Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Co-Op and weapon kit promotional image from Treyarch and Raven Studios

    Sharing Gunsmith Builds in Black Ops 7 Is About To Get Much Easier

    08/19/2025
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Marvel Comics » REVIEW: ‘King in Black: Return of the Valkyries,’ Issue #3

REVIEW: ‘King in Black: Return of the Valkyries,’ Issue #3

Charles HartfordBy Charles Hartford02/24/20214 Mins ReadUpdated:04/30/2021
King in Black Return of the Valkyries
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jason Aaron and Torunn Grøndekk, art Nina Vakueva, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by Joe Sabino. With one Valkyrie traveling to Vanaheim to retrieve her lost weapon, Jane Foster travels to Midgard to gather some more help in what may amount to a suicide mission to sever Knull from the undead Celestial that floats through limbo.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Resiliency can take many shapes. And while the classic version is one of strength, shining, and defiant, it is far from the only one. Too often, people undervalue the strength surviving takes. Whether it makes one shine like the sun, or hide in the shadows. Because people forget, no one can be strong forever. As trials and tribulations stack one upon another over days, months, and years, survival becomes less about strength and more about the simple will. And while it is easy to look back at how one managed to survive a long, drawn-out tribulation and assign it a label like cowardice, to survive at all is often a greater strength than many will ever know.

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 opens with a trip to Hildegarde’s past and a lesson from her old trainer. Seeing Hildegarde in this way causes a small chuckle, despite the seriousness of the moment. It’s just hard seeing her as a child, I guess. But the lesson her teacher gives her is an important one. And, understandably, she would call it to mind now.

Back in the present, Hildegarde, Jane Foster, and Dani Moonstar set about dispatching the symbiote dragon that threatened them at the end of the last issue. Once this momentary obstacle has been felled, the three set out to complete Brunnhilde’s plan. With two of them going to limbo to perform a ritual a the sight of the celestial, and the other heads to the stronghold of Knull to perform the other part of the plan.

Meanwhile, in the realm of Vanaheim our other Valkyrie has recovered her lost weapon, though it seems it has fallen short of her expectations. While enjoying some post-battle wine, she confesses her ulterior motives for the journey for her weapon. She struggles with things that happened in her past and the things she did. I guess being sealed inside an undead Celestial for a few centuries can be trauma-inducing. Go figure.

Writers Aaron and Gröndekk do an amazing job with the tone King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 takes. While the initial expectation for a story stepped so much in the Asgardian themes may be one of glorious combat and heavy drinking, the writing duo soon reminds the reader that this is a tale of the Valkyrie. The somber side of the mythos. As the impending doom looms over the story, our heroes march to face death with certainty and grim resolve. For as the last of the Valkyrie, if they fall who will carry them to the eternal halls of Valhalla?

The grim mood that hangs over our heroes is captured skillfully by artist Vakueva. The foreboding sense of doom that follows each of the main characters is always present in their body language. The art does a particularly great job with our unnamed Valkyrie in Vanaheim. As she drinks and reminisces, her every pose and looks echoes the grim thoughts of her mind.

The colorwork in King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 chooses a route I wouldn’t expect. Rather than darkening the spaces, the story takes place to fit the mood, and colorist Bonvillain instead holds fast to the lighting one would generally find in their surroundings. I would normally expect the often bright colors to work against the overall brooding mode of the book. Instead, it enhances it. All the bright colors and warm palettes in the nine realms seem to fail to reach  our protagonists.

Wrapping up the presentation, here are Sabino’s letters. The letterer does a great job of keeping the story clear and flowing smoothly from panel to panel.

When you look at it all together, King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 delivers a grim tale, that does an excellent job of setting up its final issue. What will ultimately become of our heroes is something I cannot wait to find out. May the All-Father smile on their efforts.

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.

 

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3
5

TL;DR

When you look at it all together, King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3 delivers a grim tale, that does an excellent job of setting up its final issue. What will ultimately become of our heroes is something I cannot wait to find out. May the All-Father smile on their efforts.

  • Buy via ComiXology Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: “Maestro: War and Pax,” Issue #2
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Marvel Snapshots: Captain Marvel,’ Issue #1
Charles Hartford
  • X (Twitter)

Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

Related Posts

Cover art for Fantastic Four Issue 2

REVIEW: ‘Fantastic Four’ Issue 2

08/13/2025
Cover art of Predator Kills The Marvel Universe Issue 1

REVIEW: ‘Predator Kills the Marvel Universe’ Issue 1

08/13/2025
Cover art of Ultimate Spider-Man Incursion Issue 3

REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion’ Issue 3

08/13/2025
cover art for Uncanny X-Men Issue 19

REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 19

08/06/2025
Cover art for One World Under Doom Issue 6

REVIEW: ‘One World Under Doom’ Issue 6

08/06/2025
Cover art for Ultimates Issue 14

REVIEW: ‘Ultimates’ Issue 14

07/30/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here