Queen in Black: Thor #1
(W) Al Ewing (A) Sergio Fernández Davila
As Beta Ray Bill battles Hela at the edge of space, he considers his role as the heir of Thor’s story… little dreaming that the story continues with Sigurd Jarlson… or that the Death Goddess has plans for the Mortal Thor. Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer is about to face the ultimate test.
A Cataclysm of Light & Darkness! Tony Stark races against time, assembling powerful twin teams- Defenders of Light and Defenders of Dark – to battle Hela and Knull amidst the cosmic void. As their clash shakes the stars, Hela unleashes her devastating assault on Earth, forcing the AVENGERS OF EARTH into action for humanity’s survival. But chaos doesn’t end there: the monstrous SYMBIOTE INTELLIGENCE descends upon New York City, igniting a fierce confrontation as Venom and the Fantastic Four leap into battle! Will heroes unite and overcome the tide of darkness threatening the universe? Queen in Black #2 continues the bombastic action as heroes defend Earth while others plan how to take the battle to Hela and Knull.
Queen in Black #2 cements this event as summer popcorn entertainment. It’s the movie you see for the spectacle of it all with the plot being secondary. You want the explosions, the battles, the action, and the quippy one-liners. The issue delivers all of that while it teases what’s to come.
Written by Al Ewing, Queen in Black #2 is fun entertainment, a big event that feels like a throwback in some ways. The issue does a good job of keeping things focused with Spider-Man and his team fighting to defend New York City while keeping Dylan Brock safe, Iron Man and Cable making plans, and Hela delivering her villain lines with cheese. It’s that last part that makes the comic feel like a bit of a throwback. Hela lays out what her vision for Earth is and it feels like that over-the-top idea from yesteryear. That’s not a bad thing at all and overall is kind of fun due to that.
Ewing does a great job of narrowing down the issue where the previous took us around the world to give us the scope of the matter. But, even with that focus, he does spend some time having fun with Wolverine and Storm as they protect Japan and we get a really entertaining sequence and resolution to that particular fight.
The art by Iban Coello and Paco Medina adds to the enjoyment. With color by Guru-eFX and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the characters look good and the action is delivered with a certain splash to it. There’s something visually where it feels a bit over the top but not obnoxiously so. The designs of the villains look great with their Venomized takes and Iron Man’s new suit is kind of cool. Where the art shines is its opening sequence which has reality being warped as Wolverine goes into battle with a great two-page spread that really stands out.
Queen in Black #2 is a fun read that keeps things packed with action but rather light at the same time. It does a good job of setting up what’s to come and focusing on the battles raging. It’s not the deepest event, but it’s a fun one that delivers exactly what it needs to.
Story: Al Ewing Art: Iban Coello, Paco Medina
Color: Guru-eFX Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #1
(W) Charles Soule (A) Juanan Ramírez
EDDIE BROCK: IMPRISONED! Eddie Brock is in prison after a failed bond with Carnage, and the Queen In Black is coming!!! Eddie wants to get back to Venom. But without a symbiote, how will he escape?!
Queen in Black #2
(W) Al Ewing (A) Paco Medina, Iban Coello
A Cataclysm of Light & Darkness! Tony Stark races against time, assembling powerful twin teams– Defenders of Light and Defenders of Dark — to battle Hela and Knull amidst the cosmic void. As their clash shakes the stars, Hela unleashes her devastating assault on Earth, forcing the AVENGERS OF EARTH into action for humanity’s survival. But chaos doesn’t end there: the monstrous SYMBIOTE INTELLIGENCE descends upon New York City, igniting a fierce confrontation as Venom and the Fantastic Four leap into battle! Will heroes unite and overcome the tide of darkness threatening the universe?
On the farthest edges of the solar system, KNULL, GOD OF THE VOID, builds a brand-new army to destroy Earth…but HELA OF ASGARD might have gotten there first – as she makes planetfall with a legion of the galaxy’s deadliest symbiotes! Two of the most powerful evils in the galaxy are at war…and the SON OF VENOM is caught right in the middle! Queen in Black #1 continues the wild twists and turns of the Venom saga that began so many years ago, but bringing it to an even bigger level.
Written by Al Ewing, Queen in Black #1 kicks off this event spanning multiple mini-series and a wide cast of characters. For those all in on the story of Venom and the symbiotes, it’s the latest chapter and one that’ll interest those super fans. For those more casual readers, the debut issue features a few bumps that might leave them scratching their heads. But, overall, the debut issue is that big picture epic alien invasion type story that you don’t need to think too much to enjoy and is all about the action.
Knull and Hela are on a collision course and Earth is at the center of the battle which has the world’s heroes scrambling to figure out what the hell is going on. While they expect to be dealing with Knull, they find a very different individual on the Black Throne, which might be confusing for new readers who haven’t paid too much attention to parts of the Marvel Universe. Queen in Black #1 hinges on what’s going on in The Mortal Thor, where the world has forgotten about Thor and Asgard and its gods. So, while numerous heroes have actually battled her in the past, she’s a new individual to them creating more of an x-factor to the upcoming battle. That memory erasure is one of the things new readers might pause about which also includes a new hero fighting by the Avengers’ side. While Queen in Black #1 might be a first issue, it builds off of recent events more than just Knull vs. Hela.
But, all of that confusion makes it an interesting story in some ways. Ewing focuses on Earth’s heroes really not knowing what’s going on and preparing for the wrong villain. It helps add to the fear of what’s to come in some ways and chaos of events.
The art by Iban Coello and Zé Carlos is good with color by Guru-eFX and lettering by Clayton Cowles. The issue packs a lot in with a cast that feels like it creeps into the dozens, not to mention the invading armies. Add in the creation of a whole new world for Knull to rule and mold and it’s an issue that is filled with interesting imagery. But, even with all of those grand visuals, the issue also keeps things grounded at times as Earth’s heroes plan and discuss where things are at. Iron Man dealing with Spider-Man and his team stands out as reveals and dropped as trust is built.
Queen in Black #1 is an interesting debut that has a dose of summer popcorn fun. It relies a bit much on recent events around the Avengers and Thor, so might be confusing for some, but beyond that, it’s more about the grand visuals, battles, and villains strutting their stuff. It’s a fine start of the next chapter for Venom and that whole world that shakes things up just enough from what we’ve seen before.
Story: Al Ewing Art: Iban Coello, Zé Carlos
Color: Guru-eFX Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Queen in Black: Hela #1
(W) Al Ewing (A) Carlos Magno
THE QUEEN TAKES HER THRONE!
All the secrets of the Queen in Black — revealed! Why were Hela and Tyr in Midgard when the Rainbow Bridge fell? How did she cage Knull, God of the Void? And which Thor tried to stop her? Balder the Brave seeks the answers from Karnilla of the Norns… but will he live to tell anyone else?
Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #1
(W) Al Ewing, Tom Waltz (A) Zé Carlos
UNLEASH THE HEROES!
Beta Ray Bill is the only hero in Midgard who remembers Hela, the Goddess of Death… but does that mean he and his team can counter a Queen In Black? Meanwhile, Tony Stark’s all-new Black Metal Armor is the ultimate weapon against Knull, God of the Void… but does he have command of his own defense squad? This all leads to the mission that’ll decide the outcome of the Queen In Black saga!
Queen in Black #1
(W) Al Ewing (A) Iban Coello, Zé Carlos
HEL ON EARTH! On the farthest edges of the solar system, KNULL, GOD OF THE VOID, builds a brand-new army to destroy Earth… but HELA OF ASGARD might have gotten there first — as she makes planetfall with a legion of the galaxy’s deadliest symbiotes! Two of the most powerful evils in the galaxy are at war… and the SON OF VENOM is caught right in the middle!
Writer Al Ewing (IMMORTAL HULK, MORTAL THOR) and Iban Coello (IMPERIAL, FANTASTIC FOUR) — the team behind VENOM WAR — bring you a cosmic collision of evil versus evil with the good caught in the middle!
Queen in Black, the new crossover event spinning directly out of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’s run of Venom, begins on July 22. Spanning a five-issue series by Ewing and Iban Coello, alongside essential tie-in limited series and issues, the saga follows Marvel’s heroes as they fight to safeguard Earth from an epic cosmic collision between Knull and Hela. Today, Marvel officially unveils the covers and information for the event’s final chapters, arriving this September.
Hela has seized Knull’s throne and now commands a legion of deadly symbiotes as the QUEEN IN BLACK! Meanwhile, Knull has conquered the Lightforce Dimension, claiming terrifying new power for himself as the GOD OF LIGHT! Two of the most powerful evils in the galaxy are at war, and Earth is the final prize!
The newly revealed issues spotlight the long awaited emergence of Venomworld in Queen in Black #4-5, a startling development teased since the early days of Ewing’s mind-bending run. As Earth is consumed by symbiotes, current Venom host Mary Jane Watson is forced to make a desperate choice, one that will shape both the fate of the Marvel Universe and her future as a symbiote hero in Venom #262. Meanwhile, Eddie Brock faces his own pivotal decision that redefines his role as a symbiote host in Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #3. And both new Defenders squads unite for the climactic finale in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #4, and Marvel’s master thief joins the battle to pull off the galaxy’s greatest heist in Black Cat #14.
QUEEN IN BLACK #4 (OF 5)
Written by AL EWING
Art by IBAN COELLO
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 9/16
VENOM ASCENDING!
As the war between Hela and Knull gets personal, Tyr unleashes his final weapon on the beleaguered Avengers! Meanwhile, in the Baxter Building, Reed Richards investigates Codex’s half-symbiote power… with cataclysmic consequences! Will the end of Venom’s golden era coincide with the end of Planet Earth?
QUEEN IN BLACK #5 (OF 5)
Written by AL EWING
Art by IBAN COELLO
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 9/30
OH, THE HUMANlTY!
In the war between Light and Dark, the winner’s taken their prize… but is it Hela or Knull who’s ascended to the Throne of All? Either way, the only thing standing between them and all life on Earth is… the VENOMWORLD! It’s the ultimate symbiote battle—and for Mary Jane Watson, it’s the last stand!
BLACK CAT #14
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by GLEB MELNIKOV
Cover by JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS
On Sale 9/9
COSMIC THEFT?
The only hope to stop the Knull and the Queen in Black’s war is… BLACK CAT?! Oh, wait—she’s gotta steal something?! PURRRFECT! The stakes couldn’t be higher for Felicia. Hopefully, she knows how to fly a spaceship!
QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #3 (OF 3)
Written by TOM WALTZ
Art by ZÉ CARLOS
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
On Sale 9/16
CATACLYSMIC CONTINGENCY!
The Defenders have taken a beating on two fronts, emboldening Knull and Hela to personally finish off both strike teams once and for all. The time has come for Plan B—but will this desperate contingency be enough for Team Light and Team Dark to stop the dual horrors of the Queen in Black and the God of Light from turning Planet Earth into yet another battlefield in their cosmic conflict? Light and Dark forces collide (and unite!) in this bombastic grand finale!
QUEEN IN BLACK: VENOM UNCHAINED #3 (OF 3)
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by JUANAN RAMÍREZ
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
On Sale 9/30
THE KING IS BACK?
Eddie Brock was the King in Black… right up until he wasn’t. It was him vacating the throne that led to the return of Knull and Hela’s rise as the Queen in Black. Can he make up for his mistake? Could he take back the crown as god of symbiotes?
VENOM #262
Written by AL EWING
Art and Cover by CARLOS GÓMEZ
On Sale 9/30
WHO IS THE NEW ALL-VENOM?
Mary Jane Watson is Venom… and so is everybody else! VENOMWORLD LIVES!
The war between Knull and Hela just ended—and even Eight Billion Venoms might not be enough to beat the winner! It’s the strangest adventure yet for the World’s Strangest Roommates… but is the lease finally up?
She’s a cover girl! This August, Marvel honors 60 fabulous years of Mary Jane Watson with Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1 and Mary Jane Watson Variant Covers, a runway-worthy collection of 20 new Mary Jane covers from today’s hottest artists! As multi-faceted as Mary Jane is herself, the covers range from high fashion to action packed as MJ steals the show by teaming up with fellow Marvel icons and debuting glamourous new looks!
Sixty years ago, Marvel Comics hit the jackpot. In Amazing Spider-Man #42, Mary Jane Watson made her full debut, brought to life by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. and her luck has never run out! From Peter Parker’s sweetheart to fashion model, super hero, and even symbiote host, MJ has done it all with style. Now, the character’s legendary legacy continues in Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1, featuring stories that span her most iconic eras, along with a glimpse at what’s next for the inimitable superstar. The one-shot comes from a lineup of renowned writers including legendary Spider-Man scribes J.M. DeMatteis, J. Michael Straczynski and Ann Nocenti, along with rising star Ashley Allen. They’re joined by an all-star group of artists, including Phil Noto, Alina Erofeeva, Andrea Broccardo, Luigi Zagaria—ensuring Mary Jane has never looked better!
Check out the first six Mary Jane Watson Variant Covers and preorder all 20 covers, along with Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1, at your local comic shop!
