Here we go. The moment you have all been waiting for. This certified, generational Knull hater is going to be reviewing a book that has the subject of his ire squarely set in the title itself. Ever since the creation of the character back in the seminal Venom run of Donny Cates, I have never liked him. Is it because he literally has no character beyond being a walking bag of "cosmic eldritch horror" tropes? Is it because he looks like a discount Castlevania reject? Is it because his introduction turned symbiotes from interesting aliens into generic "primordial darkness" extensions? All this and more, along with just how hard Marvel has tried to make Knull happen as this ultimate, universe-shaping big-bad with no real character, has only soured me on the character.
So here I am, reviewing Knull #1, written by one of my favorite current writing teams, hoping for something. This is partly because I like the team, and partly because I am a sucker for symbiote content regardless of quality. So where does that leave things here? Knull #1 sets itself the task of reintroducing Knull to readers who may know him only from the Cates Venom run, as well as Marvel Rivals or his brief appearance in Venom: The Last Dance, while also redefining his role in the modern Marvel cosmic landscape. Having always been depicted as an almost unbeatable godlike force whose very existence is a reality-darkening entity in the cosmos, a villain of scale and spectacle during his King in Black run, he is no longer at the peak of his power. Instead, he begins imprisoned and weakened, forced to claw his way back toward relevance while being mocked and drained of his powers by the new Queen in Black: Hela. This tonal shift is the real hook for this series, a way to engender some interest for readers who are otherwise ambivalent about Knull as a whole. Like yours truly.
King of Nobody
Having originally been set up in Venom #250, Knull #1 instead opens with our titular emo angsty boy stripped of his former might and held captive by Hela, the Queen of Hel, on a far-flung outpost. The issue quickly establishes that he has not just been imprisoned but depowered as well, which is a truly sharp contrast to the near-omnipotent force seen since his inception (and I am all here for it!). The historical origin of Knull, which is briefly recapped here for new readers in quick and easy fashion, identifies him as a formidable cosmic entity whose physical and existential presence precedes much of known cosmic history by tying his origins to Oblivion.
From this diminished starting point, Hela has Knull at her mercy: he is caged, mocked, stripped of sanctuary, and gradually being sapped of his powers while the ambitions and arsenal of Hela grow. Once Knull finally frees himself through the beautiful power of self-love and introspection, however, the real carnage starts, with a massacre of the guards that once mocked him following swiftly and oh-so-predictably. By the close of the issue, Knull is no longer confined. He makes a quick getaway from the clutches of Hela in a quickly commandeered spaceship as he seethes at the opportunity to re-ascend to his dark majesty once more. But what he does not know is even this escape was all part of the master plan of Hela, and she is ready to call in a favor from an ex to keep her ambitions of being the true Queen in Black going!
Diminished But Never Defeated
Al Ewing and Tom Waltz do not just want to give you another mindless supervillain rampage. They are out to turn Knull into something even mildly resembling a character, the kind of cosmic baddie you cannot help but root for just a little. Usually, the whole entire vibe of Knull is "unstoppable edgelord nightmare god," but here, the writing team throws him a curveball: what if he is not so all-powerful? Watching him claw his way back to strength is a slow-burn thrill, with less smash-and-crash and more edge-of-your-seat tension as you are wondering just how he is supposed to get out of this mess. Sometimes it is gripping, sometimes it is a bit of a slog, but it is never boring. This is especially true if you are a certified Knull hater like myself and are relishing his misery like I am. Boy oh boy, Ewing and Waltz are feeding me grade-a gourmet suffering on this one.
One of the relatively cooler moves here is how the story flips the usual role of Knull on its head. Instead of starting out by breaking the universe in half, he is stuck, powerless, and itching for a comeback. So we get to watch the latest poster child of Marvel for doom and gloom working from zero, which is not something you have seen with the character at all so far. That slow climb back to godhood promises layers and makes Knull way more interesting than the one-note monster we have met before. Sure, there is a lot of backstory packed in. Sometimes it feels like you need a cosmic compendium to even begin to decipher some of it, but it is all there for a reason and it is done in a way that is short, sweet, and accessible. If you missed the Venom run of Donny Cates or just need a refresher, the comic has your back. Most of the lore comes out through snappy banter with Hela, who has her own agenda and is not just a glorified info-dump machine. She weaves the exposition masterfully into the narrative as she is roasting this Twilight reject when he is at his lowest.
And speaking of Hela, she is more than just the cosmic jailer of Knull. In fact, Hela is more the governing force of this book than our titular edge-boy is (something that I am sure certain "fans" will chafe at the idea of, because of various reasons). She exudes confidence in her role and is willing to stand toe to toe as a ruler of a dark domain herself against the now fallen-from-grace King in Black. Their back-and-forth is full of sparks. Sometimes it is a power struggle, and sometimes it feels like cosmic therapy (unintentionally). Even the eventual escape of Knull feels like a powerplay by Hela, and the truly tantalizing prospect of her calling her ex-husband for help feels like a collision course for the ages. She keeps him in check and adds a whole new dimension to the story, even as she has made her claim to his throne as the new Queen in Black.
In a truly unintentionally hilarious moment, the way Hela chips away at the confidence of Knull is the thing that actually gives him the inspiration to finally break out of his cell and make his bloody escape. It is wild thinking that of all the things they could have done, having Knull escaping through the sheer force of "I believe in myself" was something I never had pegged, but I was still left howling in fits of laughter because of how hilarious it was. It is remarkable seeing the first whiffs of an actual character being built with Knull. He is not just a mindless bogeyman anymore; he has baggage, he has somewhat justifiable grievances, and most of all he has a universe-sized chip on his shoulder. This is everything a growing angsty eldritch horror needs to become the omnicidal edgelord we all know and loathe.
Of course, the comic is not perfect. It can lean a bit too hard on the old classic villain-makes-a-comeback tropes. The whole "fallen bad guy working his way back up to glorious domination" thing is not exactly groundbreaking, and you might spot a few predictable beats as Knull broods, plots, and makes his inevitable jailbreak. I do wish the comic pushed the envelope a bit more. Even with all the cosmic fireworks, the main story is pretty familiar: a big scary villain claws his way back to the top, mostly by gutting things. It is fun, but it does not totally break the mold. Still, none of that completely derails the comic. If anything, it just shows the admirable effort that has gone into Knull #1. It is rebuilding the character (or building an actual character from less than nothing, if we are being honest), laying down some cosmic groundwork, and teeing up whatever wild, universe-shaking drama comes next with Hela at the helm. The real spectacle is probably still to come, and if you like a good villain origin (or re-origin) story, you will want to stick around for the next round.
Blood and Blackness for the Entire Family
Without further ado, let us talk about the real, unambiguous showstopper in Knull #1: the art of Juanan Ramirez. Seriously, this guy takes every page and cranks the dial up to eleven. His style is a wild mix of horror, dark fantasy, and trippy gothic weirdness, which is perfect for a story that is all about an ancient eldritch god and big, spooky, bloody vibes. The panels of Ramirez give you that old-school horror feeling, as if you are staring straight into the lair of a monster. Knull does not just look scary; he feels like something from an ancient nightmare, rather than just another muscle-bound baddie. Even when the story hits the brakes for a little exposition, the art keeps things moody, creepy, and totally electric. Hela is also portrayed as darkly majestic. She provides a great contrast to her fallen counterpart, Knull, which illustrates that she is the boss. She knows it well, and she makes sure you do too.
Take the scenes where Knull is locked up: all that empty space and sharp contrast make the whole thing feel uncomfortably claustrophobic. Even when he is drawn as a prisoner, he still radiates raw, predatory malice. This is something conveyed expertly through the art, as you are itching to see him uncoil with the promise of exceptional violence. And when the action does finally kick in, Ramírez does not just throw a bunch of splashy chaos at you; every gory detail is dialed in for maximum carnage and gleefully bloodthirsty thrills. You will get a front-row seat of spines being ripped out, casual decapitations, and more gore than you can fit into a bathtub or ten.
And let us not forget the colors of Erick Arciniega: think inky blacks, oozy reds, and greens that look like they crawled out of the wildest spellbook of a sorcerer. The way light and shadow play off each other gives every scene extra weight and creepy, cosmic dread. It is as if the whole book is dipped in symbiotic shadow in a good way. Genuinely, the art for this book goes a really long way in keeping the vibe and atmosphere alive for readers, and more than a little dead for anyone who gets on the bad side of Knull.
Something From Nothing
Knull #1 is far from a perfect book, but it has enough of a hook to keep things intriguing. However, you could argue that the hook has less to do with Knull and more to do with Hela and her machinations. It is great that Al Ewing chose to use her as the framing device in a manner that pulls from both his Venom and Thor runs in a cohesive manner. For the most part, this approach overcomes the nature of the beast that is Knull as a "character" (or a severe lack of one, to be more precise). The prison-break narrative for this first issue, paired with a condensed and quicker appraisal of the history of Knull, is a fast way to build interest by leaning heavily into mood and dread rather than some grand cosmic design.
Ultimately, the art of Ramirez is the best thing about this issue. It provides a grim sense of menace and exceptional violence in a manner that fits the book and story perfectly. As for where this story goes in the long run, it is hard to say. Ewing and his company are fighting an uphill battle with the whole conceit of a comic centered around Knull; however, for the most part, there is enough incentive to keep going after this debut issue, especially with the twist at the end. I am sure Donny Cates would like to think his precious "god of darkness" is the absolute best, but it is up to Al Ewing and his team to actually elevate him beyond mere tropes. For the most part, they seemingly have.
Final Verdict: Knull #1 for the most part makes the titular character about as entertaining as he can get, with visceral art and an intriguing enough hook to get readers back for the following issues.