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  1. #1
    Marvel's 1st Superhero Reviresco's Avatar
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    Default Black Knight by Si Spurrier !!!SPOILERS!!!







    This King in Black one shot, which I'm guessing is a prologue / introduction to Spurrier's upcoming Black Knight mini-series, came out today and I LOVED it! I'm getting the same feeling I had when I read Spurrier's LEGION book for Marvel, but even moreso, probably because of the art, i.e. something special was happening. I had little enthusiasm or knowledge of David Haller, but Spurrier made me care for that character and built a wonderful world and cast around him. Clearly, he's doing the same with Dane Whitman. And with a sense of humor, that made me LOL several times, and yet, with a firm grasp on the emotional core. Dane confronts his flaws without being mopey ... though he is a bit ... extreme and bloodthirsty.

    Spurrier also made Aero and Swordmaster far more interesting, to me, than all their previous appearances combined.

    And the art! OMG. The art is gorgeous! I wish Saiz was doing the art for the mini-series, but if not, I hope he's on a future Marvel book I want to read. He really delivered on the humor AND the characterization Spurrier provided. They made for a great creative team.



    I highly recommend folks pick this book up and I can't wait for the mini-series! You don't need to read the King in Black event to enjoy this book. It provides a villain and perhaps a connection to the Ebony Blade.


    All that said, I'm not a die hard Black Knight fan, so I'm wondering what his fans thought about this book?
    Last edited by Reviresco; 02-04-2021 at 01:07 PM.
    Namor the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's oldest character, will have been published for 85 years in 2024. So where's my GOOD Namor anniversary ongoing, Marvel?

  2. #2
    Jewish & Proud Feminist Shadowcat's Avatar
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    I wish this was an ongoing. So good.
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  3. #3
    Astonishing Member Panic's Avatar
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    Love that cover. Glad to see Dane back.

  4. #4
    Fantastic Member Chainsaw Vigilante's Avatar
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    The art was great, much like the King in Black Thunderbolts tie in, both really fit in with the titles. The art in Black Knight really makes the medieval aspect come through. I expected that they were going to show the origin of the Starstone though, they hinted at it in another King in Black book (maybe the main one?).

  5. #5
    Astonishing Member Steroid's Avatar
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    Really enjoyed this issue and looking forward to the mini. I'm liking Spurrier's take on Black Knight and hopefully the mini will do well so that we can get an ongoing for Dane by Spurrier.

  6. #6
    Astonishing Member Johnrevenge's Avatar
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    A really good issue. Never thought that Dane would have a lot of flying horses. Really loved how Spurrier wrote Aero, would love to see him writing her again.

  7. #7
    Marvel's 1st Superhero Reviresco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowcat View Post
    I wish this was an ongoing. So good.
    We are getting more issues, same writer but sadly a different artist. Man, Saiz really blew me away with this book.


    Quote Originally Posted by Steroid View Post
    Really enjoyed this issue and looking forward to the mini. I'm liking Spurrier's take on Black Knight and hopefully the mini will do well so that we can get an ongoing for Dane by Spurrier.
    Me too! Though I would settle for several mini-series in a row. That seems to be a trick that Marvel is doing now. And given Dane Whitman's MCU appearance, I think it is a good bet we will get more books, one way or another.
    Namor the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's oldest character, will have been published for 85 years in 2024. So where's my GOOD Namor anniversary ongoing, Marvel?

  8. #8
    Marvel's 1st Superhero Reviresco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Panic View Post
    Love that cover. Glad to see Dane back.
    It is nice. I didn't realize there were two variant covers.



    Benjamin Su





    Jesus Saiz
    Namor the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's oldest character, will have been published for 85 years in 2024. So where's my GOOD Namor anniversary ongoing, Marvel?

  9. #9
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    I feel like Marvel has been steadily turning Dane into a punching bag ever since Original Sin, between here and his last run no one really takes him seriously outside of viewing him as unhinged and a liability. Like Dane's pointed out he was a huge part of the Avengers during the 90's and led the team for a good chunk of it, to the point that he was able to out maneuver Cap during his last solo run.

    Really hoping that Eternals manages to repair the damage to his reputation and character because it's a real shame to see him going through all this.

  10. #10
    Marvel's 1st Superhero Reviresco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Draegwolf View Post
    I feel like Marvel has been steadily turning Dane into a punching bag ever since Original Sin, between here and his last run no one really takes him seriously outside of viewing him as unhinged and a liability. Like Dane's pointed out he was a huge part of the Avengers during the 90's and led the team for a good chunk of it, to the point that he was able to out maneuver Cap during his last solo run.

    Really hoping that Eternals manages to repair the damage to his reputation and character because it's a real shame to see him going through all this.
    That's what I was wondering, if long time fans felt this was an accurate portrayal. I remember Dane Whitman from the Bronze Age, but missed the Avengers run where he and Sersi were together.

    I think modern writers tend to ... highlight some negative aspect, and sometimes focus too much on it, but I wasn't sure if that was the case here. I still enjoyed the book very much, and have already pre-ordered the mini-series.
    Namor the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's oldest character, will have been published for 85 years in 2024. So where's my GOOD Namor anniversary ongoing, Marvel?

  11. #11
    The Celestial Dragon Tien Long's Avatar
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    It was okay, though I didn't like the "unhinged" parts. Moon Knight already plays that role in the Marvel Universe and it eye-rolled a bit reading how Dane is another one of these mentally unstable heroes who hears voices. Plus the fake olde English dialogue and stammering made this difficult to read.

    But that scene with Dane taking ownership, realizing that it wasn't just the Ebony Blade making him or his ancestors enraged and dark, and him coming to terms with that, that was pretty cool. (Lots of other cool scenes too. It's ironic that I mentioned Moon Knight before since he, Cyttorak, Shuma Gorath, and Chiyou had cameos in that spread page. Hmmm, maybe a team up between the Knights in the future?)

    I'm learning towards no for the upcoming Black Knight mini. But I'm open.
    "I am a man of peace."

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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reviresco View Post
    That's what I was wondering, if long time fans felt this was an accurate portrayal. I remember Dane Whitman from the Bronze Age, but missed the Avengers run where he and Sersi were together.

    I think modern writers tend to ... highlight some negative aspect, and sometimes focus too much on it, but I wasn't sure if that was the case here. I still enjoyed the book very much, and have already pre-ordered the mini-series.
    It IS accurate--but its also not true of how Dane has always been--but there's no such thing as how Dane's always been. He is a character that has been through a LOT of fluctuations over the years.

    Prior to his first stint as an active Avenger in the 80s he spent several years back in time, living in the period of the Crusades with his mind inhabiting the body of one of his ancestors (while his own body was a stone statue in the present day). That experience left some lingering effects.

    He was eventually restored to his normal self, where he joined the Avengers as an active member. During this period he was a fairly "normal" guy (apart from being a scientist who used a magic sword), and was fairly shy--he had a crush on the Wasp but couldn't bring himself to tell her, etc. Then the Ebony Blade's blood curse was triggered and Dane's sanity started to slip. His speech pattern changed to a more medieval style, and he started having bursts of rage, etc. Eventually the curse affected him physically as well and he was transformed into a metal statue.

    That was eventually fixed after an incident with his ancestor Sir Percy possessing his body, and then restoring Dane to flesh and back in control of his own body with the blood curse lifted for now. After that Dane rejoined the Avengers in the 90s and started using an energy sword to avoid risking the blood curse again. Dane's personality during this run changed--he was more brash and impulsive, more assertive (he functioned as field leader a lot during this period even though Black Widow was officially the leader at he time), and got romantically entangled with multiple women at the same time. The change in his personality was noted at the time, and it was assumed to be a reaction to the parts of his life he "lost" during two separate times turned into a statue for months (years, in real time).

    In the late 90s he changed again, when he got new enchanted weapons (the Sword of Light and Shield of Might) from Avalon during his stint with Heroes For Hire. At some point he stopped using those weapons and went back to the Ebony Blade...and has struggled with his mental health ever since. His solo series had him badly affected by the influence of the blade, but ended with the Avengers agreeing to trust him to keep it and himself under control, and he remained behind in Weirdworld. Since then he's turned up a few places here and there before this one-shot.

    I think the one-shot did a good job of trying to strike a balance--in particular, showing Dane himself trying to strike the balance. He is still struggling with the effects of the sword, but he's not as close to losing control as he was in his last solo book. Right now Dane is trying to "fake it 'til you make it", and overdo the noble hero act as a way to counter balance the influence of the sword and hopefully keep himself as the hero that he knows he can be when he's got the curse under control.

    As someone who has been a fan of Dane since the 80s, I am sad to see him struggling as much as he is now--but it absolutely is consistent with Dane's journey as he has struggled against the effects of the sword and its blood curse ever since he first inherited it. Its just that sometimes he has it under better control than he does right now--but we've also seen times when he's been worse. This middle ground seems to be a fertile place to tell some interesting stories with Dane.

  13. #13
    Jewish & Proud Feminist Shadowcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reviresco View Post
    We are getting more issues, same writer but sadly a different artist. Man, Saiz really blew me away with this book.
    Oh, I know, but it’s just a 3 issue mini. I want to see Dane join Excalibur, or have an adventure in the past with Captain Britsy.
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  14. #14
    The Spirits of Vengeance K7P5V's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dermie View Post
    It IS accurate--but its also not true of how Dane has always been--but there's no such thing as how Dane's always been. He is a character that has been through a LOT of fluctuations over the years.

    Prior to his first stint as an active Avenger in the 80s he spent several years back in time, living in the period of the Crusades with his mind inhabiting the body of one of his ancestors (while his own body was a stone statue in the present day). That experience left some lingering effects.

    He was eventually restored to his normal self, where he joined the Avengers as an active member. During this period he was a fairly "normal" guy (apart from being a scientist who used a magic sword), and was fairly shy--he had a crush on the Wasp but couldn't bring himself to tell her, etc. Then the Ebony Blade's blood curse was triggered and Dane's sanity started to slip. His speech pattern changed to a more medieval style, and he started having bursts of rage, etc. Eventually the curse affected him physically as well and he was transformed into a metal statue.

    That was eventually fixed after an incident with his ancestor Sir Percy possessing his body, and then restoring Dane to flesh and back in control of his own body with the blood curse lifted for now. After that Dane rejoined the Avengers in the 90s and started using an energy sword to avoid risking the blood curse again. Dane's personality during this run changed--he was more brash and impulsive, more assertive (he functioned as field leader a lot during this period even though Black Widow was officially the leader at he time), and got romantically entangled with multiple women at the same time. The change in his personality was noted at the time, and it was assumed to be a reaction to the parts of his life he "lost" during two separate times turned into a statue for months (years, in real time).

    In the late 90s he changed again, when he got new enchanted weapons (the Sword of Light and Shield of Might) from Avalon during his stint with Heroes For Hire. At some point he stopped using those weapons and went back to the Ebony Blade...and has struggled with his mental health ever since. His solo series had him badly affected by the influence of the blade, but ended with the Avengers agreeing to trust him to keep it and himself under control, and he remained behind in Weirdworld. Since then he's turned up a few places here and there before this one-shot.

    I think the one-shot did a good job of trying to strike a balance--in particular, showing Dane himself trying to strike the balance. He is still struggling with the effects of the sword, but he's not as close to losing control as he was in his last solo book. Right now Dane is trying to "fake it 'til you make it", and overdo the noble hero act as a way to counter balance the influence of the sword and hopefully keep himself as the hero that he knows he can be when he's got the curse under control.

    As someone who has been a fan of Dane since the 80s, I am sad to see him struggling as much as he is now--but it absolutely is consistent with Dane's journey as he has struggled against the effects of the sword and its blood curse ever since he first inherited it. Its just that sometimes he has it under better control than he does right now--but we've also seen times when he's been worse. This middle ground seems to be a fertile place to tell some interesting stories with Dane.
    Excellent summary, Dermie.

    The only thing missing would be the time during the '90s when Dane ended up in the Ultraverse, and became the leader of UltraForce.

    If this is no longer canon, then it's a sad loss (IMHO):
    Last edited by K7P5V; 02-06-2021 at 02:48 PM. Reason: Made Adjustments.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reviresco View Post
    It is nice. I didn't realize there were two variant covers.



    Benjamin Su





    Jesus Saiz
    who are the heroes featured on the cover?

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