| Title: | Moon Knight |
| Contributors: | Brian Michael Bendis Alex Maleev |
| Publisher: | Marvel |
| Issue #: | 1 - 3 |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Pages: | 32 Pages each |
| Age Rating: | 14+ (Masked Language, Violence, Gore, Adult Themes) |
| Story Grade: | B |
| Art Grade: | B |
In issue one we learn that Mark Spector is a former mercenary, now residing in L.A., who is making big money turning his life story into a campy television show. We also learn that Spector is a former Avenger.
Spector is pulled away from a Hollywood party by Captain America, Spider-Man (respect the hyphen) and Wolverine and is told that crime is moving into L.A. in a big way and that since almost all Superheroes live on the east coast, the Avengers need Spector's ear to the ground in L.A.
I completely connected with this sequence simply because I have seen it hundreds of times as people explain, nay, act out the scenes in the latest superhero movie they have seen and they try to use the prose and voice and movements of the character, and you can see glimpses of Captain America, Spider-Man or Wolverine in their performance, but it isn't anywhere close to right. That is what Moon Knight being Spider-man was like. It came across as real, instead of Moon Knight perfectly emulating Spider-Man, is was just his recollection of what Spider-Man might do. Well done by Bendis and Maleev.
While it is a nice backstory, it is a lot like going from freeway speeds to neighborhood speeds. 70 mph down to 25 mph... it can definitely feel boring, and maybe a little frustrating at times. But there is a fun sequence in which Bullseye interrogates one of Spector's supporting characters.
There are some issues with the books, but there are some things that are fun.
First the fun.
Speaking of Batman, one of the biggest complaints I have heard about Moon Knight is that the character is rip off of Batman. This book does a great job of showing the differences between the two. Beyond the the mental illness mentioned above, there are numerous differences between the two Knights. Moon Knight's gadgets are not moon themed. He doesn't ride around in the Moon-Mobile or have Moon-Arangs. He doesn't have a utility belt. Moon Knight doesn't have the need to protect his identity; he will keep fighting even his if hood and cowl are removed. Moon Knight often dresses, acts, speaks and fights in the persona of different superheroes. Batman is always just Batman.
And now the issues... let me get these out of the way.
The first issue is really a non-issue. By non-issue I mean, it was an issue at first, but after learning Moon Knight is insane, it wasn't an issue any longer. In the first book, Captain America, Spider-man and Wolverine pull Spector from the Hollywood party and tell him that crime is moving away from the east coast and into L.A. to escape the overabundance of superheroes in New York. They ask for Spector to step up and help, as Moon Knight.
At first I asked myself, "Wait a minute... How is there not already known issues with crime in L.A.?" Gangs, drugs, corruption, illegal shipments, etc... L.A. already has its own numerous and various issues with crime. Why is it that this "new" wave of crime moving in is any more dangerous than the old crime issues? Then as I learned Spector is actually insane, I realized, that this was his insane mind's way of justifying his upcoming actions. It made sense, just took a little more reading for that plot hole to be closed.
There are some obvious spelling and grammar issues in the first issue or two.
Not bad for three books to have only one real issue with the story; outside of the change of pace in book three.
The art on the other hand... wow was this hit and miss through out.
Maleev was known for his photo-influenced artwork in Daredevil. There is a huge change in style for Moon Knight. Maleev's work in this series is much more sketchy in nature and he plays it loose with unclose lines and playful outlines. I loved the styling and thought it worked well with the character who happens to be a few crayons short of a full box to begin with.
Maleev really struggled in some of the action sequences. One in particular is the destruction of Hyde's boat in Issue #1. Throughout the sequence, what is happening is poorly rendered and sequenced. The sequence is muddled and choppy leaving the reader unclear as to what is transpiring. While it is all cleared up, as the story itself clearly states what happened, those four panels are the first four panels with actual Moon Knight action and they failed. A few extra, smaller, panels could have been used to give some insight into the sequence and the story wouldn't have had to explain it later.
Where Maleev failed in action sequences, he truly excels at communicating to readers through facial expressions. There's a scene in Issue #2 where Moon Knight is about to pass out and the look on his face clearly expresses that is what is about to happen.
Another area the art excels, and this was the more on the colorist and not necessarily Maleev, is in defining the difference between reality and Spector's mental illness through the use of color tone shifts. This is well done and leaves no question as to whether we are looking at the world or Spector's world.
All in all I grade these books a solid B. There are both storytelling and art issues that disqualify them from an A, but they definitely worth a look at.
Until next time... I would say my family suffers from insanity, but they enjoy it far too much.
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