Karnak #6... It Mercifully Ends

[Captain Craig]

Karnak finds flaws and breaks things

he breaks the kid, turns him handicapped essentially

then end


I mean seriously, this kind of had potential and basically went no where in 1.5 years.

Im sure ellis had some deeper meaning here that I am sure I am missing but... groooooan this was not worth it.

The shine on Ellis is long gone for me. People still assign some reverence to him out of past work. His work of late is often delayed(Karnak), he quits early(Moon Knight) or never happens after being announced(Project Superpowers 2 at Dynamite) .

[Iron Maiden]

whats with karnad head? he used to have a big horrible head and now is a normal one, just for make him more cool , lol

I always thought it was just a helmet. Kirby did that with the Wizard having a big helmet but his head's not big.

[Vic Vega]

I got the sense of this too. But what I gather from the series is that Karnak is insecure. Despite his confidence in himself and his ability to break people, and see the flaw in all things, it seems like a part of him, deep down, despises people with gifted powers. Karnak was not allowed to undergo Terringenesis, which is something he did not choose, and there seems to be some resentment because of that. That's why he hated Adam so much and paralysed him. He wanted to punish him. Since Adam was basically Terringenesis for literally anyone, not just Inhumans, Karnak taking him out the way he did was like wishful fulfilment. If Karnak could destroy Terringenesis, he would.

I think overall the story lacked a tiny bit and needed a lot more issues to flesh out certain things, and the last issue was a little boring. But I think Ellis wanted people to think about it.

But now Karnak knows this about himself.

He is not without flaw as he would like to imagine.

A main character who is basically lying to himself is right up Ellis alley.

Its just that said character just HAS to be a misanthrope because nearly all Ellis characters are.

Karnak IMO, didn't even have the hidden streak of humanism that most of his characters did.

He was just a dude who somehow weaponized his nihilism.

[Headache]

I really enjoyed this series, and feel that it ended in a way that validates everything that came before it.

[Cloudman]

What a rubbish book. Hard to believe it took so long to write such a totally underwhelming conclusion. At least it's over.

[Mike_Murdock]

But now Karnak knows this about himself.

He is not without flaw as he would like to imagine.

A main character who is basically lying to himself is right up Ellis alley.

Its just that said character just HAS to be a misanthrope because nearly all Ellis characters are.

Karnak IMO, didn't even have the hidden streak of humanism that most of his characters did.

He was just a dude who somehow weaponized his nihilism.

I think that's part of it. He sees the flaws in everything and that leads him to basically see everything as flawed. But it also prevents him from seeing the good in anything. I'll have to read this all the way through at once. But it's worth pointing out that the family asked him to rescue their son. Karnak asked for an object that let them believe the world was a kind and beautiful place. That object was a picture reminding them of a conversation they had with their son where they told him he could be and do anything. The story ends with Karnak destroying both that possibility and taking away of the memory of it too.

I think the flaw the story is trying to portray is the flaw inside Karnak - his bitterness and cynicism that turns everything around him to dust.

That being said, I might have to re-read the story to say that for sure. The delays certainly hurt this book a lot.

[Wiccan]

What? That was somehow still on issue 6?

[Agronac919]

This thing was still going on? It started in like 2015! I mean, from what I remember I liked what I saw but again, only 6 issues in more then a year?!

[marvelprince]

Delayed and hurt by the art shifts but not bad. In the end I think I think it was Karnak realizing the flaw in his teachings. He spends his life teaching people they're nothing, but these people taught their son he could be anything and that turned out to be true.

[MindofShadow]

How was the bad guy actuallly bad? I cant remember now that i yhink about it

[Mike_Murdock]

He wasn't. Maybe he needed a bit of restraint in his powers, but he's only bad if you think that letting people make nice things is bad.

[FishyZombie]

Karnak makes Namor and Emma Frost look like Steve Rogers. Y'know before he drank the Nazi kool aid.

[Blind Wedjat]

But now Karnak knows this about himself.

He is not without flaw as he would like to imagine.

A main character who is basically lying to himself is right up Ellis alley.

Its just that said character just HAS to be a misanthrope because nearly all Ellis characters are.

Karnak IMO, didn't even have the hidden streak of humanism that most of his characters did.

He was just a dude who somehow weaponized his nihilism.

I think that's part of it. He sees the flaws in everything and that leads him to basically see everything as flawed. But it also prevents him from seeing the good in anything. I'll have to read this all the way through at once. But it's worth pointing out that the family asked him to rescue their son. Karnak asked for an object that let them believe the world was a kind and beautiful place. That object was a picture reminding them of a conversation they had with their son where they told him he could be and do anything. The story ends with Karnak destroying both that possibility and taking away of the memory of it too.

I think the flaw the story is trying to portray is the flaw inside Karnak - his bitterness and cynicism that turns everything around him to dust.

That being said, I might have to re-read the story to say that for sure. The delays certainly hurt this book a lot.

Delayed and hurt by the art shifts but not bad. In the end I think I think it was Karnak realizing the flaw in his teachings. He spends his life teaching people they're nothing, but these people taught their son he could be anything and that turned out to be true.

I completely forgot the payment he asked for in the first issue. Delays really hurt the story flowing really nicely. But this is how I see it now. The story is called "The Flaw in All Things" for a reason. It's meant to question everything Karnak believes in. Adam wasn't really a bad person, but Karnak's insecurities and hubris has taken away from the possibilties of Adam doing good things in the world all because Karnak was selfish and intimidated. One could almost see Karnak being the villian of this story. I still think story needed 12 issues not 6.

[MindofShadow]

He wasn't. Maybe he needed a bit of restraint in his powers, but he's only bad if you think that letting people make nice things is bad.

That I what i remembered too...


so did Karnak just turn someone into a vegetable because hes depressed?

I mean... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees h. He could have took teh power away by his own admission but vegetabled the dude for funzies.

[Vic Vega]

That I what i remembered too...


so did Karnak just turn someone into a vegetable because hes depressed?

I mean... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees h. He could have took teh power away by his own admission but vegetabled the dude for funzies.

He killed that old dude in interrogation for telling him #$%^ he didn't want to hear (He told Karnak that he wasn't really a stoic
he was just a joy fearing coward and he felt sorry for him.).

Then he lied about the murder to SHIELD.

"I thought he had a bomb".