Check out Our Review [WITH SPOILERS] of Marvel’s Karnak #3
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Roland Boschi
Color Artist: Dan Brown
Writer Warren Ellis has a propensity to swoop in on a particular character, find a perfect hook into that character’s adventures, tell a story or two, and then swoop back out. Well, after reading Karnak #3, I hope that Ellis does more than swoop because the writer’s sensibilities perfectly match this character as the writer truly creates something profoundly awesome.
The issue seems simple. A young Inhuman boy has been kidnapped and SHIELD has conscripted Karnak to save the lad, except the boy is being held by a super-powered nihilistic death cult that worships nothingness and is trying to turn the universe into a void of pure entropy. And only Karnak can stop them. Is that Ellis enough for you?
First off, in the hands of Ellis, Karnak is like a d-bag version of Yoda. He is an ultra-confident, snarky, world-weary being that is perfect at everything he does. Ellis has a blast working with Karnak’s unique power set and every page features Karnak doing or saying something profoundly awesome. Secondly, Agent Phil Coulson and Agent Gemma Simmons guest star in this issue and Ellis has their voices down so perfectly that I am absolutely dying to see the former Transmetropolitan and Moon Knight writer take on Marvel’s TV agents.
The issue is basically confined to a bar and a plane but Ellis packs so much into these twenty pages; martial arts, philosophy and theology fly by in staccato bursts of profound coolness and depth. Once I finished the issue, I read it twice more. It’s that good.
New artist Roland Boschi perfectly complements Ellis. His Karnak is lithe and deadly, and even though Karnak’s face is usually hidden in shadow, the glimpses Boschi gives reveal so much of the character’s aura.
Karnak is a near perfect comic and I plan to enjoy it for however long Ellis lets me.
