Reeling from the revelation that his entire heroic identity is a lie, Black Knight tries to cope with the fact that he isn’t the noble paladin he thought he was. Launching a new era of the Avengers’ resident swordsman, Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade is written by Si Spurrier, drawn by Sergio Dávilla, inked by Sean Parsons, colored by Arif Prianto, and lettered by Cory Petit.
I love Black Knight. Dane Whitman is firmly in the mold of Sad Disaster Boy that I have always been just a massive sucker for as long as I can remember. The fact that the number of genuinely good comics starring the Avengers’ resident Arthurian dweeb probably range south of 50 issues in his 40-year history. Unsurprisingly, the announcement that Si Spurrier and Sergio Dávila were doing a follow-up miniseries to Spurrier’s excellent King in Black: Black Knight one-shot got me very excited. Now that the first issue is here, I am thrilled to say that Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade is not just a fantastic debut, easily the best solo issue Dane has ever had, but a beautiful launching point for Black Knight’s role in the Marvel Universe going forward.
Picking up where King in Black left off, Curse of the Ebony Blade opens with Black Knight in…not the best place, mentally. Between the revelation that the Ebony Blade, his ancestral legacy, only works for him because he is a broken, flawed man and his long-standing self-esteem problems, he’s in a very rough spot. One he attempts to deal with via a bitterly funny self-therapy service that stresses it, legally, is not therapy. Yanked out of self-examination by an urgent Avengers request, Dane’s pattern of seeking help, getting right on the doorstep of getting it, and immediately running away is painfully relatable and authentic.
The Avengers mission, a fight against some nasty-looking scab golems, doubles down on the black humor Spurrier has proven himself a master of in previous work but also serves as a showcase for Dávila’s linework and Arif Prianto’s colors. Having little familiarity with either member of the art team, I came away from Curse of the Ebony Blade genuinely impressed. The action sequences are appropriately bombastic, while both the Avengers and Dane have very emotive, grounded expression work. I typically hate comparing an artist’s work to another artist, but I couldn’t help but think Dávila, especially with Sean Parsons’ inks, reminded me of a more classically superhero-infused Darick Robertson. Prianto’s colors are bright and effective but really shine when the Ebony Blade cuts loose, and the scene becomes drenched in deep reds and blacks without feeling washed out.
While the superhero action is fun and well-executed, the issue thrives in two arenas: Dane’s overwhelming mental health struggles and the revitilization of the concept of Camelot for the Marvel Universe. Spurrier manages to walk a very thin line between having Dane’s inadequacy and esteem issues be fodder for some rough chuckles while still treating them with respect and weight. It’s a tricky balancing act to pull off, and thus far, he’s done so successfully. Similarly, revamping a concept as well-worn and explored as Camelot and King Arthur’s court is a daunting task, but one that is off to an exciting start by the end of the issue. Many questions remain, but between new Arthurian scholar Professor Jackson and the brief glimpse at the true Marvel Camelot, the series has plenty to get excited about.
Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 is about as good of a modern Black Knight debut as I could have hoped for. Perfectly accessible for new fans and a delightful refreshing of the character for fools like me who have latched on to the character for years. It’s not surprising that Marvel is pushing the character, given his upcoming appearance in The Eternals later this year. Still, barring any huge surprises in that film, it seems like Spurrier and Dávila are using the opportunity to tell genuinely new, exciting tales with a Marvel veteran rather than simply leaning on cinematic synergy. It’s a hell of a strong debut and has me dying to read the second issue as soon as I can get my grubby little hands on it.
Zoe Tunnell is a 29-year old trans woman who has read comics for most of her adult life and can't stop now. Follow her on Twitter @Blankzilla.
