I love Moon Knight. His 2006 series, written by Charlie Hudson and Penciled by David Finch, was my gateway drug into comic books. He was everything I liked in a superhero. A troubled man, an extraordinary story, gritty visuals, and a compelling story. As he grew, and new creators picked up the character, like Benson, Bendis, and Ellis, Moon Knight only got better. For a while, it felt like Moon Knight had the means to produce another fantastic story, but there appeared to be a void, a lack of love and attention for the white clad avatar of Khonshu.
That is, until April, 2016. Jeff Lemire became the new writer for Moon Knight. This series took on a new look at Marc's mental state, and provided some interesting visuals, panel layouts, and an engaging story.
Now, in 2017, the series starts a new arc, Death and Birth, and it looks to go in-depth in previously uncovered territory in the story of Marc Spector.
Yes. Marc's childhood. Some stories, such as Shadowland: Moon Knight, managed to include an excerpt from the early years of Marc Spector, his relationship with his brother and father, and how that tied into his position as a crime fighter, but much is not known about how Marc's life was prior to his days as Moon Knight. In Lemire's run, we learn that, perhaps, Marc has been struggling, mentally, since childhood. Without spoiling much, Marc is confronted by his father (seen above) about some peculiar behavior Marc has doing. Earlier in the series, Marc is told he has been in Asylum for years, and that he made up Moon Knight, drawing sketches and pictures of him and his various tools. This new insight into his childhood runs parallel to the continuing story of Marc, in the present, trying to gather his friends and loved ones, and try and re-establish peace, whatever that means. As with the previous books in the series, the new arc looks gorgeous.
Scratchy, scrawled art style, blending with fantastic panel layouts and designs, upside down panels, and a trippy dive through the underworld. The visuals continue to impress! Perhaps it is trying match the chaotic and manic scattering of the mind of Marc Spector, and that makes for a total sensory delight when paired with Lemire's writing. While 2017 is just getting started, I am already looking ahead to a well fleshed out, well composed, and compelling continuation of Moon Knight, while managing to create a new ethos about the life and times of Marc Spector as a child, patient, hero, and avatar all in one kick-ass series. First impressions are positive as this arc gets off the ground, keep an eye out for the next part of Death and Birth next month!
