REVIEW: King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #3

Lucas Fashina

4 years ago

Story Thus Far:

The story resumes after the invasion of the 616 on planet Earth. So apparently while the world burns Cloak and Dagger, Tyrone, and Tandy (Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64, 1982) are still chasing bank robbers and street thugs. It harkens back to their street-level superhero past, while also being a brief treatise for newcomers into who Cloak, and Dagger are. Highlighting Cloak’s ability to suck enemies into the dark dimension, and Dagger’s ability to dispel light, it weaves into Knull’s objective of taking over the planet albeit briefly.

After Carnage birthed the new symbiote Toxin (1^st app Venom Vs. Carnage #1, 2004), he implanted it inside of NYPD cop Patrick Mulligan. When Patrick was bounded to the Toxin Symbiote, he possessed some of the same powers of Venom and Carnage but to a higher level. Pat was ultimately killed by Blackheart At the moment of his death, he was separated from it, making him die without its power. The symbiote has now turned up in the body of a young boy named Ben Waters (1^st appearance), who father appears to be a new Alchemax Guardsman.

Dialogue:

Most of the dialogue was carried in Cloak and Dagger, and intentionally felt disjointed. It makes you feel like you are awkwardly watching a breakup happen in a fancy Italian Restaurant.

Art:

The art across the panels was as exciting and technically sound. Great cross hatching and depth of field from a two-point perspective. As far as the new designs of Toxin and the guardsmen, they were tight, but going forward they may need something more unique to endear them to readers.

Note to Comic Speculators:

Not much to speculate on, but the play here is still Venom Vs. Carnage #1 (2004). The connections in between the characters seems like it would be an interesting avenue to explore in the future, but it is going to need more detail.