Karnak #1 Review

By Jesse Schedeen

The Inhumans have been getting plenty of love from Marvel lately, and even more so with the advent of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe. But perhaps no new Inhumans comic is more promising than Karnak. This standalone series revolves around the recently resurrected warrior as he applies his talent for seeing the flaw in all things to basically become a hard-boiled detective. As if the premise weren’t intriguing enough, there’s also the fact that the book is written by Warren Ellis, the man who so recently revitalized Moon Knight. This series isn’t quite the instant smash hit Moon Knight was, but it shows plenty of potential.

Ellis takes the idea of “seeing the weakness in all things” and emphasizes it in all aspects of Karnak’s portrayal. He’s written as a man who views attachment, desire and even love as weaknesses to be avoided at all costs. Karnak has essentially become a nihilist whose only goal is to guard the Tower of Wisdom and guide his Inhuman pupils in their journey toward becoming what they’re meant to be. This issue lays out the general format of the series, as Karnak is reluctantly called back into the human world to assist with Inhuman-related problems too difficult or politically volatile for S.H.I.E.L.D. to handle.

Ellis abandons the done-in-one approach of his recent Marvel work for a more serialized approach. This wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but this first issue lacks the tight, focused pacing of Ellis’ Moon Knight and Secret Avengers issues. It moves along at a languid pace and abruptly ends just as the action begins heating up.

The good news is that Ellis’ take on the character clicks, even if the pacing is slow. The book reads very much like a gritty detective yarn in many respects, though there is an undercurrent of black humor to Karnak and his world. Even some silliness. For example, the opening sequence makes a lot of pomp and circumstance out of something as mundane as Karnak answering the telephone. It also helps that Ellis has included Agent Coulson as a foil to Karnak. Coulson’s goofy charm mixed with Karnak’s relentlessly cold worldview makes for a fun combination. And like pretty much every book Ellis takes on, this first issue is immediately approachable regardless of the reader’s familiarity with the Inhumans franchise.

Gerardo Zaffino’s gritty, textured pencils are a fitting complement to Ellis’ writing. Zaffino is adept at painting Karnak as a dark, brutal warrior in full control of his thoughts and actions at all times. Whether Karnak uses his power in subtle or flashy ways, Zaffino captures the action well. And there’s certainly a grim mood to Karnak’s world that sets the series apart from Marvel’s more lighthearted fare or classical superhero books. The only misfire comes with the panels that attempt to highlight certain actions by pulling back and rendering the action through thinner line-work and more stark colors. It’s similar to a technique Andrea Sorrentino often relies on in his books, but sloppier and less effective.