Review by Ian Keogh
After Venom it’s the Avengers who’re most involved in the King in Black crossover, and this collection gathers six solo spotlights, making it the bulkiest of the tie-ins concerning the invasion of symbiote god Knull.
Geoffrey Thorne and Germán Peralta open the selection with the Black Panther having to decide whether the survival of his people is best served by abandoning Wakanda to Knull and his symbiotes, or fighting. Talking predominates for a long time, and Thorne’s clever solution isn’t adequately explained to anyone who doesn’t know the Panther’s primary villain Klaw.
Shortly after being freed from Knull’s influence Captain America joins the Falcon and Winter Soldier in battle, but how far is he compromised? Knull’s voice in his head irritates in Danny Lore’s ordinary story illustrated by four different artists, none of them greatly distinguished.
Ed Brisson runs with a similar idea, but it’s Mephisto’s actual presence taunting Ghost Rider. What begins as a battle against a symbiote dragon becomes a battle for the control of Hell. Brisson uses the situation to finish off the plots from his curtailed Ghost Rider series, and Juan Frigeri draws up a storm.
The upward quality curve hits the stratosphere with the Hulk. Ordinarily his sheer power would make him one of the few Marvel characters capable of taking on Knull and his forces. Unfortunately, though, their invasion coincides with his being in a severely depleted condition. Al Ewing writes a wordless Christmas story, stunningly realised by Aaron Kuder, where a single symbiote is trouble enough. It’s joyful and triumphant.
Christmas also plays a part in Christopher Cantwell’s teaming of Doctor Doom and Iron Man, answering the question of what Santa Claus would be like if possessed by a symbiote. Naughty, not nice is the brief answer. Cantwell isn’t taking the idea entirely seriously, yet doesn’t stray into parody. Doom’s pomposity is offset by Tony Stark’s sparkling dialogue and Salvador Larroca has a couple of decades of experience making any superhero outing look cool.
Tini Howard and Luchiano Vecchio complete the collection looking at Hulkling and Wiccan, whose lives now seem to play out in annual specials attached to crossover events. Scenes of Hulkling and Wiccan finally having the time to enjoy each other’s company after affairs of state are sweet, and it turns out that it’s not only Earth Knull wants to invade. The trouble with stories involving magic, though, is the constant feeling that it ought to be easier to repel a few symbiotes. More so than any other artist here Vecchio varies his style, charming and cartoony giving way to horror.
After a disappointing beginning this develops into one of the better King in Black tie-ins, largely due to the Hulk story’s excellence. Two-thirds good, one-third poor. You’ll know if that ratio is good enough for your money. If it is, you may also want to consider all tie-ins in the hardback King in Black Omnibus.
