And we already have ‘Moon Knight’ on Disney+, the new Marvel series takes us to meet one of the most interesting and little-known heroes of the House of Ideas lore. So, after watching the first episode, we are going to review the best comics to meet the character.
Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin in the pages of ‘Werewolf By Night’ (1975), the real name of the character is Marc Spector, a mercenary who dies before a grave in front of the Khonshu statue. Upon reviving, he will claim that the Egyptian god has commanded him to protect and avenge the innocent to redeem his life of violence.
Right from the start, the comics play with if this is real or if Spector is crazy. In this sense, the series presents in a very interesting way this duality of the character played by Oscar Isaac, with that multiple personality between Steve Grant and Marc Spector and, as if that were not already complicated enough, his status as an avatar of Khonshu adds layers to everything.
In the comic, in addition, there are more identities and they all rotate like phases of the Moon. This cocktail makes the various authors that Moon Knight has had throughout its more than four decades of existence, have interpreted (or left to the free interpretation of the reader) the singularity of the character differently. To what extent is he really an avatar of an Egyptian god? Is everything a product of his imagination? Etc.
He is not the first Marvel hero or character with multiple personalities. or something similar and there we have the psyche of Legion, brilliantly explored by authors such as Si Spurrier or Noah Hawley’s television series. Also in Hulk we have seen how that “Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde” is much more complex than it seemed and Bruce Banner has had to face (and reconcile) the different personalities of his alter ego.
The best Moon Knight comics
The hero’s status as a Marvel supporting cast who has no ongoing affiliation with the major supergroups (occasionally The Defenders) makes there a lot of freedom (relative, of course, considering that we are in a large publishing house) when telling their stories.
Let’s see which are the best comics to get to know the character or, at least, to try to get an idea about ‘Moon Knight’. You can also see the best comics to accompany ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, ‘Aquaman’, The Defenders of Netflix‘Joker’, or a guide to ‘Watchmen’ comics.
You can also check the best movies based on comics, essential adaptations, the best superhero series and here we order the Marvel movies and series of 2021 from worst to best.
‘Welcome to New Egypt’ by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood
Let’s start with the main inspirations, recognized by Slater himself, for the series. The first is the beginning of the stage of Jeff Lemire (creator of ‘Sweet Tooth’) and Greg Smallwood with the lunatic and who faces precisely that question of whether everything is real with Marc Spector waking up in an insane asylum.
With an absolutely delicious drawing by Smallwood, the comic catches on its proposal despite sinning, at times, slightly tricking the reader.
Moon Knight 4. Welcome to New Egypt (100% MARVEL COLLECTION)
Back from the Dead by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey
The another great recognized inspiration is one of my personal favorites. But I have a weakness for Warren Ellis and his conciseness when it comes to telling longer stories through self-contained comics. Here we continue investigating the psyche, but with visits to the psychologist as our protagonist goes from adventure to adventure.
A light comic but in which you see Ellis wanting to play and to experiment helped by the precision of Shalvey’s drawing so that throughout his stage we have a better idea of who Marc Spector is.
‘Moon Knight Library’, by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, among others
And after reviewing the main inspirations, let’s go to the origins and the first adventures of the character by the hand of Doug Moench. The author offers a fabulous mix between a bit of action, just the right touch of fantasy/horror and, when they unleash Sienkiewicz, we are met with a brilliant comic and with an absolutely wonderful drawing.
Here is the basis since, unlike other stages, being foundational, the authors strive to develop the lunatic’s lore as much as they can to distance it from the image of Marvel’s “Batman”.
Moon Knight Library 1. Countdown To Darkness 1
‘The Bottom’, by Charlie Huston and David Finch
We continue a bit in chronological order to reach the stage of Huston and Finch. A relaunch of the character that fully embraces the above and starts playing with ideas like Spector’s violent past and the voices/personalities with which he lives to put us on some particularly violent adventures.
Moon Knight 1. The Background
‘Moon Knight’s Revenge’, by Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opeña
Direct consequence of the previous stage, this is another of my small weaknesses with the character, who returns to New York to, as you may have imagined, execute a revenge. an interesting redemption quest comic and trying to get back on the path of the hero he once wanted to be.
MOON KNIGHT’S REVENGE INTIMIDATION ATTACK (100% Marvel (panini))
‘Imaginary Friends’, by Brian M. Bendis and Alex Maleev
I admit that I have my pluses and minuses with Bendis, but my fascination with Maleev’s drawing and that here the scriptwriter is especially inspired makes me have to talk about this comic, set before the Ellis stage. The writer gives a twist to the dissociation suffered by the hero (something that can already be seen on the cover) to put him on the ropes suffering from a villain’s revenge plan.
And so far our review of the Moon Knight comics, which are your favorites?