Knull’s brutal and sneaky transformation from the god of darkness into the god of light is further developed this week in Knull #4, and how can you not ride that wave that is killing Thanos? Armed with the Spear of Light, Knull found himself in the Lumina last issue, face to face with his greatest enemy. Well, a version of them, anyway. God bless Marvel Comics and their kooky multiverse!
Knull #4 opens with Knull seemingly speechless, looking into the eyes of Eddie Brock, aka the Illuminati. Surrounded by Celestials, writers Tom Waltz and Al Ewing give this highly positive version of Eddie lots to say, complete with a backstory and hope that Knull will join him in doing good work. It’s the kind of opening we’ve seen before when heroes take up a mantle.
Knull figuratively spits in Eddie’s face in response.
It’s a badass turn that opens the issue into a fight comic. Light vs. light, so to speak, with a symbiote edge from Eddie Brock to top it off. From the fight itself to Knull’s devlish dialogue and joy in hurting Eddie, this issue makes it abundantly clear there’s no saving Knull. He’s going to be a villain till the bitter end.
Can Knull turn good?
Credit: Marvel
Outside of some snappy dialogue and great art by Juanan Ramírez, the issue is mostly progress in Knull getting more powerful, and one final test is teased for the final issue next month. That makes things a little thin, all told, but still, for a Marvel Cosmic book, it scratches a lot of itches. It’s also nice to see Ewing dive back into the endless Brock motif from his previous Venom run.
Ramírez’s art continues to be dazzling, especially the lighting from color artist Erick Arciniega. Knull’s golden armor is quite cool, with some gory attacks that’ll make you snear. There’s one panel where Eddie gets Knull to audibly go “nnngggff,” and I can’t quite make out how he’s hurting him, given we can see his hands, but it’s mostly a strong visual issue. We’re in good hands when he launches Venom: Unchained with Charles Soule.
Knull #4 delivers a focused clash that reinforces who Knull is at his core while pushing him closer to his endgame. The issue leans heavily on atmosphere, dialogue, and visual spectacle, with Juanan Ramírez and Erick Arciniega elevating every page. While the narrative feels a bit thin, the confrontation at its center keeps things compelling and sets up what should be a decisive finale.
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