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Symbiote Spider-Man by Peter David #3
Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black
Knull, the horrifying King in Black, has set his sights on Earth — but as avid Marvelites already know, his hand has been at work at the edge of the Marvel Universe for years! Now, witness one of Knull’s earliest attempts at birthing life from the darkness of non-creation! Take a wild trip with Spider-Man as he aligns himself with…Kang the Conqueror? That can’t be right! The Black Knight sounds like a more sensible team-up to stop an otherworldly plot that threatens to turn every living thing in the universe into creatures made of shadow! But who else will be here to help our friendly neighborhood wallcrawler? You’ll have to see it to believe it, as Peter David and Greg Land reunite to continue the untold adventures of Peter Parker in the symbiote suit!
COLLECTING: Symbiote Spider-Man: King In Black (2020) 1-5
COLLECTING: Symbiote Spider-Man: King In Black (2020) 1-5
128 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2021
12 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,629 books1,369 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 17, 2023
A good prelude or prequel to the King in Black. It has good artwork and an ok story, I really hope that the things covered in this book come up in the main King in Black story.
Having Kang in this story is a good idea as his time travelling lets him be in both the stories. I think it does give credit to the Knull that a villain like Kang is travelling back in time to stop him. On a nostalgic note, it was great to see the Ms Marvel I grew up with back. No offence to the current versions. I also like that Spider-man is seen as an equal in this story.
I started to KIB story, and it dies the job of a prelude of making me want to read to the main story.
Having Kang in this story is a good idea as his time travelling lets him be in both the stories. I think it does give credit to the Knull that a villain like Kang is travelling back in time to stop him. On a nostalgic note, it was great to see the Ms Marvel I grew up with back. No offence to the current versions. I also like that Spider-man is seen as an equal in this story.
I started to KIB story, and it dies the job of a prelude of making me want to read to the main story.
March 31, 2021
This was a fun one, its pretty much Spidey going about his life when he comes across a shadow creature named Mister E who has possessed Ned and also Smythe and has shadow powers and is controlling others and his friends are in trouble and he is related to Knull and so he has to fight him and also then he teams up with Rocket and Kang the conqueror and after some good face off they reveal the details of this guy as Kang wants to save the future. Also Black Knight and Monica/CM are also involved and its a fun face off which happens multiple times and in the end the watcher gets involved and its upto Peter and Monica to save the day from Mister E and maybe Knull at large. Its a good volume highlighting an adventure in the past while Knull saga goes on in present and has good characterizations and cheesy lines but less focused on Peter is its drawback but good read. The art is as expected but soothing and clean.
August 3, 2021
These minis got crazy and off the wall compared to the first one. This one had Monica which is awesome
July 2, 2021
Peter David & Greg Land's Symbiote Spider-Man series joins in on the King In Black action, because of course it does.
Considering this series is set entirely in the past, there's very little of import here to King In Black in general. There are vague allusions to Knull, some mentions of dark energy, and some hand waving towards the Black Knight's sword, but it's all ultimately inconsequential.
David throws characters at the plot in quick succession to try and see what's going to stick, with Monica Rambeau, Kang, Rocket Raccoon, Black Knight, and more all showing up, plus some weird troll family drama from Ulik that goes nowhere. And of course, because it's set in the past, everything wraps up and no one is any the wiser. It's a bit of a waste of time.
And Greg Land's still on art - so the non-female characters look fine, but Monica Rambeau and the Black Cat are in constant pr0nface poses. He does what he does, it's Greg Land - there's little else to say.
Where the previous Symbiote Spider-Man series have had some of the same problems, at least they were fun. This just feels like a Spider-Man story that Spider-Man doesn't need to be in. Easily the most skippable and least enjoyable KIB tie-in.
Considering this series is set entirely in the past, there's very little of import here to King In Black in general. There are vague allusions to Knull, some mentions of dark energy, and some hand waving towards the Black Knight's sword, but it's all ultimately inconsequential.
David throws characters at the plot in quick succession to try and see what's going to stick, with Monica Rambeau, Kang, Rocket Raccoon, Black Knight, and more all showing up, plus some weird troll family drama from Ulik that goes nowhere. And of course, because it's set in the past, everything wraps up and no one is any the wiser. It's a bit of a waste of time.
And Greg Land's still on art - so the non-female characters look fine, but Monica Rambeau and the Black Cat are in constant pr0nface poses. He does what he does, it's Greg Land - there's little else to say.
Where the previous Symbiote Spider-Man series have had some of the same problems, at least they were fun. This just feels like a Spider-Man story that Spider-Man doesn't need to be in. Easily the most skippable and least enjoyable KIB tie-in.
March 28, 2022
King in Black wasn't a big hit with me, but I've sometimes found that Marvel's event series tie-ins are better than the main event. That's definitely the case with Symbiote Spider-Man, which is basically a perfect microcosm of comic book weirdness.
I didn't know "Symbiote" Spider-Man's deal before reading this comic and I still don't now that I've finished. I don't think that matters. A servant of Knull, Mr. E, is taking control of humans in Spider-Man's vicinity, so naturally the webslinger gets pulled into an unexpectedly intergalactic adventure. Kang is working with Rocket Raccoon. Mr. E collects Black Knight's ebony blade and takes it to Knowhere. Sibling trolls fight. Monica Rambeau (80s Captain Marvel) shows up. The Watcher plays a role.
It's a lot to take in. Peter David writes with a nice dose of witty, tongue-in-cheek humor. He knows exactly how silly this whole deal is. Greg Land's art looks great, very "classic comic book" in style. I had a bunch of fun with this nonsense adventure - and I'm pretty sure the ebony blade plays a key role in Knull's defeat, so maybe Symbiote Spider-Man is actually essential reading?
I didn't know "Symbiote" Spider-Man's deal before reading this comic and I still don't now that I've finished. I don't think that matters. A servant of Knull, Mr. E, is taking control of humans in Spider-Man's vicinity, so naturally the webslinger gets pulled into an unexpectedly intergalactic adventure. Kang is working with Rocket Raccoon. Mr. E collects Black Knight's ebony blade and takes it to Knowhere. Sibling trolls fight. Monica Rambeau (80s Captain Marvel) shows up. The Watcher plays a role.
It's a lot to take in. Peter David writes with a nice dose of witty, tongue-in-cheek humor. He knows exactly how silly this whole deal is. Greg Land's art looks great, very "classic comic book" in style. I had a bunch of fun with this nonsense adventure - and I'm pretty sure the ebony blade plays a key role in Knull's defeat, so maybe Symbiote Spider-Man is actually essential reading?
November 4, 2023
Set after the original Secret Wars in the early days where Spidey was wearing his black suit
From the get go, this one's a fun adventure that tries to fill in the blanks of Knull ever existed in the Marvel Universe, and it succeeds!
Spidey and a bunch of guests that are too many to mention here go on some time-traveling adventure to get Black Knight's sword so they can kill this being who's threatening the reality as we know it.
Solid artwork and story that makes a great read, and a well made tie-in to the King In Black event!
From the get go, this one's a fun adventure that tries to fill in the blanks of Knull ever existed in the Marvel Universe, and it succeeds!
Spidey and a bunch of guests that are too many to mention here go on some time-traveling adventure to get Black Knight's sword so they can kill this being who's threatening the reality as we know it.
Solid artwork and story that makes a great read, and a well made tie-in to the King In Black event!
April 3, 2021
Another fun Symbiote mini. Hope Peter David gets to keep making as many as he wants to.
Was a little confused about the nature of Mister E and how his powers worked. It's possible it was explained and I just didn't understand. But regardless, it's fun to see David use a wide variety of characters in crazy 80's circumstances like he did in Alien Reality.
Was a little confused about the nature of Mister E and how his powers worked. It's possible it was explained and I just didn't understand. But regardless, it's fun to see David use a wide variety of characters in crazy 80's circumstances like he did in Alien Reality.
December 7, 2021
This was my first King In Black storyline and, while it made some sense, it didn't seem too integral. Will have to revisit after reading other volumes. The art's not bad and Peter David is always a strong writer, but there was just something missing (probably that overall picture of where this fits in).
November 2, 2021
A mildly diverting adventure with some of Greg Land's best art, and a few jokes and fights thrown in there from the always reliable Peter David. Fun, if somewhat forgettable.
July 11, 2021
3.5
This overarching narrative felt pretty disjointed. Also, the whole King in Black thing is pretty...murky. Have not been a fan. The symbiotic powers and weeknesses are like Batman's utility belt...ill defined and suddenly available when needed.
And this continual pushing of how Knull can destroy everything feels forced and not believable. We know Knull will lose and everything will be fine. Nothing feels at stake.
Just a weird pale man with obligatory evil grin and oversized teeth taunting everyone.
This overarching narrative felt pretty disjointed. Also, the whole King in Black thing is pretty...murky. Have not been a fan. The symbiotic powers and weeknesses are like Batman's utility belt...ill defined and suddenly available when needed.
And this continual pushing of how Knull can destroy everything feels forced and not believable. We know Knull will lose and everything will be fine. Nothing feels at stake.
Just a weird pale man with obligatory evil grin and oversized teeth taunting everyone.
June 11, 2022
3.5 Stars
This is a prequel to the King in Black, and while I'm not sure how big of a part this plays in the bigger picture, it was a good read at least. This was the first "Symbiote Spider-Man" volume I've read, and it looks like the title is just what it sounds like: adventures of Spider-man set in the time period where he wore the black costume.
We get an early Knull appearance that at least makes sense given the fact Spider-Man is wearing one of the symbiotes, even if he didn't realize it at the time. We get appearances from The Watcher, Kang, The Black Night, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau version), Rocket Raccoon (steals the show), Cosmo the talking Dog, some Trolls, and more. That sounds like a mess, but it works.
We also get Peter David writing and Greg Land on art, which is quite the team.
Overall not a bad start to the King in Black event.
This is a prequel to the King in Black, and while I'm not sure how big of a part this plays in the bigger picture, it was a good read at least. This was the first "Symbiote Spider-Man" volume I've read, and it looks like the title is just what it sounds like: adventures of Spider-man set in the time period where he wore the black costume.
We get an early Knull appearance that at least makes sense given the fact Spider-Man is wearing one of the symbiotes, even if he didn't realize it at the time. We get appearances from The Watcher, Kang, The Black Night, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau version), Rocket Raccoon (steals the show), Cosmo the talking Dog, some Trolls, and more. That sounds like a mess, but it works.
We also get Peter David writing and Greg Land on art, which is quite the team.
Overall not a bad start to the King in Black event.
May 4, 2023
So, I heard this joke. Okay. Ready? Spider-Man, the Black Knight, Rocket Raccoon, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Kang the Conqueror & Uatu the Watcher all walk into a bar in Knowhere … oh wait, you’ve heard this one? Okay, sorry, never mind.
You know those episodes of TV shows that go all wacky and crazy and then end with: it was all a dream? Or everything gets undone because of time travel so it never happened?
Yep. It’s as dumb as that. Pretty pictures though.
This is also included in Kang: The Saga Of The Once And Future Conqueror
You know those episodes of TV shows that go all wacky and crazy and then end with: it was all a dream? Or everything gets undone because of time travel so it never happened?
Yep. It’s as dumb as that. Pretty pictures though.
This is also included in Kang: The Saga Of The Once And Future Conqueror
September 3, 2024
A funny, filler adventure that worked really well standalone despite being a tie-in series.
Whilst the plot itself was largely forgettable (both for reader and characters), it more than made up for it with the humorous tone and character work - Black Knight was a cool addition early on, good guy Kang was something I didn't know I needed but am so glad I got and Peter was on top form throughout.
From a story perspective, this isn't going to make me read the series but I'm definitely glad I read it for the loveable cast.
Whilst the plot itself was largely forgettable (both for reader and characters), it more than made up for it with the humorous tone and character work - Black Knight was a cool addition early on, good guy Kang was something I didn't know I needed but am so glad I got and Peter was on top form throughout.
From a story perspective, this isn't going to make me read the series but I'm definitely glad I read it for the loveable cast.
August 29, 2021
Starts off pretty interesting - with one heck of an obscure returning villain - but towards the end it starts to feel like the author was making up the plot as he goes. Still, the (very random) assortment of guest stars, and their interactions, help keep this an entertaining read. (B)
August 12, 2025
Okay so I'm not sure how well this really fit into the whole timeline of everything, and it was basically just a bunch of cameos and quips, but fuck it I enjoyed every page and laughed out loud 5 stars
February 1, 2023
This is a tie-in in the loosest sense. Symbiote Spider-Man must team up with a rag-tag group of supers (Kang, Rocket Racoon, Black Knight. Captain Marvel and the Watcher!) to take down Mr. E (….mystery, get it?) a symbiote who has connections to Knull, The King of the Symbiotes.
This story doesn’t really tie into King in Black at all, especially since it takes place in the 80s. At most it shows Knull a couple times and name drops him throughout, so if you’re looking for a compelling tie-in you’re going to be disappointed, this is honestly one you could easily skip.
Normally this wouldn’t bother me a whole lot because I’m here for a Symbiote Spider-Man story, not so much an event tie-in, but this story was just flat-out dumb. Very out of character for the previous instalments from this creative team.
It was so convoluted that I felt like not a lot happened, and yet simultaneously I was confused as to what was really going on. None of the humor landed, and what was meant to be zany and silly just came out as stupid.
This story doesn’t really tie into King in Black at all, especially since it takes place in the 80s. At most it shows Knull a couple times and name drops him throughout, so if you’re looking for a compelling tie-in you’re going to be disappointed, this is honestly one you could easily skip.
Normally this wouldn’t bother me a whole lot because I’m here for a Symbiote Spider-Man story, not so much an event tie-in, but this story was just flat-out dumb. Very out of character for the previous instalments from this creative team.
It was so convoluted that I felt like not a lot happened, and yet simultaneously I was confused as to what was really going on. None of the humor landed, and what was meant to be zany and silly just came out as stupid.
April 5, 2021
Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black is a hot-mess and an unnecessary tie-in.
Symbiote Spider-Man must team up with a rag-tag group of supers to take down Mr. E, a symbiote who has connections to Knull, king of the symbiotes. This story doesn’t really tie into King in Black at all, especially since it takes place in the 80s. At most it shows Knull a couple times and name drops him throughout, so if you’re looking for a compelling tie-in you’re going to be disappointed, this is honestly one you could easily skip. Normally this wouldn’t bother me a whole lot because I’m here for a Symbiote Spider-Man story, not so much an event tie-in, but this story was just flat-out dumb. It was so convoluted that I felt like not a lot happened, and yet simultaneously I was confused as to what was really going on. None of the humor landed, and what was meant to be zany and silly just came out as stupid.
While the negatives far outweigh the positives, there are a couple good things worth noting. Say what you will about Greg Land and his methods, but his art looks good, and is one of the highlights of this story. Had the art been abysmal as well I don’t think I would have made it through this. The other thing I enjoyed about this book was the cast of characters used. Spidey team-ups can be a gun change of pace, and it’s can make an interesting dynamic when it’s with an obscure group in the likes of Black Knight, Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel, Kang the Conqueror, Rocket Raccoon, and The Watcher. Unfortunately though, once these characters all join the story we’re taken up in space to deal with trolls that really had no business being in the story, and we continue to go off the rails from there. Simply put, it was a wasted opportunity for this team-up.
If you’re a completionist and are following Symbiote Spider-Man or The King in Black, those are the only reasons worth picking up this story. If you’re looking for a new Spidey story or want more background into King in Black, do yourself a favor and skip this one; you’ll be disappointed if you don’t...
Symbiote Spider-Man must team up with a rag-tag group of supers to take down Mr. E, a symbiote who has connections to Knull, king of the symbiotes. This story doesn’t really tie into King in Black at all, especially since it takes place in the 80s. At most it shows Knull a couple times and name drops him throughout, so if you’re looking for a compelling tie-in you’re going to be disappointed, this is honestly one you could easily skip. Normally this wouldn’t bother me a whole lot because I’m here for a Symbiote Spider-Man story, not so much an event tie-in, but this story was just flat-out dumb. It was so convoluted that I felt like not a lot happened, and yet simultaneously I was confused as to what was really going on. None of the humor landed, and what was meant to be zany and silly just came out as stupid.
While the negatives far outweigh the positives, there are a couple good things worth noting. Say what you will about Greg Land and his methods, but his art looks good, and is one of the highlights of this story. Had the art been abysmal as well I don’t think I would have made it through this. The other thing I enjoyed about this book was the cast of characters used. Spidey team-ups can be a gun change of pace, and it’s can make an interesting dynamic when it’s with an obscure group in the likes of Black Knight, Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel, Kang the Conqueror, Rocket Raccoon, and The Watcher. Unfortunately though, once these characters all join the story we’re taken up in space to deal with trolls that really had no business being in the story, and we continue to go off the rails from there. Simply put, it was a wasted opportunity for this team-up.
If you’re a completionist and are following Symbiote Spider-Man or The King in Black, those are the only reasons worth picking up this story. If you’re looking for a new Spidey story or want more background into King in Black, do yourself a favor and skip this one; you’ll be disappointed if you don’t...
September 21, 2021
NOTE: Despite this comic taking place back in the 80's/Clone Saga Era of Spider-Man (hence the black suit), this is still connected to the King in Black event of current. This does create some continuity errors, so for now, read this comic as an appreciation of black suit Spidey, not something that is completely canon.
With this tie-in to King in Black, we don't even really deal with Knull, which is a nice change up. Instead, we spend most of the time against one of his minions, a inky black entity known as Mister E, who has attached himself to Allister Smythe (the guy who built the Spider Slayers). Mister E has been sent to Earth by Knull to find and destroy a weapon that could kill him: Black Knight's Ebony Blade (so obviously he is involved in this story too). At the same time, Kang the Conqueror, wishes to obtain more knowledge about the past and future so he can save Earth from the invasion of Knull that is yet to come, so he captures Uatu and attempts to steal his knowledge. Throw all of those in together as well as Captain Marvel (the Monica Rambeau version, another continuity issue), Rocket, and Smythe's trip to Knowhere to possibly destroy the sword, and you have a crazy ride to be contained in 5 issues.
But it totally works and is great. Peter David/Greg Land combo for the win again.
You owe it to yourself to be reading this title.
Recommend.
With this tie-in to King in Black, we don't even really deal with Knull, which is a nice change up. Instead, we spend most of the time against one of his minions, a inky black entity known as Mister E, who has attached himself to Allister Smythe (the guy who built the Spider Slayers). Mister E has been sent to Earth by Knull to find and destroy a weapon that could kill him: Black Knight's Ebony Blade (so obviously he is involved in this story too). At the same time, Kang the Conqueror, wishes to obtain more knowledge about the past and future so he can save Earth from the invasion of Knull that is yet to come, so he captures Uatu and attempts to steal his knowledge. Throw all of those in together as well as Captain Marvel (the Monica Rambeau version, another continuity issue), Rocket, and Smythe's trip to Knowhere to possibly destroy the sword, and you have a crazy ride to be contained in 5 issues.
But it totally works and is great. Peter David/Greg Land combo for the win again.
You owe it to yourself to be reading this title.
Recommend.
August 19, 2024
Ahora sí se viene lo bueno.
[Inserte foto del panel final de Knull]
3⭐️
Comenzamos con Peter Parker siendo enviado junto a Ned Leeds a Ravencroft para entrevestitar a sus pacientes: Alisteir, quien siendo llamado por un fantasma de su padre quien le enseña a realizar una fórmula con la cual, tras intectarsela, traería las sombras al mundo. Un eclipse comienza y Ned es poseído y busca a Jonah. Alistair Smythe toma el nombre de Mister O y se centra en atacar a Spidey, quien es ayudado por Black Knight a detener al simbionte y frenar el elipse para que el sol vuelva a salir.
Por otro lado, Kang el Conquistador nota que el universo está por ser destruido, así que rapta a The Watcher(El Vigilante), Uatu, para extraerle información. Sale mal. La nave del azulado explota y termina varando el espacio hasta llegar a la nave de Rocket Racoon. El mapache le da la bienvenida y juntos van en busca de Black Knight a la tierra. ¿Por qué? Porque fue engañado por un simibonte y está muriendo lentamente, mientras Spidey está llegando al Daily Buggle para salvar a JJJ del Ned Simbiotico y sus ansias de venganza.
(Spoiler del final)
El arte está bien y la composición de las páginas me gustó. Tiene un buen guión y la pérdida de memoria al final explica el por qué nadie recuerda que Knull intenta escapar.
[Inserte foto del panel final de Knull]
3⭐️
Comenzamos con Peter Parker siendo enviado junto a Ned Leeds a Ravencroft para entrevestitar a sus pacientes: Alisteir, quien siendo llamado por un fantasma de su padre quien le enseña a realizar una fórmula con la cual, tras intectarsela, traería las sombras al mundo. Un eclipse comienza y Ned es poseído y busca a Jonah. Alistair Smythe toma el nombre de Mister O y se centra en atacar a Spidey, quien es ayudado por Black Knight a detener al simbionte y frenar el elipse para que el sol vuelva a salir.
Por otro lado, Kang el Conquistador nota que el universo está por ser destruido, así que rapta a The Watcher(El Vigilante), Uatu, para extraerle información. Sale mal. La nave del azulado explota y termina varando el espacio hasta llegar a la nave de Rocket Racoon. El mapache le da la bienvenida y juntos van en busca de Black Knight a la tierra. ¿Por qué? Porque fue engañado por un simibonte y está muriendo lentamente, mientras Spidey está llegando al Daily Buggle para salvar a JJJ del Ned Simbiotico y sus ansias de venganza.
(Spoiler del final)
El arte está bien y la composición de las páginas me gustó. Tiene un buen guión y la pérdida de memoria al final explica el por qué nadie recuerda que Knull intenta escapar.
October 28, 2022
I missed King in Black, so the finer points of Knull and the symbiotes are outside my wheelhouse. But that doesn't matter for this story, since Knull's emissary fails to get him released.
Symbiote Spider-Man so far has been a little underwhelming to me, but this story was kind of fun as a "banging your action figures together" kind of thing. Peter David assembles a motley crew to fight together and quip at each other, like, a lot.
This story is a retcon stacked on top of a retcon, with blanket mindwipes at the end to boot. Also, I'm beginning to think that half the Marvel universe knows about the true nature of Peter's alien costume, and they just don't bother to tell him. Maybe as a practical joke?
It was a fast read, and honestly, it was a little hollow. Which I think is my issue with Symbiote Spider-Man as a whole. Rather than really exploring the era or Peter's relationship with the costume, this all feels really surface level, with a few references to the continuity but nothing really to say about it.
I mean, I've read a lot worse Spider-Man stories. But with Peter David telling 80s Spidey stories, I was expecting more.
Symbiote Spider-Man so far has been a little underwhelming to me, but this story was kind of fun as a "banging your action figures together" kind of thing. Peter David assembles a motley crew to fight together and quip at each other, like, a lot.
This story is a retcon stacked on top of a retcon, with blanket mindwipes at the end to boot. Also, I'm beginning to think that half the Marvel universe knows about the true nature of Peter's alien costume, and they just don't bother to tell him. Maybe as a practical joke?
It was a fast read, and honestly, it was a little hollow. Which I think is my issue with Symbiote Spider-Man as a whole. Rather than really exploring the era or Peter's relationship with the costume, this all feels really surface level, with a few references to the continuity but nothing really to say about it.
I mean, I've read a lot worse Spider-Man stories. But with Peter David telling 80s Spidey stories, I was expecting more.
December 24, 2021
Collects Symbiote Spider-Man: King In Black (2020) issues #1-5
These flashback stories have been fun, but this one hast to feature some memory erasure so that it won't conflict with stories that come after it chronologically.
I don't know very much about the villain Mr. E, so I don't know if he has always been connected to Venom and the symbiotes, but this story brings it together, and even reference Knull (long before he became known in the present-day Marvel universe). Basically, "King in Black," was Marvel's big event in 2021, so lots of random things tied into that event.
Final rating = 3.5 stars
SPOILERS:
At one point in this story, Spider-Man refers to the group that he is fighting alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, and his team members are Ulik the troll, Kang the Conqueror, Spectrum, Rocket Raccoon, and Ulik's sister, Ulicia (Cosmo the Spacedog is also around).
These flashback stories have been fun, but this one hast to feature some memory erasure so that it won't conflict with stories that come after it chronologically.
I don't know very much about the villain Mr. E, so I don't know if he has always been connected to Venom and the symbiotes, but this story brings it together, and even reference Knull (long before he became known in the present-day Marvel universe). Basically, "King in Black," was Marvel's big event in 2021, so lots of random things tied into that event.
Final rating = 3.5 stars
SPOILERS:
At one point in this story, Spider-Man refers to the group that he is fighting alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, and his team members are Ulik the troll, Kang the Conqueror, Spectrum, Rocket Raccoon, and Ulik's sister, Ulicia (Cosmo the Spacedog is also around).
April 14, 2022
I wanted to enjoy this book more, but maybe it was a bad idea to try to link this Spider-Man title set during his Black Costume era to a big crossover event in the modern continuity. It sort of feels like this whole Star Trek crossover story for the novels where the TOS story felt a little remote but the Voyager story really felt like an afterthought.
This arc sort of had that feeling since they wanted to act as a sort of weird preview prelude to the eventual god of the symbiotes conflict much later on. At the very least, Peter David indulged and manage to drag in a curious variety of characters into this title despite the potential complications of the larger continuity of things. At least that was quite entertaining on some level.
And since this is still set in the past, nothing truly new could happen. It has its merits but it's still like a bottle episode for a TV show.
This arc sort of had that feeling since they wanted to act as a sort of weird preview prelude to the eventual god of the symbiotes conflict much later on. At the very least, Peter David indulged and manage to drag in a curious variety of characters into this title despite the potential complications of the larger continuity of things. At least that was quite entertaining on some level.
And since this is still set in the past, nothing truly new could happen. It has its merits but it's still like a bottle episode for a TV show.
March 13, 2022
This felt mostly inconsequential to the King in Black storyline. Some fun beats from Parker, Kang, and Cosmo. I think this Captain Marvel is…Monica Rambeau? Overall though, this doesn’t do a great job of setting up Knull as I expected it to as a prequel and the storybeats were all fairly ho-hum. Having just seen all of Marvel’s What If…? cartoon series, I’m left wondering why this feels so eerily parallel to that narrative arc replacing Ultron with Knull. The art was also pretty solid sage for the shadow enemies that mostly felt like venom symbiont blobs on the page.
November 18, 2021
A quick read, but pretty inessential unless you just want to read a bit about the Black Knight and the Ebony Blade, which will be in the MCU likely soon.
2.5 rounded up, cause it was a decent enough read, but again you can probably skip it if you want.
2.5 rounded up, cause it was a decent enough read, but again you can probably skip it if you want.
May 26, 2025
This was a really fun read and a great prelude to the King In Black story! The artwork is great and the story is alright. Love that Kang is here, he made it cool during fight scenes! Overall a great book!
May 10, 2021
Muy buena historia. Esta serie no suele ser muy buena, pero esta vez si se esmeraron.
September 1, 2021
I feel like this is a start of it and explains knull more in depth.
September 29, 2021
Picked this up at the library because it was part of the King in Black event. It's only tangentially related to the plot of earth 616.
December 17, 2021
You known what I really kind of liked this. Peter David gets the assignment making the collection fit the King in Black label. But he gives us a tale that feels like a classic 70s Marvel team up.
December 28, 2021
Fun team-ups! Non-stop action!
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