Fist of Khonshu

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #9 hits stores today – and Spider-Man is along for the ride. Preview blurbs have promised a shock ending – I haven’t read it yet, so no spoilers here!

Don’t forget to pick it up! Check out the first few pages below.

Moon Knight is back in the Avengers! Well, the Secret Avengers – which trumps his West Coast Avengers past any day.

Secret Avengers is written by Ed Brubaker with art by Mike Deodato – two of my favorite writers and artists in comics today. Overall, the first issue is a success – Brubaker wastes no time in setting up this team’s status quo in the Marvel Universe and in Avengers canon. The way he positions the characters reminds me of a damn good spy flick with each team member being given a specialist role.

So where does Moon Knight fit in? That, largely, remains to be seen. You do get to see him in action with Ant Man in a great infiltration scene. However, if the norm down the road becomes Moon Knight and Ant Man as a buddy cop duo, it may get old fast. I’m pretty confident Brubaker will pair up different team members as time goes on, but just pointing it out.

There’s also a nice albeit brief set up scene with Moon Knight where Steve Rogers asks him to join the team – and Moon Knight responds with a greatly ironic “Teams and me, we don’t work. Too many voices…”. It’s a cool scene and I hope we see more of Rogers and Moon Knight interacting directly.

In fact, on that note, I would really like to see (either in Secret Avengers or Moon Knight’s solo arc) someone address what transpired the last time Moon Knight and Steve Rogers had words in Charlie Huston’s solo Moon Knight arc during Civil War. For a recap, Rogers came to Moon Knight’s home to tell him that he didn’t like his style and to stay out of the Civil War – to which Moon Knight replied that he didn’t want to get involved with their egocentric battle of who had the biggest super power. While they didn’t see eye to eye there, Moon Knight definitely showed respect for Steve Rogers when he later ran into Tony Stark, telling Iron Man that Captain America looked like a hero and Stark just looked like a pussy. Well played Huston!

Revisiting that tension would be a nice touch to bring it all back full circle.

Also, I have to mention that Mike Deodato’s art has never looked better. I’ve always liked his attention to detail and the way he draws Moon Knight in this issue is excellent. The newer tricked out suit he wears doesn’t look as armor-clad as it has in his solo arc and strikes a nice balance between his older and newer look.

So… I dug it. And I’m looking forward to more! Moon Knight fans, go pick this up and relish in the fact that we’re now getting Moon Knight more than once a month.

I have not updated this site in many moons. To those of you who have written in to complain: Yes I am a dick. A busy dick.

But I’m back and changing up the format a bit. I’ll try and do reviews and coverage of new Moon Knight shizznazzy – but I’m looking to expand a bit beyond that while keeping it all manageable with my various other persona’s.

That said, an elephant scrotum load of changes have happened to the Moon Knight world! Primarily a totally new monthly comic with a new writer and artist – the sum of which is carving a face lift of Moon Knight’s world into high gear. I’ll get into this in the next couple of days.

First off – I know, I know, I haven’t been updating this site at all for the past 2 months. I blame a recent upsurge in work and downturn in free time. I have been keeping up with the “Down South” arc though and once it’s done I’ll take a look at the arc as a whole – which thus far has been a bit of a mixed bag for me.

I stumbled upon this on io9 though and wanted to share it. They compiled a list of the Top 10 Greatest Mentally Ill Superheroes, and Moon Knight made it at the number 2 slot. Hooray for achievements!

While they do refer to him as Marvel’s answer to Batman – a comparison I hate because it’s unfounded if you look at the character origins – at least they qualify it with a (sort of).

And for those wondering, Batman is #1 on the list. And Deadpool isn’t. Which doesn’t really compute with me.

Crescent Dart:

Most people go to Mexico and get sun, surf, sights and cerveza. Moon Knight gets luchadore assassins, double crossing drug lords, a flesh eating brute and the Punisher on his tail. This is soul searching in Moon Knight’s world though, and it’s never looked better.

Waxing:

• Jefte Palo and Lee Loughridge deliver the goods on the art
• Moon Knight is returning to his roots

Waning:

• What’s the real distinction between Spector and Lockley?

Full:

Jake Lockley may have left Marc Spector’s name, life and warrant behind, but he seems to be hell bent on making peace with his past. While the first two issues of the arc have set up a web for Moon Knight to get tangled up in, there’s still the constant theme of his desire for reconciliation with his past within these pages. Except he’s not doing it as Moon Knight (he has yet to suit up) or in the name of Khonshu. Lockley is atoning for his mercenary past by… um… essentially being a mercenary again. [singlepic id=30 w=250 h=375 float=right]

It’s working for him though; this notion of reconnecting with your past by reliving it and doing it the right way. Marc Spector was a prize fighter – Jake Lockley is making money in Mexico in some underground cage matches. Spector offered his services as a mercenary for hire – Lockley winds up doing the same down in Mexico. It will be interesting to see if any more parallels develop in this arc.

Lockley seems to have a more conscience driven approach in this return to his roots. While I’m not really sure that the inclusion of the Punisher in this arc is necessarily a good thing, it might be an interesting jolt to Moon Knight’s reality to have a link to his past pop up so unexpectedly.

That said, the one potentially negative observation I have so far is there doesn’t seem to be a distinct difference between Moon Knight’s Jake Lockley persona and Marc Spector. Whether this is to downplay the multiple personality disorder or give more credence to Khonshu’s involvement with his “condition” – it will be interesting to see how this plays out, if it does indeed play out.

Something else that I’m wondering is where in the timeline of current events in the larger Marvel Universe is Down South taking place. The previous arcs have all been on a time lag behind Marvel U events, but Down South could very well be almost running parallel with Dark Reign. I say almost because the Punisher is doing his own thing in Dark Reign so his presence wouldn‘t be known in Mexico if they were exactly concurrent. It would be great to see Moon Knight’s return to the larger Marvel U though, as he could definitely go a long way in cleaning house there.

Jefte Palo’s art is perfect for this world. He draws with a pulpy noir feel that fits the tone exactly. His backgrounds are sparse but in a way that really brings out the characters and enables you to focus on the action and dialogue. A large part of this is Lee Loughridge’s coloring which allows just the right features to pop out of the page. They’re a great team.

Get on board with this arc, you won’t be disappointed.

In a recent post on his site, Pulp Noir, author Charlie Huston mentioned his lack of involvement with the Moon Knight comic series going forward. Here’s the excerpt (full post here):

I’m also signed up to do a year on a Marvel monthly. First, get it out of the way, I will not be returning to Moon Knight. Second, I cannot say what title I will be working on. Marvel super secret go hush hush, sweet Charlie or we break your little toes for starters. BUt I will risk going so far as to say it’s a major Marvel monthly. Thus properly hyping, and using the requisite alliteration. Can I say more? No, I’ve said too much as it is. Don’t ask me again, I might weaken. No, no, I mustn’t. You will have to be strong for both of us.

Charlie Huston at NYCC

File this under rumors I had no clue existed. But I guess the hordes at events like Comic Con probably harass him about this, hence the clearing of the air. I loved Huston’s resuscitation of Moon Knight, but Mike Benson has been doing some fantastic work on the series. Given the sheer awesomeness of Huston’s latest novel The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death I am definitely looking forward to his future comic book projects. Hell, given the vastly incestuous and interconnected world at Marvel I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Moon Knight cameo in any future projects.

Moon Knight is hiding down in Mexico in the new Down South arc. The first part of the arc was great with enormous potential left for the story to develop in fruitful ways and the much welcome addition of artist, Jefte Palo. It seems the critics dug it too. Check out some excerpts below:

[singlepic id=23 w=250 h=375 float=right]

Comics Bulletin
by Kevin Powers
5 out of 5

Excerpt: This title has undoubtedly been given new life by changing the status quo and presenting fresh material in a new area for a character. There’s so much potential presented in this issue that Moon Knight could easily be kept busy for quite some time… or at least until it’s time to stage a coup against Norman Osborn.

IGN
by Jesse Schedeen
8.2 out of 10

Excerpt: This issue is something of a fresh start for the series, and it’s one I found myself enjoying quite a bit. If nothing else, this is by far the best the book has ever looked. Jefte Palo steps in, fresh from his stint on Black Panther.

Superhero Times
by Doug “DiRT” Turner
Excerpt: I’m quite amazed at how well everything works together in this issue. As an opening chapter, the case for sticking with the story is difficult to argue against. Long time readers and curiosity seekers picking up this title for the first time will be well rewarded.

Things look good for the Fist of Khonshu! I’m confident Benson and Palo will keep the series going strong. If you see any more reviews to feature here, be in touch!

Crescent Dart:
The new Down South arc brings Moon Knight full circle and superbly kicks off the beginning of what looks to be a fantastic journey for fans of Moon Knight. [singlepic id=17 w=250 h=375 float=right]

Waxing:

• Fantastic dialogue merges with perfectly tailored art
• Kicks off a new beginning for Moon Knight in a masterful way
• The Punisher factors into the story intriguingly

Waning:

• You’ll see Moon Knight’s costume, but not in the way you might want to

Full:

After staging his own death while battling Bullseye, at the end of issue 25, Moon Knight did away with his only publicly known persona, Marc Spector, and steered Jake Lockley out of his fractured sense of self and back into the fold. While the death of Marc Spector helps take him off the grid in a world that is trying to contain him, the resurgence of Lockley is more than just a thematic turning point for the series. (more…)

It’s occured to me that while the close of The Death of Marc Spector arc (potential spoiler alert!!!) has confirmed that we will see the return of Moon Knight’s street savvy cabbie persona, Jake Lockley, to the fold there was a glaring omission at the end of the last issue.

Where was Jake Lockley’s mustache???

Maybe the announcement of the 7th annual El Dia Del Mustache has enhanced my cognizance of the male (and some unlucky females) nose garden, but the Jake Lockley at the end of issue 25 was definitely sans lip shrubbery.

The mustache is key to Jake Lockley’s personage. Think I’m exaggerating? Check out this panel from the first issue of 1999′s Doug Moench written High Strangeness:

Jake Lockley's Mustache Has Work to Do

And now check out this panel from the same issue to see the mustache in all it’s glory:

Sweet 'Stache, Jake

See how casual yet commanding that ‘stache is? That hairy black hole above his lip carries that whole panel.

Please make sure that ‘stache is there in the Down South arc, Mike Benson and Jefte Palo. Lockley needs his lip locks.

Viva la Moon Knight! Viva la Mustache!

The end of The Death of Marc Spector arc arrived last week. I thought it was a great – if fairly predictable – ending to the series. Mike Benson managed to showcase some great action and character development and deliver it with style. In a sense, the slate is wiped clean for Moon Knight and it will be great to see where he goes from here.

But what about other critical takes on the finale? Check out some excerpts below:

Comics Bulletin:
by Kevin Powers
5 out of 5
Excerpt: Benson’s second story-arc is another great success. I think he worked through managing the Thunderbolts and did a good job bringing them into Moon Knight’s playground. The battle in this issue was phenomenal, maybe one of the best fights all year and the set up for the next arc is both fantastic and mind-boggling. I’m excited for the next arc as Benson is going to introduce new villains and get a crack at the Punisher. I’ll say it once again: if you aren’t reading this title, you should definitely start. [singlepic=13,320,240,,right]

WeeklyComicBookReview.com:
by Kyle Posluszny
B-
Excerpt: Probably the best thing that I can say about “The Death of Marc Spector” is that it has turned from being a story I was reading to get a Thunderbolts fix into something I have been more than happy to pick up. As only a casual fan of the character, the latest Moon Knight arc has done a nice job drawing me into his gritty world and interesting relationships. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up sticking around even after I finish reading about Marc Spector’s “death.”

The Independent Comics Site:
by Brett P.
4 out of 5
Excerpt: For a guy who talks about pig gutting like it’s normal table conversation, Bullseye sure didn’t give or receive much blood, even after finding Moon Knight’s secret stash that would even make Frank Castle crack a smile. Still, this wasn’t about Bullseye. This was about the final stand of Marc Spector, whose friends and family came through in the end to help him go out in a blaze and mourn for their fallen warrior. They understood what must be have been done for their sake, as well Moon Knight’s.

Click on their respective links to check out the full reviews. Again, there isn’t much out there review-wise on The Death of Marc Spector finale. If you stumble upon any I can add to the list, be in touch!