GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QUARTERLY: THE BLACK KNIGHT, from Zenescope Entertainment on February 16th, 2022, transports Peyton Parks back to Camelot when an ancient enemy wants the power to control the world.
The Details
- Written By: Jenna Lyn Wright
- Art By: Sergio Arino, Alessandro Uezu, Hakan Aydin, Erik Tamayo,
- Colors By: Michael Bartolo, Robby Bevard, Maxflan Araujo,
- Letters By: Kurt Hathaway
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Cover Price: $8.99
- Release Date: February 16, 2022
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Was It Good?
GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QUARTERLY: THE BLACK KNIGHT is the first appearance of Black Knight in her own title in quite a while, and fans of Zenescope should be pleased with Peyton Parks getting her due moment in the spotlight. This is a quarterly issue which means it’s a triple-sized comic, but is the hefty cover price and story quality worth the extra page count? Mostly, yes.
There are a lot of positive elements in this quarterly for both fans of Black Knight and readers who are new to the character. You get an exposition/flashback dump that fills you in on the Black Knight’s origins, and it’s complete as well as blessedly brief. The villain of this story should be familiar to fans of Camelot lore but you don’t need to know the history to get how evil the villain truly is. You get plenty of Black Knight action and demonstrations of her powerset, and it’s presented in a simple, organic way so that no lengthy explanations are required.
If it wasn’t clear by now, the high point of this issue is how well it tells a complete, action-packed story with a rarely seen character while bringing new readers up to speed on the character in a seamless way.
As for the plot, it’s a fairly standard “evil wizard wants your power and will hurt your friends to get it” type of story. To be clear, the story isn’t predictable or boring as the extra pages lend themselves to adding in plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. This comic is a fun, popcorn adventure.
However, there is a down point in this issue and it comes via the art. whenever you see multiple inkers and colorists on a comic, that’s typically a red flag, and that red flag is mildly warranted in this case. Major chunks of the story shift from one artist to another, and it’s very noticeable. On one page, the villain design looks menacing and super detailed, but on another page or two, the villain looks to be wearing two-tone spandex. no one artist is terrible, but the style and detail shift harshly, and it doesn’t leave you with a high-quality experience. If a single art time had done the work all the way through, there would be no issue with the art. It’s the transitions that hurt.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a super-powered killer named Sirin holding a gangster’s family hostage while she forces the father to transfer his money into her bank account. Suddenly, Black Knight crashes through the window to save the family, but Sirin manages to escape.
Later, Peyton Parks aka Black Knight is working in her office as a lawyer when a strange old woman arrives asking for help. ?The woman claims to know Peyton is the Black Knight and begs for assistance. Peyton denies she is the Black knight and sends the woman away.
That evening, Peyton feels guilty for denying a plea for help, so she visits the old woman’s apartment only to find a pair of snake monsters and a purple knight destroying the place. Peyton transforms into the Black Knight and defeats the enemies. When she finds the old woman presumed dead, the woman transforms into Morgan Le Fay and transports Peyton and the people nearby to Camelot.
Morgan holds all civilians hostage and shows Peyton of Camelot destroyed. Peyton must turn over her Black knight armor or Morgan will kill everyone. After Morgan’s pet dragon incinerates a hostage, Peyton relents. When Morgan puts on the armor, she becomes more powerful and it gives her the ability to unlock a vault containing a crown that allows the wearer to control all the beasts of Camelot.
We conclude the issue with Peyton learning to be a warrior without her armor, aid from an old friend, and a secret of the armor unlocked.
Final Thoughts
GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QUARTERLY: THE BLACK KNIGHT is an excellent sword & sorcery adventure that brings the Black Knight back to the forefront. The writing is excellent for bringing new readers up to speed on the character while giving fans plenty of new material. Unfortunately, the art is hindered by changing hands in a jarring and inconsistent way.
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