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Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus
EVERYTHING Monsterverse now in one comprehensive collection!
Godzilla, Kong and everything else that crawls, swims or flies between the Hollow Earth and Skull Island. This MONSTER collection features every comic that Legendary Comics has ever published on the Monsterverse - plus an exclusive new story only to be found here!
Godzilla Awakening, Skull Birth of Kong, Godzilla Aftershock, Godzilla Dominion, Kingdom Kong and one never before seen story by Zid, all with a brand new cover by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia!
Godzilla, Kong and everything else that crawls, swims or flies between the Hollow Earth and Skull Island. This MONSTER collection features every comic that Legendary Comics has ever published on the Monsterverse - plus an exclusive new story only to be found here!
Godzilla Awakening, Skull Birth of Kong, Godzilla Aftershock, Godzilla Dominion, Kingdom Kong and one never before seen story by Zid, all with a brand new cover by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
502 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2024
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Arvid Nelson
323 books20 followersArvid has worked on everything from film to video games, but he’s best known for his original comics title, Rex Mundi, published by Dark Horse Comics. The Band of the Crow has occupied his creative memory banks ever since Rex Mundi ended.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 7, 2025
I believe this collects all of the Monsterverse issues published at the time.
A knowledge of the various Kong and Godzilla films released would probably be helpful as references to incidents and characters are made throughout. The final section collects character sketches and “documents” from the Monarch organization, also a reoccurring presence on the films and television shows.
Aimed at fans of these creatures but probably still enjoyable to those who just love kaiju battles.
A knowledge of the various Kong and Godzilla films released would probably be helpful as references to incidents and characters are made throughout. The final section collects character sketches and “documents” from the Monarch organization, also a reoccurring presence on the films and television shows.
Aimed at fans of these creatures but probably still enjoyable to those who just love kaiju battles.
December 17, 2023
"Nature has a way sometimes of reminding Man of just how small he is. She occasionally throws up terrible offspring's of our pride and carelessness to remind us of how puny we really are in the face of a tornado, an earthquake, or a Godzilla. The reckless ambitions of Man are often dwarfed by their dangerous consequences. For now, Godzilla - that strangely innocent and tragic monster - has gone to earth. Whether he returns or not, or is never again seen by human eyes, the things he has taught us remain..."
October 14, 2024
Legends of the Monsterverse is a great way to collect most of the Monsterverse comics in one convenient package -- and a reminder that there's some real worldbuilding going on behind the scenes of these blockbuster monster movies.
Legendary Pictures seems to have found a good balance with the Monsterverse: If you just want to watch a monster movie, you can pop any of them in and be right at home with some dumb fun and action. But if you want the deeper lore and connections of a shared universe, you can have that too. Tie-in comics to each movie have been a primary way for Legendary to build the mythology of the Monsterverse without creating any required reading for moviegoers -- so while it's interesting to get this deeper look, it also doesn't totally turn everything you think you know on its head.
Legends of the Monsterverse bills itself as an omnibus that has "EVERYTHING Monsterverse" and "every comic that Legendary Comics has ever published on the Monsterverse", according to the Goodreads blurb for the collection. So I should note here that an additional comic -- a tie-in to Godzilla x Kong -- was published *later the very same month* that this omnibus came out. That tie-in is not included here, rendering Legends of the Monsterverse an incomplete "omnibus" almost immediately.
So what we have here are six comics, of mostly similar quality. In order:
Godzilla: Awakening is a prequel graphic novel to the 2014 Godzilla movie that explores the origins of Monarch, the scientific organization that is a through-line in Monsterverse media, as well as the initial appearances of Godzilla in the past century after his awakening. It has been somewhat contradicted by the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, but I still found it interesting to see the initial history of this universe and build-up of Monarch, especially considering I didn't perceive Monarch as more than a background force in the movie.
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong is a four-issue miniseries that sheds light on Kong's past while also featuring the son of Houston Brooks, a character from the movie Kong: Skull Island. I didn't care too much about any of the characters in the movie or in this comic, but I love the Skull Island setting and getting to learn more about the history of Kong.
Godzilla: Aftershock is a prequel graphic novel to the movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It introduces human characters Emma Russell and Alan Jonah as well as some of their supporting cast from the movie as well as the concept of using sonar to try and make monsters docile. Houston Brooks also comes back for a little added connectivity with the Kong side of the Monsterverse. Unfortunately, it felt totally unnecessary and a little confusing when it came to relationships between characters compared to the events of the movie.
Godzilla Dominion and Kingdom Kong are both prequel graphic novels to the movie Godzilla vs. Kong. Dominion is by far the better of the two, and the highlight of the whole collection. It is a "day in the life of Godzilla" story, written with David Attenborough-esque narration as Godzilla interacts with other Titans first revealed in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. On the other hand, Kingdom Kong is the other weak entry in the collection as this feels like one too many rehashes of the Kong: Skull Island concept. Yet another crew heads to Skull Island, explores, gets in trouble, and encounters Kong -- but there's nothing interesting about any of them. At least it introduces Jia from Godzilla vs. Kong?
Finally, Godzilla: Fight or Flight is a short little comic exclusive to this collection. It features a fighter pilot who likes Godzilla but is tasked with taking to the sky when Godzilla comes to Pensacola during Godzilla vs. Kong. There's not really anything to it.
At the back of the collection, you also get some alternate covers, sketches, a few lines of background from the artists, and some basic dossiers on monsters and Skull Island locations. None of these are remarkable in the slightest.
Overall, the stories themselves are inconsistent. Some are very interesting and held my attention throughout, with their expanding mythology and Monsterverse connections. But Aftershock and Kingdom Kong are pretty big missteps (the former in particular). There's one saving grace for the collection that was really surprising however: the art. Not only were there not any wild swings in art direction between different artists, but it's just all so good! The whole collection is impressively consistent and detailed in the small, human moments. Meanwhile, it's just awe-inspiring when the monsters are going at it (although the sense of movement during the fights is a little lacking). Maybe this particular art style just really works for me, but this is one of the most visually striking comic collections I've read in years.
I would absolutely recommend Legends of the Monsterverse to any Monsterverse fan; if you're going to collect the comics, this is the definitive way to do it. However, I can't imagine most Godzilla or King Kong fans would be interested in the Monarch-focused nature of the stories. So only pick this one up if you're ready to dive head-first into the Legendary Pictures universe -- not if you're only a general Godzilla or King Kong fan.
Legendary Pictures seems to have found a good balance with the Monsterverse: If you just want to watch a monster movie, you can pop any of them in and be right at home with some dumb fun and action. But if you want the deeper lore and connections of a shared universe, you can have that too. Tie-in comics to each movie have been a primary way for Legendary to build the mythology of the Monsterverse without creating any required reading for moviegoers -- so while it's interesting to get this deeper look, it also doesn't totally turn everything you think you know on its head.
Legends of the Monsterverse bills itself as an omnibus that has "EVERYTHING Monsterverse" and "every comic that Legendary Comics has ever published on the Monsterverse", according to the Goodreads blurb for the collection. So I should note here that an additional comic -- a tie-in to Godzilla x Kong -- was published *later the very same month* that this omnibus came out. That tie-in is not included here, rendering Legends of the Monsterverse an incomplete "omnibus" almost immediately.
So what we have here are six comics, of mostly similar quality. In order:
Godzilla: Awakening is a prequel graphic novel to the 2014 Godzilla movie that explores the origins of Monarch, the scientific organization that is a through-line in Monsterverse media, as well as the initial appearances of Godzilla in the past century after his awakening. It has been somewhat contradicted by the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, but I still found it interesting to see the initial history of this universe and build-up of Monarch, especially considering I didn't perceive Monarch as more than a background force in the movie.
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong is a four-issue miniseries that sheds light on Kong's past while also featuring the son of Houston Brooks, a character from the movie Kong: Skull Island. I didn't care too much about any of the characters in the movie or in this comic, but I love the Skull Island setting and getting to learn more about the history of Kong.
Godzilla: Aftershock is a prequel graphic novel to the movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It introduces human characters Emma Russell and Alan Jonah as well as some of their supporting cast from the movie as well as the concept of using sonar to try and make monsters docile. Houston Brooks also comes back for a little added connectivity with the Kong side of the Monsterverse. Unfortunately, it felt totally unnecessary and a little confusing when it came to relationships between characters compared to the events of the movie.
Godzilla Dominion and Kingdom Kong are both prequel graphic novels to the movie Godzilla vs. Kong. Dominion is by far the better of the two, and the highlight of the whole collection. It is a "day in the life of Godzilla" story, written with David Attenborough-esque narration as Godzilla interacts with other Titans first revealed in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. On the other hand, Kingdom Kong is the other weak entry in the collection as this feels like one too many rehashes of the Kong: Skull Island concept. Yet another crew heads to Skull Island, explores, gets in trouble, and encounters Kong -- but there's nothing interesting about any of them. At least it introduces Jia from Godzilla vs. Kong?
Finally, Godzilla: Fight or Flight is a short little comic exclusive to this collection. It features a fighter pilot who likes Godzilla but is tasked with taking to the sky when Godzilla comes to Pensacola during Godzilla vs. Kong. There's not really anything to it.
At the back of the collection, you also get some alternate covers, sketches, a few lines of background from the artists, and some basic dossiers on monsters and Skull Island locations. None of these are remarkable in the slightest.
Overall, the stories themselves are inconsistent. Some are very interesting and held my attention throughout, with their expanding mythology and Monsterverse connections. But Aftershock and Kingdom Kong are pretty big missteps (the former in particular). There's one saving grace for the collection that was really surprising however: the art. Not only were there not any wild swings in art direction between different artists, but it's just all so good! The whole collection is impressively consistent and detailed in the small, human moments. Meanwhile, it's just awe-inspiring when the monsters are going at it (although the sense of movement during the fights is a little lacking). Maybe this particular art style just really works for me, but this is one of the most visually striking comic collections I've read in years.
I would absolutely recommend Legends of the Monsterverse to any Monsterverse fan; if you're going to collect the comics, this is the definitive way to do it. However, I can't imagine most Godzilla or King Kong fans would be interested in the Monarch-focused nature of the stories. So only pick this one up if you're ready to dive head-first into the Legendary Pictures universe -- not if you're only a general Godzilla or King Kong fan.
August 19, 2024
"Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" autorstwa Arvida Nelsona to komiks, który ma na celu zaspokojenie głodu fanów Monsterverse, zbierając w jednym tomie wszystkie dotychczas opublikowane komiksy od Legendary Comics, a także oferując zupełnie nową historię. Pomimo obietnicy wszechstronnego przeglądu świata potworów takich jak Godzilla i Kong, dzieło to wywołuje u mnie mieszane uczucia (a przebrnąłem przez pół tysiąca stron).
Z jednej strony, jest to imponująca kolekcja, która zawiera takie tytuły jak "Godzilla Awakening", "Skull Birth of Kong", "Godzilla Aftershock", "Godzilla Dominion", "Kingdom Kong" oraz nigdy wcześniej nieopublikowaną historię. Różnorodne perspektywy, bogate w szczegóły artystyczne oraz różne style ilustracyjne, czynią tę antologię atrakcyjną dla fanów. To bez wątpienia prawdziwa gratka dla kolekcjonerów oraz osób, które nie miały okazji wcześniej zapoznać się z tymi historiami.
Niestety, dla tych, którzy posiadają już większość lub wszystkie z wcześniejszych publikacji, "Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" może okazać się rozczarowaniem. Nowa historia "Fight or Flight" oraz profile tytanów są raczej skromnymi dodatkami, które nie wnoszą wiele nowego do uniwersum. Historia ta jest mało rozwinięta, nie wprowadza nowych potworów ani nie dostarcza znaczących wydarzeń, które mogłyby rozszerzyć fabułę Monsterverse. W efekcie, cena wydania papierowego nie jest adekwatna do zawartości, zwłaszcza jeśli czytało się wcześniejsze komiksy.
Arvid Nelson, znany ze swoich prac nad różnymi projektami graficznymi, wraz z zespołem twórców, w tym utalentowanymi artystami jak Zid czy Drew Edward Johnson, dostarcza estetycznie dopracowany produkt. Niemniej jednak, brak istotnej nowości i rozwinięcia fabuły sprawia, że "Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" może nie spełnić oczekiwań bardziej wymagających fanów.
"Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" jest solidnym zbiorem dla tych, którzy dopiero zaczynają swoją przygodę z Monsterverse, dla wieloletnich fanów może to być pozycja zbędna.
Przyjemność 3,1/5
Styl: 3,2/5
Historia: 3,2/5
Ocena: 3,13/5
goodreads - 3/5
thestorygraph - 3/5
lubimyczytac - 6/10
Z jednej strony, jest to imponująca kolekcja, która zawiera takie tytuły jak "Godzilla Awakening", "Skull Birth of Kong", "Godzilla Aftershock", "Godzilla Dominion", "Kingdom Kong" oraz nigdy wcześniej nieopublikowaną historię. Różnorodne perspektywy, bogate w szczegóły artystyczne oraz różne style ilustracyjne, czynią tę antologię atrakcyjną dla fanów. To bez wątpienia prawdziwa gratka dla kolekcjonerów oraz osób, które nie miały okazji wcześniej zapoznać się z tymi historiami.
Niestety, dla tych, którzy posiadają już większość lub wszystkie z wcześniejszych publikacji, "Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" może okazać się rozczarowaniem. Nowa historia "Fight or Flight" oraz profile tytanów są raczej skromnymi dodatkami, które nie wnoszą wiele nowego do uniwersum. Historia ta jest mało rozwinięta, nie wprowadza nowych potworów ani nie dostarcza znaczących wydarzeń, które mogłyby rozszerzyć fabułę Monsterverse. W efekcie, cena wydania papierowego nie jest adekwatna do zawartości, zwłaszcza jeśli czytało się wcześniejsze komiksy.
Arvid Nelson, znany ze swoich prac nad różnymi projektami graficznymi, wraz z zespołem twórców, w tym utalentowanymi artystami jak Zid czy Drew Edward Johnson, dostarcza estetycznie dopracowany produkt. Niemniej jednak, brak istotnej nowości i rozwinięcia fabuły sprawia, że "Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" może nie spełnić oczekiwań bardziej wymagających fanów.
"Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus" jest solidnym zbiorem dla tych, którzy dopiero zaczynają swoją przygodę z Monsterverse, dla wieloletnich fanów może to być pozycja zbędna.
Przyjemność 3,1/5
Styl: 3,2/5
Historia: 3,2/5
Ocena: 3,13/5
goodreads - 3/5
thestorygraph - 3/5
lubimyczytac - 6/10
August 20, 2024
Finally, the last prequel comic to the most recent film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, continues the trend of being a well-written story with excellent art and characters. I really like how they can create and keep the characterization of the kaiju to make them feel real and believable. Overall, this has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience!
May 3, 2024
4 stars for a Godzilla or Kong fan (like I am), but realistically not that great. A couple of good stories, only one with art that isn't utterly boilerplate, in a 600 page book just isn't enough, despite the speed at which this reads.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews