Queen in Black is a summer blockbuster with both Symbiotes and Asgardians at the heart of it. The comic event sees Hela claim the title of the Queen in Black, which makes her the god of all Symbiotes and already the Asgardian Goddess of Death. She’s bringing an entire army to invade Earth. But she isn’t the only one. Knull, another major comic villain and the previous King in Black, has a new set of abilities and title.
Writer Al Ewing and artist Zé Carlos use multiple series as feeder rivers flowing into one huge event. It has a lot of sources and influences, and reading them before digging into the main book will be beneficial to fully understanding what is happening. Not all of these series are crucial, but they provide context.
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King in Black
Written by Donny Cates, art by Ryan Stegman and JP Mayer, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles. This was the first instance of a Symbiote invasion of Earth, which kick-started the entire concept of King in Black, which has now become a major feature within the Marvel Universe and the Venom movies. Knull brought his own host of Symbiotic creatures to Earth, with Celestials and dragons all under his control. The Avengers, The Sentry, and more all became soldiers of Knull’s army, drawing heroes out from around the world to fight for their planet.
King in Black is helpful to read because it shows how nasty and awesome Knull was when he first appeared. There was an unbelievable sense of fear and power that emanated from him as he emerged as a celestial force of nature. And it’s important to remember that Hela now possesses that same power, but with her existing godhood over the top.
All-New Venom
Written by Ewing, art by Carlos Gomez, colors by Frank D’Armata and letters by Cowles. With a comic all about Symbiotes, it’s always important to know where Venom is and who has bonded with the most famous example of the alien species.
This comic paired the symbiote with one of the people that knew it most: Mary Jane Watson. After a long game of Guess Who, trying to discover who was the new host, it was revealed that Peter Parker’s ex-wife, who was tormented by the symbiote in its first appearance, was underneath the symbiote skin. Reading this series begins Mary Jane’s journey to where she ends up in Queen in Black, but there are more recent stories that are better suited to read, too.
Venom
Perhaps the most important with this storyline, Venom features a lot of the foundations on which the Queen in Black event is directly built. All-New Venom gets retitled into Venom, and whilst the run picks up the legacy number of Issue 250, issues 258 and 259 are the most prevalent to this crossover.
It includes a multitude of characters pivotal to the Venom mythos, including Dylan Brock and Flash Thompson, all of whom have been hosts of the symbiote and have fought others like it for a long time. It also features Captain Alliance, a newcomer who brings cosmic knowledge to those stranded on Earth. It’s how they know Knull is coming back. And importantly, the final scene of Venom Issue 259 is directly continued in Queen in Black Issue 1
Knull
Written by Ewing, art by Juanan Ramírez, colors by Erick Arciniega and letters by Cowles. The first miniseries focused on the King in Black himself, Knull bridges the gap between the events for the primary antagonist. Weakened and held captive by Hela, Knull is the furthest from his greatness as he’s ever been. But with a violent escape, the series documents Knull’s journey from a being of darkness to one of light, explaining how and why he has changed colours by the start of Queen in Black.
The Immortal Thor
Written by Ewing, art by Jan Bazaldua, Justin Greenwood and Pasqual Ferry, colors by Matt Hollingsworth and Romulo Fajardo Jr, and letters by Joe Sabino. Whilst Symbiotes are the primary threat within the crossover, there is a heavy Asgardian flavor added too.
There’s an intriguing aspect to the whole Marvel Universe now: everyone has forgotten about Asgard. That includes everyone once affiliated with the land of the Norse Gods, even Thor and Loki. That means that Hela is an unknown quantity heading into the series.
For the Avengers, she is a brand-new villain, and they have no idea what she is capable of or what forces she possesses. The Immortal Thor is where that occurred, and the final issues (23-25) would be the most important chapters to read. Additionally, the Doctor Strange and Moonstar series have a wider example of the effect Thor’s actions have had on encounters with Asgardians.
Sorcerer Supreme
Written by Steve Orlando, art by Bernard Chang, colors by Ruth Redmond, and letters by Cory Petit. Doctor Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, having taken up a position in Asgard; his job title was left vacant.
The mantle has been taken up by Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlet Witch. This elevates her already powerful position, making Wanda the most important magic user on the planet and also one of the first lines of defense when the monsters come calling. Sorcerer Supreme is not vital to the Symbiotes or the Asgardians, but Wanda is a key figure in the opening issue and may therefore remain so as the event progresses.
Nova: Centurion
Written by Jed MacKay, art by Álvaro López, colors by Mattia Iacono, and letters by Petit. Nova wasn’t in the picture as much in the previous event, and has only recently re-established himself as the most pre-eminent space cop.
But unlike when he appeared in cosmic events before, fuelled by one of the most powerful energy sources ever seen in the Marvel universe, that power now comes at a price. The Nova Force costs a huge amount of money to replenish. And if it depletes entirely, the entire history and knowledge of Xandar, the planet that was obliterated in the Annihilation event, dies with it.
Like the Scarlet Witch, Nova: Centurion isn’t quite a foundation of the full Queen in Black storyline, but Richard Rider played a large part in the opening issue too.
It should be stressed that Queen in Black can be picked up and read quite easily without any of the comics preceding it. A lot of the major characters and story points are explained within the extra-large opening issue.
Ewing, in particular, has been telling an epic tale woven through several stories. And there are many other creators that have played a role in funneling so many forces towards this crossover. In terms of importance, the Venom and Knull series will provide the best context and serve as the perfect prelude to the first issue of Queen in Black.
