Lately, I've been kicking around the idea of picking up a couple Moon Knight comics. A while back, I got the sudden urge to head out to the local shop and pick up some Wolverine. Luckily, that turned out alright and I've since gotten into the series. Moon Knight, on the other hand, is a little bit of a different story.
I think, at this point, it only makes sense to go over some of the pros and cons of Moon Knight and his comic. Here's a couple that I came up with:
Pro: He's been described as Marvel's Batman
Batman is awesome. If Moon Knight is, in any way, similar to Bats, it's probably a pretty good comic. From what I could gather from the latest comics, he's registered with S.H.I.E.L.D. but, because of his violent and out of control tactics, he's also on the run from them. It sounds interesting enough to me.
Pro: He's a very dark and violent character
I really enjoy comics that are a little more violent than most. Thunderbolts is damn near my favorite monthly book right now and if this title is anything close to that, I know I'll enjoy it.
Pro: He looks pretty awesome
You take one look at Moon Knight and you know he means business. His menacing eyes hidden behind his white hood would probably scare the hell out of any villain that he came across.
Con: He has no notable villains
To the best of my knowledge, he has no real notable villains. There's no Green Goblins or Venoms here. Just street thugs. I would have to image that at some point there will be some kind of super villain probably appears but until then things are looking pretty mediocre.
Con: He's not a detective
Batman, as any comic fan knows, is a detective at heart. Moon Knight, on the other hand, is a murderer. So...basically an anti-detective.
Con: There's a lot to catch up on
With issue #17 set for release next week, there's plenty of things I'd need to catch up on if I decided to actually get into the title. Although, I suppose there's always the option of buying only the last couple issues that make up the current arc.
This is where I need your help! Anyone out there who's read anything Moon Knight, what did you think? Was it a decent read or would it make an adequate substitute for toilet paper? Either way, leave me a comment and let me know!
10 Comments, Comment or Ping
Mar 29th, 2008
I’m going to go with “nay” on this one. Moon Knights is just a mess at this point and isn’t making much sense.
Mar 29th, 2008
That’s disappointing. I still might grab an issue just to see what it’s all about. I’m familiar with the character but there’s something that seems to want to draw me to the title…
…probably voodoo magic.
Mar 29th, 2008
It once was a great book and it could be again, but it’s really just a mess right now.
It does have some very interesting aspects to it, like if Khonshu actually exists or is just an aspect of Moon Knight’s fractured psyche.
I’m reading the book, just not a huge fan of it at the moment.
Mar 29th, 2008
Honestly, I think the thing that I like most about the book is what’s actually hurting it right now.
They’re really playing up the fact that Spector is an emotional and psychological mess and exploring what’s real and what’s just him.. being crazy. I really like that idea, but in their depiction of hid fractured psyche, they take away the reader’s ability to have any kind of idea what’s going on and it leaves the book, as I said, a huge mess.
Mar 30th, 2008
I personally am tired of the “dark and edgy” type character; feels very cliche to me and it seems like something that Vertigo would do. Though I’m eager to see where this goes and I’m willing to give it a chance.
Mar 30th, 2008
I think I might get my hands on Moon Knight #14 which started the current arc off. I’ll read that and see what it’s all about. If I like, I’ll head into some of the newer issues and see where that takes me.
Mar 30th, 2008
That’s the best way to do it, Mike. It’s nice to gather the opinions of other people to get an idea but in the end you really have to see for yourself.
Mar 31st, 2008
I’ve read pretty many issues of the current run (I borrow them from my cousin) and every issue got harder to read, despite the impressive art.
The character’s history is plagued by poor storylines that make it impossible to do good stories now - maybe Ultimate Moon Knight would work;-)
And to be clear, there is no comparison whatsoever to Batman. You might get into it or not, but whatever, it won’t be for this reason.
Apr 1st, 2008
I have some of the older Moon Knight issues and recently started picking up the current trades. I havent been reading whats currently been going on in his books beyond what i’ve read in the first two volumes. I like the book so far. The Moon Knight isnt Batman, he doesnt lurk in shadows he wears his white costume to draw attention. He’s a walking billboard for Khonshu. The book describes him as a sadist pretending to be a hero. Someone who isnt comfortable with his identity so he created others. Are those just aliases or is there more to it? Is Khonshu just anotehr part of his fractured psyche? In no way is Moon Knight Batman and if he is its only Superficially.
Moon Knight is about Vengeance. Batman has always been about Justice for the most part.
He’s an interesting character and you have to give credit where credit is due. If you wanna make comparisons then
I would go with Spawn. Al Simmons and Marc Spector are similar in that both where Mercenaries betrayed by their commrades both left for dead or the brink of death. Both reborn to bring vengeance.
I agree thought that he has a weak roster of enemies. Thats his strongest weakness. He’s borderline between a hero like Spiderman and the Punisher.
Apr 1st, 2008
Well said. Thanks for all the comments everyone. I think I’ll stick to my regular comics and wait until I hear a few better things about the character in the coming months.
Reply to “Marvel’s Moon Knight: Yay or Nay?”