Knull #1 Has Its Moments but It’s Even More Cliché Than You Imagine (Review)

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Knull started as a villain created for a single storyline, but became surprisingly popular, leading to multiple reappearances and defeats. Recently, it was revealed that Hela imprisoned him. This ties into the Marvel Rivals video game, and has resulted in a new comic series, Knull #1, where the symbiote god escapes Hela’s prison to reclaim his power. While comics focused on villains can be enjoyable, this one isn’t quite as fun as it could be.

Marvel has been focusing a lot on the villain Knull recently, so I wasn’t too surprised to see a new comic series about him trying to regain his power. I’ve always found Knull a bit difficult to connect with, mainly because he’s a fairly straightforward character. The first issue of Knull delivers exactly what you’d expect: the powerful villain is imprisoned and taunted, which leads to his escape, and then a violent fight through Hela’s fortress. Ultimately, Knull escapes as part of Hela’s plan.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Pros Cons
The art is gorgeous Doesn’t make Knull into an interesting character
Is painfully cliche
Even the “surprise” ending feels telegraphed

This comic feels incredibly predictable from the start. Honestly, the villain, Knull, isn’t very compelling – he looks cool, but lacks depth, and this issue doesn’t change that. The story begins with a basic flashback explaining his origins, which is a weak way to start. Despite being written by talented authors like Al Ewing and Tom Waltz, the comic offers nothing new. I’ve long suspected Ewing was critical of Marvel’s focus on symbiotes, and this issue reinforces that feeling. He’s usually great at making any character interesting, but he doesn’t even seem to try with Knull here. Sometimes a story being exactly what you expect is a positive, but that’s not true in this case.

Juanan Rameriz’s Art Is the Book’s Lone Saving Grace

I’ve always been impressed by the artists Marvel chooses for Knull, and this issue, #1, is no different. When I saw the cover, I honestly braced myself for another artist doing a style very similar to Ryan Stegman, which is what I’ve come to expect with Knull. But Juanan Ramirez really surprised me! His style is totally unique and has this cool, subtle quality to the lines that I can’t quite describe. Especially on the big, full-page spreads – they’re gorgeous, with a really soft touch. Honestly, the entire issue looks fantastic, but those spreads are the real standouts.

Ramirez delivers a fantastic performance through his character work, with consistently strong detail and very few flaws. The action sequences are visually stunning – raw, violent, and they really showcase the power of this symbiote god. You could flip through this comic just looking at the artwork and still understand what’s happening, which isn’t ideal from a writing perspective. However, it speaks volumes about the quality of the art and the artist’s skill that the story comes across so clearly through the visuals alone.

When Marvel hinted at Hela’s role leading into the ‘Queen in Black’ storyline, many fans reacted negatively. After reading this issue, it’s easy to understand why. The story itself is fairly predictable and doesn’t offer anything new or surprising – it’s exactly what you’d expect. While comics often rely on familiar tropes, the best ones still manage to bring something fresh to the table. This issue doesn’t do that, but the artwork is genuinely excellent. It’s the only real highlight of Knull #1.

Knull #1 is on sale now.

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2026-01-14 17:40