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The Black Knight Rides Again In New Comic Book Series From Marvel


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Following January’s KING IN BLACK: BLACK KNIGHT, acclaimed writer Simon Spurrier (X-Men Legacy, X-Force) will continue to pen the legend of the Black Knight in a brand-new series. Launching in March, BLACK KNIGHT: CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE will further expand the fascinating mythology behind the cursed hero and introduce his adventures to a new generation of fans.

Holding up the legacy of the Black Night is Dane Whitman who knows all too well that welding the magical Ebony Blade comes at a terrible price: an insatiable lust for blood and mayhem that constantly threatens to swallow its owner in darkness. Will that be Dane’s fate? Following his epic battle against the KING IN BLACK, a reinvigorated Dane has a greater sense of purpose than ever before. But his sword is the key to a new enemy’s evil plan and only the Black Knight can prevent the coming death and destruction. This conflict spanning mythical Camelot to modern-day NYC will test Dane like never before and challenge everything he believes about himself, the Ebony Blade, and the entire history of the Black Knight. Don’t miss history in the making as this fan-favorite Avenger takes his rightful place as a major player in the Marvel Universe!

Here’s what Simon Spurrier had to say about the Black Knight’s next chapter:

“Having enjoyed myself a positively indecent amount while writing King in Black: The Black Knight, I found that I was even more fascinated by the central character - Dane Whitman - than I'd realised. The surprising new take on him which we present in the one-shot opened so many new doors. Dane and his tangled lore are a treasure trove for anyone fascinated by story, mythology, folklore and psychology -- all of which are very much My Bag -- not to mention the simple thrill of seeing a not-totally-well-adjusted man flying around on a winged warhorse with one of the world's most devastating magical weapons in his hand.
 


“I started to see endless opportunities for exploration -- I started to sense that this character deserves to be a far bigger deal than he is -- and my editor Tom Groneman agreed. What's emerged is a fascinating, uberdark story which drips with horror and humor in equal measure. rummaging deep into the (often maddeningly confused) threads of canon surrounding the Black Knight, to disentangle, clarify and twiiiiiiiissssttt everything you thought you knew about this hero. Along the way we're having an old riotous time with Arthurian Legend -- presenting a vision of Camelot unlike any you've seen before -- and throwing a whole helmetful of big marvel ideas and characters at poor old Dane, to see how far he'll go before he breaks.

“But that's sort of the point of this character, when you get right down to it. The more broken he gets, the stronger he becomes.

Joining Spurrier will be artist Sergio Dávila. Known for his work on books like Wonder Woman, BLACK KNIGHT: CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE will mark Dávila’s grand debut at Marvel Comics.

“Debuting at Marvel is a dream, I've always wanted to be part of the Marvel family and debuting with the Black Knight miniseries is perfect for me. “Not even in my best dreams could I have imagined this opportunity,” Savila said. “I am a big fan of the genre of Epic Fantasy and of Nordic and Arthurian mythology. I love stories of swords and adventures mixed with magic, legends, warriors, castles, mysteries and hidden powers, etc ...
 
and this series has everything you can ask of a fan of this genre, like me. It has also given me the opportunity to draw some classic Marvel characters which has been my lifelong dream. I am having a great time drawing Simon's scripts. I am enjoying it a lot and hope that you do too.

Venture once again into the unforgettable saga of Dane Whitman when BLACK KNIGHT: CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE launches in March!

CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE #1 (OF 5)
Written by SIMON SPURRIER
Art by SERGIO DÁVILA
Cover by IBAN COELLO

Black-Knight-01.jpg

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While I’m happy to see BK get another shot at a ( limited ) monthly here I’m pretty sure this will be a mediocre story that sputters out adding nothing to the BK lore.

my reasoning  is right there in the title, Curse of the Ebony Blade.. again.

While Dane has been around since the 60’s, his stories always seem to focus on the curse. It becomes a crutch for writers that it seems they all lean on.

Take Iron Man for example, he too is saddled with his own curse. In this case  Alcoholism. Tony had the Demon in a Bottle story  which was character defining, a truly ground breaking arc. But in the years since, not every story about Iron Man focuses on his alcoholism. Long time fans know he is an alcoholic, but a new reader to a new arc that doesn’t show Tony struggle every issue may not know of his addiction. His alcoholism is a part of his character, not his definitive trait and certainly not what every Iron Man story beats  over your head.

For Dane, one of his best runs during the Stern era had BK grow as a character, both as a scientist and a hero. Of course his long tenure ends with him succumbing to the curse after Namor used the Ebony Blade to slay his wife who had become a monster. BKs next few months showed him slowly becoming part of his Blade ( with Thor actually using him as a weapon!). For me, this was my first exposure to the curse and it was wildly entertaining. In the years since, this same story with slight variations has been told over and over again. It’s like every writer does a remake instead of expanding the mythology.

We know part of the responsibility of being the Black Knight means accepting the curse. That’s part of who BK is. Not his definitive trait. Now for cripes sake will some writer tuck that bit of knowledge in their pocket and tell a BK story that doesn’t lean on the curse? That would be remarkably refreshing. 

Im sure I’ll buy the trade to support my all time favorite Avenger, and I hope I’m wrong that this writer will tell the same story with only slight variations and instead will add something to Dane’s legacy. Imagine, a story like Demon In A Bottle that could make us rethink how BK is viewed in this day and age.. 

 

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Didn't Dr Strange lift that curse back in another of his mini series run in the 90s? I love BK as a character but imo, he isn't written well enough to carry a series on his own. Prefer him as an Avenger. My favorite era of him was during the 80s when he was a member of the team & they fought the Masters of evil & the Olympian Gods.

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7 hours ago, McHogan said:

While I’m happy to see BK get another shot at a ( limited ) monthly here I’m pretty sure this will be a mediocre story that sputters out adding nothing to the BK lore.

my reasoning  is right there in the title, Curse of the Ebony Blade.. again.

While Dane has been around since the 60’s, his stories always seem to focus on the curse. It becomes a crutch for writers that it seems they all lean on.

Take Iron Man for example, he too is saddled with his own curse. In this case  Alcoholism. Tony had the Demon in a Bottle story  which was character defining, a truly ground breaking arc. But in the years since, not every story about Iron Man focuses on his alcoholism. Long time fans know he is an alcoholic, but a new reader to a new arc that doesn’t show Tony struggle every issue may not know of his addiction. His alcoholism is a part of his character, not his definitive trait and certainly not what every Iron Man story beats  over your head.

For Dane, one of his best runs during the Stern era had BK grow as a character, both as a scientist and a hero. Of course his long tenure ends with him succumbing to the curse after Namor used the Ebony Blade to slay his wife who had become a monster. BKs next few months showed him slowly becoming part of his Blade ( with Thor actually using him as a weapon!). For me, this was my first exposure to the curse and it was wildly entertaining. In the years since, this same story with slight variations has been told over and over again. It’s like every writer does a remake instead of expanding the mythology.

We know part of the responsibility of being the Black Knight means accepting the curse. That’s part of who BK is. Not his definitive trait. Now for cripes sake will some writer tuck that bit of knowledge in their pocket and tell a BK story that doesn’t lean on the curse? That would be remarkably refreshing. 

Im sure I’ll buy the trade to support my all time favorite Avenger, and I hope I’m wrong that this writer will tell the same story with only slight variations and instead will add something to Dane’s legacy. Imagine, a story like Demon In A Bottle that could make us rethink how BK is viewed in this day and age.. 

 

Totally agree, it is the same with the Black Widow, every new series is about her trying to fix something from her past.

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15 hours ago, McHogan said:

While I’m happy to see BK get another shot at a ( limited ) monthly here I’m pretty sure this will be a mediocre story that sputters out adding nothing to the BK lore.

my reasoning  is right there in the title, Curse of the Ebony Blade.. again.

While Dane has been around since the 60’s, his stories always seem to focus on the curse. It becomes a crutch for writers that it seems they all lean on.

Take Iron Man for example, he too is saddled with his own curse. In this case  Alcoholism. Tony had the Demon in a Bottle story  which was character defining, a truly ground breaking arc. But in the years since, not every story about Iron Man focuses on his alcoholism. Long time fans know he is an alcoholic, but a new reader to a new arc that doesn’t show Tony struggle every issue may not know of his addiction. His alcoholism is a part of his character, not his definitive trait and certainly not what every Iron Man story beats  over your head.

For Dane, one of his best runs during the Stern era had BK grow as a character, both as a scientist and a hero. Of course his long tenure ends with him succumbing to the curse after Namor used the Ebony Blade to slay his wife who had become a monster. BKs next few months showed him slowly becoming part of his Blade ( with Thor actually using him as a weapon!). For me, this was my first exposure to the curse and it was wildly entertaining. In the years since, this same story with slight variations has been told over and over again. It’s like every writer does a remake instead of expanding the mythology.

We know part of the responsibility of being the Black Knight means accepting the curse. That’s part of who BK is. Not his definitive trait. Now for cripes sake will some writer tuck that bit of knowledge in their pocket and tell a BK story that doesn’t lean on the curse? That would be remarkably refreshing. 

Im sure I’ll buy the trade to support my all time favorite Avenger, and I hope I’m wrong that this writer will tell the same story with only slight variations and instead will add something to Dane’s legacy. Imagine, a story like Demon In A Bottle that could make us rethink how BK is viewed in this day and age.. 

 

Whaddaya gonna do? Today's writers are far from the quality of older storytellers. No one has any new ideas and when someone does have moderate success when they do have a novel idea they tend to turn it into a soapbox for their own personal outlook system (ie. Champions). I too was a fan off BK with a balancing act between good and evil similar to the daily struggle of Star Wars' Jedi, but pretty much every story is just a replay of his previous story with a different cast and time frame.

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19 hours ago, Gigantor said:

Didn't Dr Strange lift that curse back in another of his mini series run in the 90s? I love BK as a character but imo, he isn't written well enough to carry a series on his own. Prefer him as an Avenger. My favorite era of him was during the 80s when he was a member of the team & they fought the Masters of evil & the Olympian Gods.

I can agree with your sentiments here. BK elevated his status to my all time favorite in this exact era. Sure he was a supporting player but he impressed and there was just something about the way his interactions with Namor, Hercules, Wasp etc were written and how Buscema drew him that really stood out to me. 

He had a more fleshed out run in the 90s that him take on more of a leadership role, wield a light saber while sporting a mullet and team jacket. This too was a great run  that surprisingly didn’t end with him once again succumbing to the curse. No, this time he was sent packing to the UltraVerse!

but to your point, a character can become a favorite and get more screen time but that doesn’t mean they need to anchor a monthly. In truth, even his limited series and one shots have underwhelmed. He is at his best as a supporting character, that’s why he first appealed to me and in lieu of my original post, why when I hear he is getting a series my reaction has been “meh” 

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6 hours ago, monron999 said:

Whaddaya gonna do? Today's writers are far from the quality of older storytellers. No one has any new ideas and when someone does have moderate success when they do have a novel idea they tend to turn it into a soapbox for their own personal outlook system (ie. Champions). I too was a fan off BK with a balancing act between good and evil similar to the daily struggle of Star Wars' Jedi, but pretty much every story is just a replay of his previous story with a different cast and time frame.

Yeah this. Makes you wonder how the big ones like Iron Man, Cap, Thor have had such diverse runs. Or maybe as you’ve said, the writers of those memorable arcs  had more talent and weren’t just copying the success of others.

my expectations are low but I know I’ll get the trade at least. Aside from the forgettable Fall of Dane Whitman trade,  it has been too long since BK got some spotlight ( hoping if anything good comes out of the Eternals film, it will be that BK gets some love in comics and toys). He has completely disappeared from the Avengers books, and as I’ve stated, as an Avenger is where he belongs. 

 

 

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19 hours ago, leokearon said:

Totally agree, it is the same with the Black Widow, every new series is about her trying to fix something from her past.

I don’t get it. Imagine a great Widow story where her troubled past wasn’t even hinted at. 

Well, BK and BW have that in common. Aside from brief monthly’s that were meant to span years ( only for sales or editorial decisions dictating otherwise) it seems writers can’t get past one aspect of certain characters. Or mentally get around the idea that they can be nothing more than supporting cast.

Widow deserves a Wonder Woman-esq run of hundreds of issues with multiple writers expanding her lore. I would love to see BK get a sustained run but only if they only mention the curse either in a “My Name is Wally West. The Flash. The fastest man alive” blurb above the title in each new issue or once a year just to remind us that it’s a part of his life. 

Instead only after two years removed from BKs last series about how he is cursed comes the next curse themed book. If that’s all anyone can add to BK, then just leave him as a fan favorite supporting character

 

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1202290264_AvengersvstheMastersofevilundersiege.thumb.jpg.58d97be39e43b00c34979208b77345c1.jpgTo this day, this is probably my all time favorite story arc of the Avengers, followed by the Count Nefaria 3 issue story arc. We need a bearded Thor, these versions of Herc, Ant man, Wasp & Photon, refuse to call her CM. As well as figs of numerous never before made Zemo led, members of the Masters of evil such as Moon stone, Fixer, Hyde, Goliath & redo of the wrecking crew in proper scale. Black knight getting beat like a red headed step child by Hyde was pretty brutal as was the curb stomping beat down Herc suffered at the hands of all the muscle men in the MOE.

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Yes! Under Siege is a landmark in my young comic buying days, a remarkable story that I can still remember the most minor detail of the arc. Every issue was a cliff hanger, Jarvis and BKs beatdown, Ant-Man and the Wasp defending a comatose Hercules from Crusher Creel and Titania... Caps tears over the his foot locker being ransacked and the only pic of his mother destroyed.. just amazing stuff.

to show how powerful that story is, I’ve become a huge fan of nearly all the villains who were responsible for one of the Avengers darkest hours..

I would love to get all the villains from this run in Legends form. Mostly to recreate key moments.. man the nostalgia is strong remembering this!

the two covers below are iconic to me. This is how a writer can hook a reader for life.. of course it had to come down to Cap v Zemo

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, McHogan said:

I don’t get it. Imagine a great Widow story where her troubled past wasn’t even hinted at. 

Well, BK and BW have that in common. Aside from brief monthly’s that were meant to span years ( only for sales or editorial decisions dictating otherwise) it seems writers can’t get past one aspect of certain characters. Or mentally get around the idea that they can be nothing more than supporting cast.

Widow deserves a Wonder Woman-esq run of hundreds of issues with multiple writers expanding her lore. I would love to see BK get a sustained run but only if they only mention the curse either in a “My Name is Wally West. The Flash. The fastest man alive” blurb above the title in each new issue or once a year just to remind us that it’s a part of his life. 

Instead only after two years removed from BKs last series about how he is cursed comes the next curse themed book. If that’s all anyone can add to BK, then just leave him as a fan favorite supporting character

 

Sadly Marvel are stuck in the past and don't want their characters to move on. Look at the Scarlet Witch, despite have multiple chances to undo it; Marvel just keep dragging it up and drag her down. Same with Dane, Natasha, Hank Pym...

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18 hours ago, leokearon said:

Sadly Marvel are stuck in the past and don't want their characters to move on. Look at the Scarlet Witch, despite have multiple chances to undo it; Marvel just keep dragging it up and drag her down. Same with Dane, Natasha, Hank Pym...

Well said. Had hoped that the MCU version of Wanda would be spared the terrible direction that Bendis took with her but it seems they are hell bent on keeping Wanda in the hero/villain/hero cycle that has become her lot.

 

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On 12/23/2020 at 9:37 PM, McHogan said:

Yes! Under Siege is a landmark in my young comic buying days, a remarkable story that I can still remember the most minor detail of the arc. Every issue was a cliff hanger, Jarvis and BKs beatdown, Ant-Man and the Wasp defending a comatose Hercules from Crusher Creel and Titania... Caps tears over the his foot locker being ransacked and the only pic of his mother destroyed.. just amazing stuff.

to show how powerful that story is, I’ve become a huge fan of nearly all the villains who were responsible for one of the Avengers darkest hours..

I would love to get all the villains from this run in Legends form. Mostly to recreate key moments.. man the nostalgia is strong remembering this!

the two covers below are iconic to me. This is how a writer can hook a reader for life.. of course it had to come down to Cap v Zemo

 

B4DD82B3-3C2B-4BEF-9652-3E000A216299.jpeg

4CD3E199-82D4-452B-B27A-F5B6B2C632CE.jpeg

1334019816_Mastersofevil1.thumb.jpg.e5613ac5f03c9e2802571116a78be171.jpgI'm dying to recreate this scene. Make all characters in this pic that have never been done in 6' scale & redo the damn Wrecking Crew in proper 6' scale!

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On 12/25/2020 at 10:37 PM, Gigantor said:

1334019816_Mastersofevil1.thumb.jpg.e5613ac5f03c9e2802571116a78be171.jpgI'm dying to recreate this scene. Make all characters in this pic that have never been done in 6' scale & redo the damn Wrecking Crew in proper 6' scale!

So many great characters here to chose from.. it’s a shame so few  have been done ( or done right)..

this reminds me of how careful writers/ editors were back in those days. Tiger Shark leaves this meeting, either after deciding that the MOE wasn’t for him or on a recruiting drive, heads to the west coast and immediately runs afoul of Tigra, Hellcat and Hellstrom.. this took some coordination as Tiger Shark didn’t take part in the actual Siege.. it’s fun to remember how careful Marvel was with continuity once..

 

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4 hours ago, Gigantor said:

Tiger shark is a powerhouse who has taken on Namor one on one & Herc. Damn writers made him a wuss vs Tiger & Hellcat, 2 characters that are not in his league.

Agree, Tiger Shark is big league

seems the writers at the time had an agenda to boost either Tigra (most likely ) or hellcat.. so easiest way is to have her take down a heavy hitter like Tiger Shark.. actually the same scenario  as Ant man and Wasp taking down absorbing man and Titania.. seems to be theme in this era 

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18 hours ago, McHogan said:

Agree, Tiger Shark is big league

seems the writers at the time had an agenda to boost either Tigra (most likely ) or hellcat.. so easiest way is to have her take down a heavy hitter like Tiger Shark.. actually the same scenario  as Ant man and Wasp taking down absorbing man and Titania.. seems to be theme in this era 

Yeah, I had a hard time accepting that outcome. Figured Thor woulda popped up & bailed them out. 

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  • 1 year later...
On 12/22/2020 at 8:04 PM, McHogan said:

While I’m happy to see BK get another shot at a ( limited ) monthly here I’m pretty sure this will be a mediocre story that sputters out adding nothing to the BK lore.

my reasoning  is right there in the title, Curse of the Ebony Blade.. again.

While Dane has been around since the 60’s, his stories always seem to focus on the curse. It becomes a crutch for writers that it seems they all lean on.

Take Iron Man for example, he too is saddled with his own curse. In this case  Alcoholism. Tony had the Demon in a Bottle story  which was character defining, a truly ground breaking arc. But in the years since, not every story about Iron Man focuses on his alcoholism. Long time fans know he is an alcoholic, but a new reader to a new arc that doesn’t show Tony struggle every issue may not know of his addiction. His alcoholism is a part of his character, not his definitive trait and certainly not what every Iron Man story beats  over your head.

For Dane, one of his best runs during the Stern era had BK grow as a character, both as a scientist and a hero. Of course his long tenure ends with him succumbing to the curse after Namor used the Ebony Blade to slay his wife who had become a monster. BKs next few months showed him slowly becoming part of his Blade ( with Thor actually using him as a weapon!). For me, this was my first exposure to the curse and it was wildly entertaining. In the years since, this same story with slight variations has been told over and over again. It’s like every writer does a remake instead of expanding the mythology.

We know part of the responsibility of being the Black Knight means accepting the curse. That’s part of who BK is. Not his definitive trait. Now for cripes sake will some writer tuck that bit of knowledge in their pocket and tell a BK story that doesn’t lean on the curse? That would be remarkably refreshing. 

Im sure I’ll buy the trade to support my all time favorite Avenger, and I hope I’m wrong that this writer will tell the same story with only slight variations and instead will add something to Dane’s legacy. Imagine, a story like Demon In A Bottle that could make us rethink how BK is viewed in this day and age.. 

 

Welll.... I know this thread is months old but I was finally able to track down the Black Knight: Curse Of The Ebony Blade TPB. 

The verdict? It’s garbage. I wish I didn’t have to write this. But the writer clearly had one idea for a ‘shocking’ finale but wasted 4.5 issues getting to it. And it’s not a great idea for a finale to begin with. 

Look, Dane (aka our hero the Black Knight) is one of my all time favorite Avengers. But Marvel seems intent on making him so unappealing that it’s a little heart breaking. Both ‘The Fall of Dane Whitman’ and ‘The Curse of the Ebony Blade’ portray Dane as unlikeable as can be while actually taking steps backwards for character development. 

I should have known that within panels of this travesty of a story when his fellow Avengers badmouth him and essentially flip him off when he arrives to assist that this story was going to be a let down.

The new status quo for BK is also “meh”. Look, I get it, BK is a (generous) ‘C’ level hero but now their are TWO selfish, unlikeable characters running around being BK now? Pass. Oh and last page bumper: the Black Knights will Return!?. Double pass.

This imposter that Marvel has made Dane these past years has finally made me give up. This isn’t an old guy yelling at clouds here. It a longtime fan watching as Marvel has allowed terrible writers to fundamentally change a favorite character into something I don’t recognize. 

If this LS were my first exposure to Black Knight I would not be a fan at all. Who wants to root for an egotistical A-hole that even his teammates can’t stand? 

No thanks, my BK will forever be the way he was written by Stern and Harras. As a heroic but flawed hero that the Avengers could count on.

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