Moon Knight #1 *Spoilers*

[Ex_]

I believe that Bendis and Maleev's Moon Knight would be a LOT more well-received if they kept the premise of the book more hush-hush before it came out. Bendis naysayers and Moon Knight purists alike were swearing off this book before Maleev had finished his pencils.

The book itself isn't bad, and it surprisingly does not contradict any Moon Knight continuity or reimagine things in any outlandish way, which sort of surprised me.

The biggest problem in the book is the presence of a character that we know is in prison, as he was spotted in the last issue of Thunderbolts, and even that might be explained later in the arc, considering Moonie's state of mind.

Basically, this issue introduces the teaser: who is the new Kingpin of the West Coast, and what does he want with an Ultron body? The twist at the end, which has been teased for the past month, is that Moon Knight is working alone on this case. The Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man that he's been briefed by are figments of his imagination.

If you disliked Maleev before, you might like him now. The photorealism is no longer there, and the action is much more dynamic than before.

Continue to bash Bendis, but this book didn't have any of the 'pitfalls' that he's usually condemned for. Not the strongest #1, but a decent issue. 7/10.

[Jack J Napier]

Yeah, I really love this first issue. I love the idea of him imagining his fellow Avengers.

[The Batman]

I enjoyed this. Not perfect, but certainly enjoyable. I think the end-of-issue reveal would've been better had it not been spoiled by Bendis in interviews, I think.

Marc Spector feels like Marc Spector, or at least enough like Marc Spector, and he also feels, well, heroic again. The Steven Grant: Slick Television Producer/Marc Spector: Moon Knight dichotomy feels a bit like the Bruce Wayne: Playboy/Batman: The Caped Crusader set up, but it could be fun. Maleev seemed to be in form too.

I'm hoping that Moon Knight doesn't get too tangled up with Bendis' Avengers books, though I'm curious to see how this case matches up with what just happened in Avengers 12.1.

I'll definitely be back for issue two.

[Prince Of Orphans]

I posted in another thread about this issue that seems to have been swallowed in obscurity...

Personally, i didn't think the issue was that great. I picked this up wanting to like it, or else i would've just left it on the shelf. It didn't sell me on the premise, which i was already pretty weary about.

I thought the art was inconsistent. At times, it was very hard to tell what was going on, especially during the fight on the boat.

I didn't think the storytelling or dialogue was particularly strong. Not a fan of Marc Spector's new image as a D-bag TV producer who flirts with women despite the fact that the woman he loves recently lost her baby. The reveal he moved to LA to make tv shows about his life seemingly came out of left field.

The scene at the end was lackluster only because the hook was already revealed to us in interviews pretty much.

The premise has me most disappointed though. The actual implication that he is 100% legit crazy doesn't sit well with me. Although pushed into that direction for a while, I believe this pushes it to a point of no return. There was always the question as to whether or not Khonshu was actually there or not and whether or not he was actually insane. The appeal of that mystery i feel is gone now.

Again, i honestly wish i could've liked it more. Moon Knight's a character I've always found interesting.

[Ex_]

I posted in another thread about this issue that seems to have been swallowed in obscurity...

Personally, i didn't think the issue was that great. I picked this up wanting to like it, or else i would've just left it on the shelf. It didn't sell me on the premise, which i was already pretty weary about.

I thought the art was inconsistent. At times, it was very hard to tell what was going on, especially during the fight on the boat.

I didn't think the storytelling or dialogue was particularly strong. Not a fan of Marc Spector's new image as a D-bag TV producer who flirts with women despite the fact that the woman he loves recently lost her baby. The reveal he moved to LA to make tv shows about his life seemingly came out of left field.

The scene at the end was lackluster only because the hook was already revealed to us in interviews pretty much.

The premise has me most disappointed though. The actual implication that he is 100% legit crazy doesn't sit well with me. Although pushed into that direction for a while, I believe this pushes it to a point of no return. There was always the question as to whether or not Khonshu was actually there or not and whether or not he was actually insane. The appeal of that mystery i feel is gone now.

Again, i honestly wish i could've liked it more. Moon Knight's a character I've always found interesting.

Seriously? The previous volumes pretty much confirmed that he wasn't crazy, that Khonshu was real and empowering others.

[DarthSaeris]

I posted in another thread about this issue that seems to have been swallowed in obscurity...

Personally, i didn't think the issue was that great. I picked this up wanting to like it, or else i would've just left it on the shelf. It didn't sell me on the premise, which i was already pretty weary about.

I thought the art was inconsistent. At times, it was very hard to tell what was going on, especially during the fight on the boat.

I didn't think the storytelling or dialogue was particularly strong. Not a fan of Marc Spector's new image as a D-bag TV producer who flirts with women despite the fact that the woman he loves recently lost her baby. The reveal he moved to LA to make tv shows about his life seemingly came out of left field.

The scene at the end was lackluster only because the hook was already revealed to us in interviews pretty much.

The premise has me most disappointed though. The actual implication that he is 100% legit crazy doesn't sit well with me. Although pushed into that direction for a while, I believe this pushes it to a point of no return. There was always the question as to whether or not Khonshu was actually there or not and whether or not he was actually insane. The appeal of that mystery i feel is gone now.

Again, i honestly wish i could've liked it more. Moon Knight's a character I've always found interesting.

I think I may have liked it more because they snagged me as a new reader of the character. Aside from him being a badass in the Secret Avengers I've never read anything else with him in it. I did a review on the issue but it's a review from someone who is a first time reader. Moon Knight Review!

I'm not sure if I would have picked it up if it wasn't Bendis Maleev because I love those guys. I have to agree that although I love Maleev's work it was a little difficult to figure out what was happening when the mystery guy confronted Hyde. Regardless I'll be checking out the next issue to see if it keeps me interested.

I'm actually thinking I need to check out some Moon Knight trades on amazon. Any suggestions?

P.S. PrinceofOrphans - Thanks for redirecting me to this thread.

[Hulk_Is]

I believe that Bendis and Maleev's Moon Knight would be a LOT more well-received if they kept the premise of the book more hush-hush before it came out. Bendis naysayers and Moon Knight purists alike were swearing off this book before Maleev had finished his pencils.

The book itself isn't bad, and it surprisingly does not contradict any Moon Knight continuity or reimagine things in any outlandish way, which sort of surprised me.

The biggest problem in the book is the presence of a character that we know is in prison, as he was spotted in the last issue of Thunderbolts, and even that might be explained later in the arc, considering Moonie's state of mind.

Basically, this issue introduces the teaser: who is the new Kingpin of the West Coast, and what does he want with an Ultron body? The twist at the end, which has been teased for the past month, is that Moon Knight is working alone on this case. The Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man that he's been briefed by are figments of his imagination.

If you disliked Maleev before, you might like him now. The photorealism is no longer there, and the action is much more dynamic than before.

Continue to bash Bendis, but this book didn't have any of the 'pitfalls' that he's usually condemned for. Not the strongest #1, but a decent issue. 7/10.

Um, his so-called "pitfalls" were in the preview alone; in particular - the overwrought and empty dialogue.

[The Batman]

I'm actually thinking I need to check out some Moon Knight trades on amazon. Any suggestions?

Grab the Essential Moon Knight Volumes. They're in black and white, yes, but they reprint some great stories at a great price point.

[scribbleMind]

. There was always the question as to whether or not Khonshu was actually there or not and whether or not he was actually insane. The appeal of that mystery i feel is gone now.
.

Depends. I view Khonshu and Moon Knights "personality disorder" as two separate things. That is to say, take away the personas and Khonshu would still be around, take away khonshu and the personas would still be around. I don't feel like the existence one entirely confirms or discounts the other. Also, didn't Khonshu and The Beast get into it a little bit during shadowland? He certainly knew of things Jake didn't. So, unless Marc's insanity effects reality (which has been suggested before) or a nice Bendis retcon, that was one point in favor of Khonshu being real. Not that the is he/or isn't he real debate matters much, it sounds like Bendis won't be using Khonsu for a good, long time.

[The Batman]

^^^

That's much the same attitude I take. The two exist separate from each other. That being said, I also think that Marc's state of mind influences his perceptions/understandings of Khonshu and that we can still wonder whether the Khonshu we see is the real deal or one that is in Marc's head.

[Prince Of Orphans]

Depends. I view Khonshu and Moon Knights "personality disorder" as two separate things. That is to say, take away the personas and Khonshu would still be around, take away khonshu and the personas would still be around. I don't feel like the existence one entirely confirms or discounts the other. Also, didn't Khonshu and The Beast get into it a little bit during shadowland? He certainly new of things Jake didn't. So, unless Marc's insanity effects reality (which has been suggested before) or a nice Bendis retcon, that was one point in favor of Khonshu being real. Not that the is he/or isn't he real debate matters much, it sounds like Bendis won't be using Khonsu for a good, long time.

Understandable. I've always tried to justify the implication his "personality disorder" was going out of control because it was Khonshu, or at least the thought of Khonshu, that influenced this somehow, at least during the time where the possibility of Khonshu having a connection to a mental disorder was still an option in explaining this.

Seriously? The previous volumes pretty much confirmed that he wasn't crazy, that Khonshu was real and empowering others.

To me, the possibility was always left open that it may have been in his head. Despite the communication Khonshu had with people outside Marc, the possibility that it was just what Marc's eyes and psyche were taking in was often there. I've been an on and off again reader of Moon Knight though, there may have been a few things I've missed.

I think I may have liked it more because they snagged me as a new reader of the character. Aside from him being a badass in the Secret Avengers I've never read anything else with him in it. I did a review on the issue but it's a review from someone who is a first time reader. [B][U][URL="http://grizzlybomb.com/2011/05/05/marvel-comic-review-moon-knight-1/"]Moon Knight Review!
I'm actually thinking I need to check out some Moon Knight trades on amazon. Any suggestions?

P.S. PrinceofOrphans - Thanks for redirecting me to this thread.

No problem. Always good to have more people talking.

This issue is very new reader friendly and it gives a premise that wouldn't bother anyone other than a more "traditional" Moon Knight reader i guess. I'm glad you enjoyed it, he's a great character that needs some more exposure to a wider audience.

Like a previous poster mentioned, you can't go wrong with Essentials. It's where i started as well.

[Orboros]

I personally bought the book to learn what Moon Knight is all about, his origin, the man behind the mask and stuff because i'm fairly new to comics.. but i still don't understand the character and why i should read him

[Hulk_Is]

I personally bought the book to learn what Moon Knight is all about, his origin, the man behind the mask and stuff because i'm fairly new to comics.. but i still don't understand the character and why i should read him

You should read about him because he is linked to the Avengers - the hottest franchise going right now (I don't know if you've heard about the new upcoming movie!). He's actually four Avengers thrown together in one body now and he's embraced his crazy side. So, he's just a crazy Avenger now with a television show on the side because having simple riches just aren't cutting it. When a team of Avengers can't be reached - L.A. can count on Moon Knight!

Doesn't that sound awesome?

[Prince Of Orphans]

I personally bought the book to learn what Moon Knight is all about, his origin, the man behind the mask and stuff because i'm fairly new to comics.. but i still don't understand the character and why i should read him

A lot of people are turned off by having to get back issues to understand the depth of certain characters, but if you really want to learn about him I'd start there. He's a great character with lots of depth, just going in a fairly controversial/distinct new direction right now lol.

You should read about him because he is linked to the Avengers - the hottest franchise going right now (I don't know if you've heard about the new upcoming movie!). He's actually four Avengers thrown together in one body now and he's embraced his crazy side. So, he's just a crazy Avenger now with a television show on the side because having simple riches just aren't cutting it. When a team of Avengers can't be reached - L.A. can count on Moon Knight!

Doesn't that sound awesome?

A little light on the sarcasm don't you think

[Orboros]

I think i just wikipedia the character for now and stick for the book for a while to see how the plot evolves.
Thanks for the input you two ^^