Moon Knight Shines Bright in Relaunch

REVIEW: Moon Knight #1 & 2
Published by Marvel Comics
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Declan Shalvey
Colors by Jordie Bellaire

I will admit that, despite the pedigree of the creators attached to this project, I went into this book a bit lethargic. It’s no secret that Moon Knight is one of the “teacher’s pet” characters of the past two editorial regimes at Marvel and despite failed attempt after failed attempt, other characters get overlooked to give the mentally imbalanced former mercenary Marc Spector yet another chance. Well, this take is so unique that I think this time MK will stay around a while. The done-in-one aspect of this series should make each issue easy to jump on.

Warren Ellis is usually a guaranteed home run, and proves that again in just two issues. Although the first issue that establishes Marc’s uneasy working relationship with the N.Y.P.D. hews a bit too much to The Question over at the Distinguished Competition, Ellis makes sure that by first issue’s end, he comes off less like Vic Sage and more like Sherlock Holmes. The unique ‘alternate’ uniform he wears as he’s among the populace is a refreshing new element. It really feels like Warren is channeling a bit of Waid’s Hulk or Giffen’s Doom Patrol in that he firmly establishes that everything happened, even some chapters of Spector’s exploits that weren’t as well received (the Spider-Man/Wolverine/Captain America personas in Moon Knight’s already fractured psyche). The second issue has MK in an updated version of the classic costume where Spector confronts someone who seems to be just a nut job sniper on a rampage. Ellis wisely leaves enough nuggets of this man’s past to have him be essentially an echo of what Marc Spector was before he became Moon Knight.

Shalvey has been a work horse for Marvel for a while now and seems that he will finally get the spotlight he so richly deserves. His layouts aren’t anything that reinvents the wheel, but tweaking his art to more of a minimalist style really works for a character like Moon Knight. He handled the white business suit of “daytime” Moon Knight just as superbly as he does the updated version of the classic costume for Spector’s nighttime activities. With as little change as was done to the costume, there is a vocal contingent that doesn’t like the redesign. I don’t think enough was changed to even consider it a redesign. The black under armor is a wise choice that actually allows the white armor to stick out even more at night. I truly believe that, much like Thor’s redesign during the JMS/Coipel run, this costume will be what we see in a live action Moon Knight. Pacing and character acting were on point. Shalvey and colorist Jordie Bellaire placed a nice amount of grit on the layouts, which added to the noir factor. Bellaire’s colors were pitch-perfect on each and every page.

While Marvel NOW! embodied the requisite re-launches we are now inundated with every twelve to twenty-four months (a bit ridiculous) of the major franchises, All-New Marvel NOW! has won many fans over with Marvel focusing on several neglected characters, with very outside the box pitches for each of them. It might be too soon to say, but not only is Moon Knight at the head of the pack, but if this book lasts a while, I can see this volume being as definitive of a modern take to this character as Ed Brubaker’s Captain America or Bendis & Maleev’s Daredevil. – 4.5 out of 5.