REVIEW: ‘Queen in Black’ Issue 3

Queen in Black Issue 3 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Al Ewing, art by Iban Coello and Paco Medina, colors by Guru-eFX, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

As Dylan Brock is in the clutches of the Symbiote Intelligence, another Symbiote joins the party.

This issue continues the adrenaline-filled event, but some parts are already making it tricky to follow. It isn’t just this main book that is running through this crossover; there are many tie-ins and additional parts. Black Cat, Venom: Unchained, and more are all included. It can make it difficult to fully know the context of what’s happening, especially when the events in Queen in Black Issue 3 are moving ahead of those tie-ins and confusing the timeline.

However, the actual threads of Queen in Black Issue 3 are manageable, largely because it continues directly from the last issue into the main book. So it isn’t possible to follow if you’re only reading the main book. The intensity and pace are incredible. The battles are the heart of the story. As the main team, featuring Spider-Man, Toxin and Venom, serves as the pulsating rhythm, Ewing jumps around the world, detailing how the fighting is faring in other countries. And every time, there’s a different selection of heroes, fighting alongside each other in famous locations. In every issue, this has been a unique selection, showing just how ubiquitous the invasion is.

Queen in Black Issue 3 is much more about its heroes than its villains. The first couple of issues had heavy involvement from Knull, Hela, Tyr, and the various monsters Hela forcibly enlisted in her army. But the focus of this chapter is their opposition.

It’s amazing that there are so many classic characters included in Queen in Black Issue 3, and yet they have been reshuffled. Spider-Man, Eddie Brock, Mary Jane, Nova, the Fantastic Four, and many more are all present in this issue. And yet many have been placed in new symbiotes and have very different connections. Spider-Man displays a level of tactical brilliance that is rarely seen from the jovial web-slinger. However, when he needs to, his knowledge of technology and physics, along with years of experience, comes into play.

The Symbiotes on both sides are starting to get violent, and Spidey is trying hard to temper the ferociousness of those fighting alongside him. Mary Jane and Eddie Brock are both in this issue. Eddie is Dylan’s father, and Mary Jane has become his foster mother, so both have a parental, protective nature over the young boy. Both the evil symbiotes and Spider-Man can face the fire that stems from that family.

It’s amazing that Mary Jane, who was a damsel in distress for so long within the Marvel Universe, is now on the front line and able to hold her own. It’s the biggest example of the progression within the characters.

When it comes to the other battle within Queen in Black Issue 3, this particular squadron is helmed by both Captain Marvel and Emma Frost. It’s fun to see the chemistry between the two intense, powerful women who have their own ways of asserting dominance. Carol Danvers will use her fists and physical power whilst Frost prefers to enter minds.

The art is superb, embracing the ever-shifting powers of multiple figures within Queen in Black Issue 3. This comic doesn’t just feature Symbiotes; it also includes the shape-shifting Skrulls. That means size changes are the flavor of the issue. The Symbiotes can do that frequently, as displayed by Toxin, Venom, and others.

But the Skrulls that The X-Vengers come up against are huge, toppling buildings. When defeated, they instantly shrink down, and the sense of perspective is fantastic. To tackle the gargantuan aliens, the heroes rely on some size-changing of their own, and it makes the battle even more exciting.

The different alien species and their symbiotic partners create a truly unique fight every time, and it’s fascinating to see how the artists have fun with it. In the battle with the Symbiote Intelligence, movement is extra important due to Spider-Man’s plan to defeat it. The Symbiotes are routinely shifting, with their human faces appearing from the liquid mass. This helps remind us that there are regular and recognizable figures within the alien teeth.

The colors are superb within Queen in Black Issue 3. The shades are so vibrant and varied across the issue, featuring primary and secondary colors galore. The inky black of the Symbiote skins is struggling to reign supreme over the intensity of superhero costumes and their superpowers. However, these tones can change depending on the situation. The fight in Italy is much brighter because it’s still daylight there. But in New York, the darkness makes it much more atmospheric and sinister. The lettering features many custom word balloons. Each Symbiote has its own, which helps differentiate between them, but some are easier to read than others.

Queen in Black Issue 3 reunites a very troubled family. This is one of the most chaotic, fast-paced events Marvel has ever devised, and that comes with both positives and challenges. The intensity is fun and engaging, endlessly throwing combinations of aliens and Symbiotes against various teams of heroes. The individual issues are excellent, and Ewing works as well as he can at keeping the story contained.

But the synergy between the tie-ins is starting to break down, with things happening out of sync. There are references to comics that aren’t even out yet that lead straight into this issue, so it’s not actually possible to follow the comic in the right order. Despite this, the quality of the actual book itself is superb, even with the slight confusion.

Queen in Black Issue 3 is available now wherever comics are sold.