KNULL #1: The King in Black

The former king in black is now held captive by none other than Hela in the realm of Asgard! Knull is a shell of his former self as Hela syphons his black magic for herself. However, within the void there is nothing and in nothing Knull thrives most.

Creative Team: Al Ewing and Tom Waltz (WRITERS), Juanan Ramirez (ARTIST), Erick Arciniega (COLOR ARTIST), VC’s Clayton Cowles (LETTERS), and Ryan Stegman and Frank Martin (COVER).

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

I initially had my reservations with Knull returning, and curious how they could bring him back after the events in which we last saw him. I will say instantly, Al made me eat my words because he crafted a story that brings about an intense amount of intrigue, and bringing Hela into the mix was a brilliant idea. The two are powerful beyond belilef and watching Knull be at her mercy was a fun game of cat and mouse. There is a chance for both her and Knull to display their power, which ends this breakout issue with a call to someone fans are quite familiar with.

The Art and Letters:

Juanan brings in a lot of stylistic line work with the way Knull is drawn and the setting around him as he taps into the void. You can feel the evil oozing off of Knull as it seeps into the surrounding and that is largely in how well it is drawn to become one complete entity. Erick blends the reds and blacks with the colors; it’s when Hela shines brightly in her green that really blew me away. The details were vibrant from panel to panel, even as the colors were more dim and moody. This issue gets violent as Knull rips heads off and sucks the void from the bodies dry, and it is incredible how well these moments are drawn and really tap into 3ewthat horror element as well.

Final Thoughts:

Knull #1 is an epic re-entry into this terrifying villain. Knull may have met his match but, the cat and mouse games between he and Hela have only just begun.

Overall Grade: 9.1/10

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