MOON KNIGHT #21
Review by: JumpingJupiter
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Size: pages
Price: 2.99
This review contains spoilers, click here to read
For those of you unfamiliar with Marc Spector (aka Moon Knight), just
think of him as Marvel's Heavy Metal version of Batman. He is, or at
least he thinks he is the avatar of the Egyptian god of vengeance
Khonshu. But the character has
multiple personality disorder. Khonshu could very well be a figment of
his illness.
#21 starts a new arc called "the death of Marc Spector". The setup issue is a good place to jump on. All you need to know from previous issues is that Moon Knight tricked Shield into giving him a superhero registration card only to then beat some criminals bloody, like he does so very well - or badly depending on your point of view. He left his card at the scene and carved his trademark crescent moon into the victims' foreheads. Yeah, messed up. This of course garnered lots of attention from Director of Shield Tony Stark. The entire tense off between him and Moon Knight culminated in the latter shoving villain Black Spectre off a twenty story building, killing him in front of hundreds of witnesses in issue #19. The media gobbled it up and the heat is on Stark and the attention is on Spector. Tony hastily had all of Moon Knight's assets seized forcing him underground, literally.
This issue opens up to Shield agents entering the sewers to arrest Marc Spector. He has already vamoosed though. Most of Marc's friends are grilled and their reactions are quite fascinating. Marlene becomes cold and distant, Frenchie becomes angry to the point that he would be willing to divulge Marc's whereabouts except he doesn't know where the fugitive is. These scenes are classic Moon Knight. Trouble follows him. However Marc's indomitable perseverance remains his redeeming quality. Despite being pursued by the law, forced into the city's sewer system with an unwinding mental and physical state he dons a utilitarian outfit and finds some sort of morbidly refreshing solace in beating criminals. He manages to hold on to a shred of sanity and do a little bit of self discovery. "In some ways it's liberating.", ponders the vigilante. "Before the padded gloves, before the cowl, that cloak. The voices in my head. All gone. Back to basics. Before the spectacle of it all. When it was a job." The hero perseveres.
Of course, Stark is big time P.O.ed, and so is the government. Deputy Director Hill comes from Washington to meet Iron Man. He announces that they are yanking the Moon Knight investigation away from Shield. This creates an interesting political "push and pull" effect demonstrating just how Moon Knight is liberated by operating outside the law. The government's decision? Sic Norman Osborne and his Thunderbolts on Moon Knight, despite Stark's protest. The issue ends by introducing Norman.
Oh, and Benson is introducing a really cool subplot. Seems like he's creating a brand new rogue for Moon Knight's painfully small gallery. And he's doing it with the aid of one of my favorite characters, Profile. I approve!
The art is by Texeira who draws some awesome action sequences! I swear each time I turn the page and see Marc walk out of that exploding building my brain plays the same crunchy Heavy Metal riff. Duhn-Duhn-Duhn-Duhn-Duhn! He has his weaknesses though. Most notably technology and architecture but it's not so bad. My guess is that the colors are done with a combination of oil pastels and water color. Whatever it is it works fine.
Next month should be interesting. Will Stark actually be compelled to help Spector due to his dislike of the Thuderbolts? "They're psychopaths!" says he. Or maybe he'll intervene as a power play against Deputy Director Hill. What the heck is Marc gonna do when faced with the super-powered goons? He no longer has his powers and is severely out numbered and out matched. Not to mention injured. What death will Marc Spector experience? I'm totally on board with this arc.
Just like Metal, Moon Knight is a harsh experience but it can also be exhilarating and cathartic.
I'm giving this Heavy Metal book a 4 and a 3. I'd give it two fours but I can't get past the mullet. (10 points if you get that joke.)
#21 starts a new arc called "the death of Marc Spector". The setup issue is a good place to jump on. All you need to know from previous issues is that Moon Knight tricked Shield into giving him a superhero registration card only to then beat some criminals bloody, like he does so very well - or badly depending on your point of view. He left his card at the scene and carved his trademark crescent moon into the victims' foreheads. Yeah, messed up. This of course garnered lots of attention from Director of Shield Tony Stark. The entire tense off between him and Moon Knight culminated in the latter shoving villain Black Spectre off a twenty story building, killing him in front of hundreds of witnesses in issue #19. The media gobbled it up and the heat is on Stark and the attention is on Spector. Tony hastily had all of Moon Knight's assets seized forcing him underground, literally.
This issue opens up to Shield agents entering the sewers to arrest Marc Spector. He has already vamoosed though. Most of Marc's friends are grilled and their reactions are quite fascinating. Marlene becomes cold and distant, Frenchie becomes angry to the point that he would be willing to divulge Marc's whereabouts except he doesn't know where the fugitive is. These scenes are classic Moon Knight. Trouble follows him. However Marc's indomitable perseverance remains his redeeming quality. Despite being pursued by the law, forced into the city's sewer system with an unwinding mental and physical state he dons a utilitarian outfit and finds some sort of morbidly refreshing solace in beating criminals. He manages to hold on to a shred of sanity and do a little bit of self discovery. "In some ways it's liberating.", ponders the vigilante. "Before the padded gloves, before the cowl, that cloak. The voices in my head. All gone. Back to basics. Before the spectacle of it all. When it was a job." The hero perseveres.
Of course, Stark is big time P.O.ed, and so is the government. Deputy Director Hill comes from Washington to meet Iron Man. He announces that they are yanking the Moon Knight investigation away from Shield. This creates an interesting political "push and pull" effect demonstrating just how Moon Knight is liberated by operating outside the law. The government's decision? Sic Norman Osborne and his Thunderbolts on Moon Knight, despite Stark's protest. The issue ends by introducing Norman.
Oh, and Benson is introducing a really cool subplot. Seems like he's creating a brand new rogue for Moon Knight's painfully small gallery. And he's doing it with the aid of one of my favorite characters, Profile. I approve!
The art is by Texeira who draws some awesome action sequences! I swear each time I turn the page and see Marc walk out of that exploding building my brain plays the same crunchy Heavy Metal riff. Duhn-Duhn-Duhn-Duhn-Duhn! He has his weaknesses though. Most notably technology and architecture but it's not so bad. My guess is that the colors are done with a combination of oil pastels and water color. Whatever it is it works fine.
Next month should be interesting. Will Stark actually be compelled to help Spector due to his dislike of the Thuderbolts? "They're psychopaths!" says he. Or maybe he'll intervene as a power play against Deputy Director Hill. What the heck is Marc gonna do when faced with the super-powered goons? He no longer has his powers and is severely out numbered and out matched. Not to mention injured. What death will Marc Spector experience? I'm totally on board with this arc.
Just like Metal, Moon Knight is a harsh experience but it can also be exhilarating and cathartic.
I'm giving this Heavy Metal book a 4 and a 3. I'd give it two fours but I can't get past the mullet. (10 points if you get that joke.)
Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 3 - Good
Art: 3 - Good
Good review and I’d agree with your scores (story 4 and art 3). I’ve been reading this book off and on, but I did catch all of the last arc. I was surprised how much I liked this issue considering (1) Moon Knight (Spector) is barely in it and (2) there was relatively little action (more talking than walking as is usually the cace for set up up of first issue in a new arc). I thought that Benson did a nice job with the dialogue and pacing. FINALLY, he laid the ground work to get Tony Stark out of this book. I understand for any vigalante anti-hero story to work you need some overly oppresive government regime as the heavy (Benson has been using SHIELD). I also understand that this book seems to be operating outside of "Secret Invasion" events but after the event of "Civil War". However, its hard to beleive that Tony Stark, as Director of SHIELD, would have nothing better to do than (apparantely) soley obsess about catching Moon Knight. Don’t ya think he would have some bigger fish to fry? Or at least some other fish as well? (Rather than one vigilante crime fighter in one town). Also, the cover this month was a bit of a tease (showing all the Thunderbolts) when that really was just a set up for next month. The art on this book does not really do it for me (seems to be average at best). Obviously art is something highly subjective, but these pencils seem a little too rough around the edges for my taste. These are all relatively minor criticisms however. I think Moon Knight is one of those few good under the radar book that, I think, more readers would enjoy if they just gave it chance. I’m looking forward to seeing where Benson takes this character.
Cool review. The whole "shouldn’t Tony be busy with other stuff" doesn’t bother me though. I’m the type of guy who can just roll with it.