REVIEW: ‘Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark’ Issue 3

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Al Ewing and Tom Waltz, art by Zé Carlos, colors by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo and letters by Joe Caramagna.

With the two teams struggling to battle Knull and Hela, the only plan left in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 is to throw the two godly beings at each other.

This is the final part of this Queen in Black tie-in, wrapping up the assault against Knull and Hela. With the two teams separated in the previous two chapters, Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 finally brings them together. That isn’t easy, and it takes the combined minds of Cable and Iron Man to pull it off.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3  is just as intense and rapid as the rest of the crossover, but this time progress is really being made. The heroes are starting to gain the upper hand against the powerful villains. But even these two teams of Defenders can’t battle the behemoths at the helm of this event, so they opt for the mutually assured destruction route.

Getting there means an unconventional journey that’s fun and full of surprises. It becomes clear how important this comic is to the wider event when Knull and Hela finally meet and fight. It is surprising that this happens here and not in the main book, and that half of the comic is just spent getting to the point where they confront each other.

With how anticipated the fight is, it ends a lot quicker than expected. For two of the three villains to be bested in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3, it felt somewhat sudden. It delivers an explosive surprise and sucker punch, with a clear victor, leading to one final confrontation at the end of the event.

The dialogue is filled with personality and energy, except for one character who leaves you disappointed. Knull is a heavy presence in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 and the first to get picked up and dragged by Cable and his forces. As they progress through realms on a journey to reach Hela, the book delivers superb cameos that, though brief, are lively and entertaining. It’s a journey through the different teleporters in the Marvel Universe.

Many of the team members, like Monica Rambeau, Sunfire, Anti-Venom and more are now just additions as opposed to helping drive the story. Cable is the storyteller, detailing the plan alongside Iron Man as it happens. Even Cloak and Dagger, who were the heart and soul of the previous chapter, are no longer the important pieces. Because the King and Queen are now in the room.

As a figure, Hela should have been used much more than she was in the event. After the opening issues, she’s done nothing. She hasn’t asserted her influence or gone toe-to-toe with the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. She has stood on the sidelines. So it’s exciting that she finally gets a fight, but she never really lives up to the Queen in Black title the whole event is centred around.

It feels more like Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3, and this tie-in has been about Knull, who is terrific, but it comes at the expense of the Queen of Hel.

The art has a huge sense of power. This is the chapter in which many of the characters stop holding back, unleashing their full might on each other, and with Asgardians and other beings involved, that is a lot. The fighting moves from the start of Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 to the end.

And perhaps the best part of Carlos’ art in this issue is that the location changes, avoiding repetition. The Defenders of Light hop across worlds and realms, each with its own denizens and dangers. The guest stars all look incredible, comfortable in their surroundings and prepared for Cable’s arrival.

There is some humor in watching Knull struggle against his restraints as he is carried from world to world, before being deposited in front of the god on the other side of the light spectrum from him. Knull’s huge mouth can make him extremely expressive, and it’s amazing to see the range of those feelings, from fear to fury. The fight between Knull and Hela is brilliantly illustrated, with a sense of glorious melodrama. Both have powers that extend beyond their bodies, making the battle big, grappling, and ultimately spiky.

Like other issues in this tie-in series, Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 toys with the light spectrum. It pits the extremely light blue and white of Knull against the black and red of Hela, finally putting them in the same room and letting them contrast on the battlefield. There is also a flurry of different colors in each location as Cable’s team makes the journey to where their allies are. The lettering remains clear and easy to read among the pure chaos on the pages, which at least makes the dialogue comfortable to read.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 provides a blockbuster conclusion to the tie-in. When this connected story to the Queen in Black event began, no one expected it to end with the most monumental battle in the whole event. That has a lot to do with how this crossover was structured: spread across multiple series rather than one singular flagship comic.

From the moment it began, the series has been ridiculously lively, never even stopping to catch its breath. And while fans of Knull will certainly be pleased, the fact that Hela has been so woefully underused is disappointing because that’s what the whole event was about.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Issue 3 is available where comics are sold.