Rating: 5/5
It's hard for me to explain why I enjoy this character so much. His stories are dark and brutal, which usually can turn me off to a comic. Then there are the not so favorable comparisons to Batman (and seriously, who is going to rate favorably against Batman in people's eyes). Sure there are similarities, but Moon Knight has a certain quality about him that tends to be lacking in the DC hero.
Huston captures it perfectly in the first few pages, where Marc Spector, the man behind Moon Knight, talks about why he put on the costume to fight crime. It isn't altruism or revenge, despite being the avatar of the Egyptian god of vengeance. No, for him it is about the sheer joy of being able to do it.
There have always been some psychological underpinnings to Moon Knight stories. How much of what is happening is real or in his head? More recent series have tackled that question in greater detail. This book uses a lighter touch to keep the reader guessing without dismissing everything out of hand. Add in a group that wants to manipulate Marc or see him destroyed and the story becomes engaging on another level. Many recurring characters make an appearance, though not all of them are introduced very well.
I thought the art was perfect for this book. From the beginning, Moon Knight has been a violent character. The art capitalizes on that while managing to keep the worst of it off screen. That might make things worse because the reader is left to fill in the blanks. We do get to see the consequences of Marc's actions, both for himself and for those close to him. This book shows Marc at his worst, but gives hope in spite of the dark, gruesome world he occupies.
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