prequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire written by Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Dario Formisani, Drew Johnson, and Mohammad "Zid" Yazid. A hardcover edition was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, with backers receiving a digital copy early on February 28, 2024.[2] An updated PDF with minor corrections and additions was later sent out to backers on March 5,[3] while the hardcover was shipped to backers in early August.[4] Legendary Comics finally published the comic as a retail paperback on March 26.[1]
Description
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RAYMOND MARTIN, a twisted Skull Island trophy hunter, baits his trap and sets his sights on the biggest game of all deep within the Hollow Earth: KONG!
But for his trap to work, he must keep GODZILLA occupied above by pitting him against another Titan in a globe-spanning confrontation that leads directly to GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE! Written by BRIAN BUCCELLATO (JUSTICE LEAGUE vs. GODZILLA vs. KONG), with art by ZID, DREW JOHNSON, and DARIO FORMISANI. |
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— Back cover |
Plot
Drinking from a stream in the Hollow Earth, Kong is ambushed by a smaller cat-like Titan called a Spineprowler. He grabs it by the throat and slams it into the ground, but it dodges his next strike and escapes his grip when he seizes it by the tail. When it leaps at him again, he sends it sailing away with a punch. It retreats as he pounds his chest in victory, only to step on a pressure plate and trigger a hail of electrified metal arrows from nearby launchers. A scarred man nearby, Raymond Martin, calls for the Titan to be taken away.
Bernie Hayes, host of Titan Truth Podcast, reports on Godzilla's attack on an oil derrick in the Atlantic Ocean which has been abandoned since 2020. U.S. fighter jets fly overhead but hold their fire as he torches it with his atomic breath. Hayes reminds his viewers that Godzilla always acts with purpose, reminding them of his attack on Apex Cybernetics in Pensacola when the company was secretly building Mechagodzilla. He resolves to figure out what prompted this latest raid.
On a remote island, Martin takes a call to confirm that Monarch will be maintaining their contract with his company, RM Construction. He passes through a trophy room full of taxidermied superspecies and heads outside to witness the arrival of the unconscious Spineprowler on a cargo ship. In the Hollow Earth, Kong investigates a cave and finds numerous paintings of monsters inside, including a confrontation between Godzilla and another reptilian Titan. An underling reports to Martin that a decoy reactor meant to draw Godzilla's attention is ready - a precaution to keep him from interfering with Martin's impending test of an enormous mech named Titan Hunter against the Spineprowler. The decoy successfully draws Godzilla and Martin, stepping into the pilot's seat, activates the mech.
Hayes returns to his recording studio with groceries to find another Godzilla alert blaring. He reports that the King of the Monsters is approaching India - and is stunned when Scylla suddenly appears on the coast first, directly in Godzilla's path. Titan Hunter brutally kills the Spineprowler in a walled arena with a series of high-speed blows, although the creature nearly escapes by scaling the wall. Martin is largely pleased with the fight, though notes a dip in power which could be hazardous against larger Titans. Another underling reports Scylla's response to the decoy reactor - which has led her to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. The Indian Navy scrambles fighter jets, but she easily destroys them before piercing both of the power plant's units with her legs and triggering a nuclear meltdown. The Titan then blankets the area in a fog-like pollutant, absorbing the radiation, and returns to the sea.
Martin flashes back to 2014, when the female MUTO attacked a building that he helped construct, which left him scarred and resulted in the deaths of his parents, wife, and son. He returns to the present at an underling's prompting, calling Scylla's unexpected attack another reason to destroy all Titans, and notes with satisfaction that the freighter containing their decoy reactor was sunk, covering their tracks. Hayes reports Godzilla surfacing to observe the ruins of the power plant and predicts that Scylla's disruption to the natural order has made her Godzilla's target.
One week later, Martin arrives at a Hollow Earth entry point prepared for a hunt and sees a report on a new Godzilla attack: he visited United Kingdom Nuclear Labs in Preston hours after Scylla leveled it. She next devoured the nuclear energy from American nuclear missiles secretly stored at Aviano Air Base in Italy, although he has yet to respond to this incursion. Hayes speculates on Scylla's motivations, theorizing that she may be preparing to reproduce or absorb enough radiation to be able to challenge Godzilla. Fishermen soon sight him off the coast of Italy. With Godzilla distracted, Martin travels to the Hollow Earth in a HEAV and finds Titan Hunter already waiting below. An underling assures him that they have bribed enough parties to grant him free reign for the next 48 hours.
Titan Hunter first grabs a sleeping Warbat by the tail, killing it before it can mount a counterattack by slamming it into a rock. Kong, chewing on an enormous green tentacle, senses the intruder and leaps into action. Martin next kills a herbivorous Sker Buffalo, disgusting two of the men tasked with transporting the carcass. Leaving the mech, Martin finds the trail of another Spineprowler. He comes upon two Spineprowler cubs first and prepares to crush them, only to be intercepted by the mother.
Scylla attacks Rome, with Bernie pondering the irony of its "Eternal City" nickname. Godzilla surfaces shortly thereafter and the two Titans charge at each other.
Kong locates the truck that the Sker Buffalo has been loaded onto and destroys it. Martin notices the explosion as the Spineprowler pins Titan Hunter, then stabs her through the chest with one of the horns on the mech's head. He tells her that she battled well before finding her cubs hiding in a nearby forest. Again he is interrupted, this time by Kong, who stands protectively in front of the cubs. Martin scoffs at Kong, determined to reassert humanity's supremacy by killing the Hollow Earth's ruler. He lands the first blows, choking Kong and throwing him to the ground. Kong retaliates by grabbing his arms and delivering a flying kick to knock him over. After absorbing a punch, the ape Titan suplexes the mech, leaving it dangling on the edge of a cliff. After Martin raves at the injustice, Kong lets him drop, the fall shattering Titan Hunter. Martin survives, only to be eaten by the Spineprowler cubs.
Appearances
Titans and superspecies
Other monsters
Characters
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Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations
Locations
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Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Writer Brian Buccellato
- Artists Dario Formisani, Drew Johnson, Zid
- Colors & finishes Zid
- Colors Niezam, Syncraft Studio
- Letters & design Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt & Tyler Smith
- Cover Christian Ward (paperback), David Aja (hardcover)
- Mythology Barnaby Legg
- Monsterverse creative Brian Hoffman, Alanna Carroll, Edward Morales
- Editors Robert Napton, Jann Jones
- Special thanks Brian Tyree Henry; Alex Garcia; Josh Parker; Chris Robinson; Adam Wingard; Mary Parent; Jay Ahsenfelter; Zak Kline; Legendary Marketing & Digital; Brooke Hansohn; Jennifer Stewart; Abby Gutowski; Kristina Holliman & Legendary Legal; Brie Dorsey & Jaime Factor, Legendary Publicity; Legendary VFX Teams; Toho International
Development
Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted was announced during Legendary Comics' panel at San Diego Comic-Con International[5] on July 22, 2023.[6] Legendary Comics announced a Kickstarter campaign for hardcover editions of it and another graphic novel, Monsterverse Declassified, on October 4, 2023, with a goal of $79,000.[7] The Kickstarter had already met its goal by October 8.[8]
Gallery
Scans
Kickstarter page
Godzilla vs. Kong giclée print by Christian Ward (Kickstarter backer reward)
"Reign of Pain" print featuring the Skar King (Kickstarter backer reward)
Miscellaneous
Announcement at Comic-Con
Panels shown at Comic-Con
Panel shown at Comic-Con
Kickstarter-exclusive hardcover
Textless hardcover art
Videos
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Trivia
- Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted is the first Monsterverse graphic novel tie-in to be set directly before the events of the film it is associated with.
- This comic was originally set to be released on Febuary 27, 2024, then March 12.[5][9]
- All of the cave paintings that Kong observes in this comic originally appeared in the 2022 Godzilla vs. Kong collaboration with Call of Duty: Warzone and Vanguard.
- The comic erroneously utilizes the Queen MUTO's design to depict the female MUTO during a flashback to 2014.
- The Warbat killed by Titan Hunter has webbing on its tail, a trait not seen in previous depictions of the species. It is also far shorter than in prior depictions.
- The size of several creatures and structures throughout the comic is noticeably inconsistent, such as Godzilla in relation to an oil rig and two fishermen, Titan Hunter in relation to RM Construction employees and a Sker Buffalo carcass, and Kong in relation to two Spineprowler cubs.
- The four Leafwings mounted in Raymond Martin's trophy room appear to have been copied from a page in Skull Island: The Birth of Kong #1.
- Chris Bratcher, Joaquin Hernandez, Paul Hillman, Steven Kilper, and Jaspa Laughlin are Kickstarter backers who paid $1,500 to appear as characters in the comic. All are featured on page 50.
Notes
- ↑ Also credited for finishes.
References
This is a list of references for Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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