MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- King in Black: Black Knight #1 Review

Black Knight is one of those characters that is currently enjoying some level of obscurity, but will soon make waves in the mainstream when he formally debuts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kit Harington will be portraying the Black Knight in the upcoming Eternals movie, so it only makes sense that Marvel will attempt to bring him to surface and connect him already with comic book fans, new and old. The ‘King in Black’ event is the perfect arena for Black Knight to showcase his true, awesome power, but also level up in terms of characterization. This is a perfect tale of a man evolving and making his big break as a Marvel superhero nobody wants to mess with.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

King in Black: Black Knight #1

STORY BY: Simon Spurrier

ART BY: Jesus Saiz

COVER BY: Dan Mora, Benjamin Su, Jesus Saiz, Todd Smith

THE BLACK KNIGHT DUELS THE KING IN BLACK!

KNULL’s ferocious assault upon earth has begun and Dane Whitman – Avenger, hero, and wielder of the mighty Ebony Blade as the BLACK KNIGHT – takes up sword and shield to defend against the unstoppable onslaught. Though the blade grants Dane incredible power so too does it consume him with a lust for violence and destruction. As the endless horde of symbiote dragons darken the skies of Shanghai, will the Black Knight overcome the growing evil within himself and join AERO and SWORD MASTER in saving the city?! And what secrets will the battle against Knull reveal about Dane’s past?

SHINE LIGHT ON THE DARKNESS!

PROS:

• I love me some jaw-dropping moments. The main shocker in this issue was the revelation that Black Knight understood his situation all wrong. It shook the very foundation of his being, and the meaning of his being a superhero. All along, the Black Knight believed that he was able to wield and control the Ebony Blade because he thought he was pure. But Knull crashed the party and broke that misconception into pieces, shattering Black Knight’s dreams and crumbling his faith in himself. It was revealed that Merlin did not choose Black Knight as the bearer of the Ebony Blade because of purity.
• The tragedy and rude awakening in this issue was so unrelenting and savage. It moved me and made me empathize with Black Knight, who was in so much misery because of the lies. In fact, Knull called Black Knight an idiot for believing that he was a warrior sought because of his purity that can withstand the weapon’s thirst. Saying that he can taste the soul of Black Knight, the villain explained that Camelot was actually crawling with men who were pure of heart. But the truth was that when men of light held the blade, when kings and paladins took it up, the Ebony Blade’s magic died. This was a serious reveal with major implications on the character we have quickly grown to love. Black Knight was Black Knight not because of his purity or ability to control darkness… he was chosen by the Ebony Blade precisely because of his darkness.
• Now, while the dramatic effect and the stunning story-telling is definitely a positive note for this issue, it is not only the reveal that makes this book well worth your money. It is how the creative team demonstrates Black Knight’s acceptance of truth and willingness to conquer his self-doubt. The most beautiful portion of the narrative was when Black Knight acknowledged that the truest feat is not to vanquish one’s demons, but to own them.
• This can be relevant to many of our own more personal ordeals, as we work hard every day dealing with similar existential questions. The humanization of this superhero instantly makes him endearing and relatable to readers, because even though he possesses such great power, deep down inside he is vulnerable and weak. And the lesson is that perhaps this weakness, and the ability to embrace it, is true power at the end of the day.

CONS:

• Can’t really say. This book was almost perfect.

FINAL SCORE: A++

Kit Harington, with his character’s own dark experience in Game of Thrones, is quite literally the perfect person to play the role of Black Knight, especially now that we have this deeper level of understanding for the character. Now that we have learned of his insecurities, perhaps the next stage in all this will be the full display of Black Knight’s unbridled power.