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| Moon Knight #1 |
© The Weirding, 2016
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
Showing posts with label moon knight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moon knight. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2011
Reviews Moon Knight
Moon Knight has been rebooted yet again and this time, they dispensed with all pretense and just made his alter-egos Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. It lost points for me with that right there, but I stuck with it to the recent issue and I have to say it turned itself around some once it found its footing.
Moon Knight started out more high-falutin' and Avengers-related than I cared for, but soon found its way into gritty territory, where the character belongs and it took hold of me. He has relocated to L.A. and that has its own "flavor," but the creative team has been bringing a little more Big City Raymond Chandleresque features into the story the last handful of issues and I dig that. I just hope they keep the run going and don't restart it yet again.
I also like how it intertwines the high-profile TV show lifestyle with that of Marc Spector and Moon Knight's for another dimension of that split-personality theme. It also leaves a lot of room for romantic interests, though I really like his current chick.
I have to admit, this is a title I'll be keeping up with more regularly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Moon Knight started out more high-falutin' and Avengers-related than I cared for, but soon found its way into gritty territory, where the character belongs and it took hold of me. He has relocated to L.A. and that has its own "flavor," but the creative team has been bringing a little more Big City Raymond Chandleresque features into the story the last handful of issues and I dig that. I just hope they keep the run going and don't restart it yet again.
I also like how it intertwines the high-profile TV show lifestyle with that of Marc Spector and Moon Knight's for another dimension of that split-personality theme. It also leaves a lot of room for romantic interests, though I really like his current chick.
I have to admit, this is a title I'll be keeping up with more regularly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, February 07, 2011
Monday, November 08, 2010
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
I'm Buying One, Not the Other
You have to give Marvel Comics this much: While they may not know from good work, they certainly know how to maximize return from hot properties. In the restructuring of the Avengers title line, we find Moon Knight in Secret Avengers and Wolverine in Avengers, even though neither character is exactly a team-player, nor does either actually have the contacts which would merit this move.
Of course, Wolverine has a history with basically every character in the Marvel Universe, as he's been the company's hottest property for about 30 years now, and Moon Knight is no stranger to guest appearances in his own title, nor to making guest appearances in other titles; still, being a loner is literally key to both characters' personae. Furthermore, as the whole thing is supposed to usher-in The Heroic Age, it's somewhat ironic that they should choose two of the more brutal superheroes to anchor their flagship team.
But we're not going to look at this from a literary standpoint; that these two characters are among the very least likely to join a team of any kind, much less on a regular basis, is regardless - certainly no one at Marvel ever stopped to consider this; that these two characters move units is the criterion here. The problem is that I didn't realize Moon Knight actually moves units. Wolverine, sure - duh! - but Moon Knight?
Again, can't stress enough just how little I hold it against companies which seek to make a profit; companies exist to make a profit. But neither Wolverine nor Moon Knight are appropriate members of any team, and Wolverine now belongs to at least 14.
Anyway, I'm subscribing to Secret Avengers only to follow Moon Knight, and I may wind-up canceling that after a handful of issues. I quit trying to follow Wolverine's exploits 20+ years ago - even if I were rich, I couldn't read all the issues in which Wolvie makes an appearance each month. Still, I'm literally doing this more for research than enjoyment, so we'll see how it goes.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Of course, Wolverine has a history with basically every character in the Marvel Universe, as he's been the company's hottest property for about 30 years now, and Moon Knight is no stranger to guest appearances in his own title, nor to making guest appearances in other titles; still, being a loner is literally key to both characters' personae. Furthermore, as the whole thing is supposed to usher-in The Heroic Age, it's somewhat ironic that they should choose two of the more brutal superheroes to anchor their flagship team.
But we're not going to look at this from a literary standpoint; that these two characters are among the very least likely to join a team of any kind, much less on a regular basis, is regardless - certainly no one at Marvel ever stopped to consider this; that these two characters move units is the criterion here. The problem is that I didn't realize Moon Knight actually moves units. Wolverine, sure - duh! - but Moon Knight?
Again, can't stress enough just how little I hold it against companies which seek to make a profit; companies exist to make a profit. But neither Wolverine nor Moon Knight are appropriate members of any team, and Wolverine now belongs to at least 14.
Anyway, I'm subscribing to Secret Avengers only to follow Moon Knight, and I may wind-up canceling that after a handful of issues. I quit trying to follow Wolverine's exploits 20+ years ago - even if I were rich, I couldn't read all the issues in which Wolvie makes an appearance each month. Still, I'm literally doing this more for research than enjoyment, so we'll see how it goes.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Friday, November 14, 2008
Why I Should Write Moon Knight
Why should I write Moon Knight? Well, there are at least a dozen reasons and I'm about to run them down in a ranty, roundabout manner, but first and foremost is because I actually get the character. And neither writer working on the new series does.
I hate to say things like that - I hate to sound overly critical and I hate to be critical in the way that insults or offends those I am criticizing - but it is what it is. One of them was a downright awful writer - just plain bad - and the other, while not exactly bad, just does not get the character. I'll leave it up to you to decide which is which, but there it is.
Of course, there is a caveat to this - and it is the very caveat which will likely ensure I never write Moon Knight - and that is that Moon Knight is a property. Above and beyond anything else - character, story, plot, development, continuity - Moon Knight is a property. I know how much beginning and hopeful creators hate to hear that - and believe you me, every single one of us who has ever even had a brush with this industry did, too - but once again, it is what it is. Pretty much everyone who has, or wants to, work in the industry said the same thing you are saying to yourself right now: "When I do it, I'm not going to let them tell me I have to treat it like a property. When I do it, I'm gonna do it like this and I'm gonna do that, and..."
It does not work that way. Yes, the system sucks; yes, it is an impedance to Art; yes, it results in mediocrity; no, it is not likely to change anytime soon.
So we have to temper what I'm saying with this knowledge. After all, the guy who sucks might not actually be a bad writer - this was just a bad fit for him - he couldn't get into the project or he was constantly being edited out of it or something. Actually, that goes for both of them. When all is said and done, Moon Knight is a property and the creators working on the title are limited as to what they can do with it. These limitations can kill a project - in fact, they nearly always do - but no one on the business side of things minds because if the project sells, they make money and if it doesn't, they write it off (and still make money). We can get into all of that some other time, but - yet again - it is what it is.
So why should I write Moon Knight?
The short answer is: you couldn't do any worse.
Ready for the long one?:
I may have told you my Daredevil story - the one where I first discovered comic books? The Moon Knight story is almost the same, just a different vacation: I was with my great-grandparents and we had been driving for a while. We stopped at a convenience store and I bought a pack of three comic books. Moon Knight was one of those. It was a self-contained story about a golem (well, inspired by the Jewish legend of the golem, at any rate) - simply a fantastic, well-written tale and the best introduction to Moon Knight anyone could ask for - unfettered by continuity, history, backstory, etc.
When I got into collecting hardcore, it was many years before I could afford it, but I eventually bought the entire run. Moon Knight has come and gone many times over and has never been one of the uber-popular characters, so it is not an incredible feat. The truth is that it is a mediocre series; like most, it has several bright spots - and when Moon Knight is good, it is flat brilliant - but overall, it is mediocre. And that makes no sense to me, because Moon Knight has the capacity to be one of the coolest characters in the Marvel Universe.
Here's what it is: most people think Moon Knight is Marvel's Batman - not Marvel's "answer" to Bats, but a total rip-off - and that is simply not true. Not one writer yet has ever truly brought Moon Knight to life. His history is a tangled mess and his personality has changed and shifted so many times that I understand why so few have ever gotten into the guy. Who is Moon Knight, after all?
And this is why I should write Moon Knight: because I alone know.
Sound pompous? It really isn't. I alone get it because the character and title have both been rebooted no fewer than three times and none of them have worked because no one gets Moon Knight as a character. And I truly believe I do.
That single, introductory story hit me as a child and I never forgot it. It was so strong that, many years later, I bought every issue I could find and began collecting the series. I can honestly say after reading that single comic book - that one issue - I believe I know Moon Knight as a superhero character better than just about any other, even though I know more about several others. Plus, it's my genre - he's my kinda superhero (well, he was - I do not like this "new" incarnation of him).
And that's why I should write Moon Knight. Because Moon Knight, like so many other comics these days, is lacking one thing and one thing only: heart.
It's just a property, but if Marvel ever wants to make it a hot one (instead of a write-off)... you know. I'm available.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I hate to say things like that - I hate to sound overly critical and I hate to be critical in the way that insults or offends those I am criticizing - but it is what it is. One of them was a downright awful writer - just plain bad - and the other, while not exactly bad, just does not get the character. I'll leave it up to you to decide which is which, but there it is.
Of course, there is a caveat to this - and it is the very caveat which will likely ensure I never write Moon Knight - and that is that Moon Knight is a property. Above and beyond anything else - character, story, plot, development, continuity - Moon Knight is a property. I know how much beginning and hopeful creators hate to hear that - and believe you me, every single one of us who has ever even had a brush with this industry did, too - but once again, it is what it is. Pretty much everyone who has, or wants to, work in the industry said the same thing you are saying to yourself right now: "When I do it, I'm not going to let them tell me I have to treat it like a property. When I do it, I'm gonna do it like this and I'm gonna do that, and..."
It does not work that way. Yes, the system sucks; yes, it is an impedance to Art; yes, it results in mediocrity; no, it is not likely to change anytime soon.
So we have to temper what I'm saying with this knowledge. After all, the guy who sucks might not actually be a bad writer - this was just a bad fit for him - he couldn't get into the project or he was constantly being edited out of it or something. Actually, that goes for both of them. When all is said and done, Moon Knight is a property and the creators working on the title are limited as to what they can do with it. These limitations can kill a project - in fact, they nearly always do - but no one on the business side of things minds because if the project sells, they make money and if it doesn't, they write it off (and still make money). We can get into all of that some other time, but - yet again - it is what it is.
So why should I write Moon Knight?
The short answer is: you couldn't do any worse.
Ready for the long one?:
I may have told you my Daredevil story - the one where I first discovered comic books? The Moon Knight story is almost the same, just a different vacation: I was with my great-grandparents and we had been driving for a while. We stopped at a convenience store and I bought a pack of three comic books. Moon Knight was one of those. It was a self-contained story about a golem (well, inspired by the Jewish legend of the golem, at any rate) - simply a fantastic, well-written tale and the best introduction to Moon Knight anyone could ask for - unfettered by continuity, history, backstory, etc.
When I got into collecting hardcore, it was many years before I could afford it, but I eventually bought the entire run. Moon Knight has come and gone many times over and has never been one of the uber-popular characters, so it is not an incredible feat. The truth is that it is a mediocre series; like most, it has several bright spots - and when Moon Knight is good, it is flat brilliant - but overall, it is mediocre. And that makes no sense to me, because Moon Knight has the capacity to be one of the coolest characters in the Marvel Universe.
Here's what it is: most people think Moon Knight is Marvel's Batman - not Marvel's "answer" to Bats, but a total rip-off - and that is simply not true. Not one writer yet has ever truly brought Moon Knight to life. His history is a tangled mess and his personality has changed and shifted so many times that I understand why so few have ever gotten into the guy. Who is Moon Knight, after all?
And this is why I should write Moon Knight: because I alone know.
Sound pompous? It really isn't. I alone get it because the character and title have both been rebooted no fewer than three times and none of them have worked because no one gets Moon Knight as a character. And I truly believe I do.
That single, introductory story hit me as a child and I never forgot it. It was so strong that, many years later, I bought every issue I could find and began collecting the series. I can honestly say after reading that single comic book - that one issue - I believe I know Moon Knight as a superhero character better than just about any other, even though I know more about several others. Plus, it's my genre - he's my kinda superhero (well, he was - I do not like this "new" incarnation of him).
And that's why I should write Moon Knight. Because Moon Knight, like so many other comics these days, is lacking one thing and one thing only: heart.
It's just a property, but if Marvel ever wants to make it a hot one (instead of a write-off)... you know. I'm available.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Moon Knight #21 - Sneak Peek!
Moon Knight is one of the few titles on my regular pull-list - along with Daredevil, Walking Dead, Green Arrow & Black Canary, Glamourpuss, Thor, and Nexus. Truthfully, I haven't read an issue of any of these the last 2-3 months because I got behind (thanks to Charter Communications ripping me off!), so I'm planning on picking them all up one of these days and reading them straight-through, and Moon Knight is at the top of that stack.So I'm thrilled to bring you this sneak preview of the upcoming Moon Knight #21, touted as a "new direction" for the title and character. This is from Marvel Comics:
Prepare yourselves, True Believers, for a story so gritty and violently awesome it could only happen in the pages of Moon Knight!
The hero who goes by his own rules finally meets his match in Moon Knight #21! After having his registration privileges revoked, Moon Knight is about to learn what happens to fugitive super heroes when they anger the Initiative. With his hands full, Tony Stark orders Marvel's most lethal super hero team to hunt and take down Moon Knight – get ready for the ferocity of the Thunderbolts!
Award winning television writer, Mike Benson (Entourage), continues his explosive run on Moon Knight and if Mark Spector hopes to survive he is going to have to let go of his inhibitions and let insanity take over! With mind-blowing artwork from Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider), "The Death of Marc Spector" is on the horizon and you are not going to want to miss it!
Additionally, to celebrate Marvel's landmark simian series, Marvel Apes, debuting in September, this issue features a Monkey Variant cover by Jason Pearson!
Writer Mike Benson has wowed fans and critics alike with his work on Moon Knight, with Kevin Powers of ComicsBulletin.com exclaiming, "Mike Benson's story and dialogue are extremely well-done, the artwork is fantastic and you may find yourself loving the mind-trip that reading Moon Knight may put you on."
What happens when Norman Osborn's team of crazed psychopaths are unleashed on Moon Knight? Does Moon Knight stand a chance against the Thunderbolts? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Moon Knight #21! Don't miss this thrilling first issue of a brand new killer arc – literally, we mean that.
MOON KNIGHT #21 (JUN082370)
MOON KNIGHT #21 MONKEY VARIANT (JUN082371)
Written by MIKE BENSON
Penciled by MARK TEXEIRA
Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
Ape Variant by JASON PEARSON
FOC—7/31/08, On-Sale—8/20/08
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Moon Knight vs. Werewolf by Night
This is a lunarly official press release from Marvel Comics:
Werewolf by Night is back and he’s more gruesome than ever in a special extra sized issue - prepare yourselves for the most ferocious, ruthless battle between man and beast in Moon Knight #20!
After losing his registration privileges last issue, Moon Knight is now a wanted man and on the run. With nowhere to hide, Moon Knight has other problems he must face. Marvel’s most fearsome monster is spilling blood and wreaking havoc on the streets of Moon Knight’s city!
Award-winning television writer, Mike Benson (Entourage), pits Moon Knight against an opponent fueled by instinct and rage… Werewolf by Night! With visually striking interiors from fan-favorite artist, Mike Deodato, Moon Knight will have to release his inner demons and become what he faces if he hopes to survive against Werewolf by Night!
Will Werewolf by Night take a bite out of Moon Knight? Grab your flashlights and silver bullets, True Believers, for this thrilling special double sized issue! Plus, Moon Knight’s first appearance from Werewolf by Night #32 and #33! You can’t dare to miss Moon Knight #20, with a battle so explosive that we had to make this an extra-sized issue!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tex Coming to Moon Knight!
Moon Knight has always been one of my favorite characters and is one of the few titles to which I faithfully subscribe (along with Daredevil, the Power Pack and 30 Days of Night minis, and a few others). Mark Texeria is one of my all-time favorite artists, even though I never dug Ghost Rider. Now, Tex is coming to Moon Knight and a whole new era is about to begin. I know - I hate that phrase now; they use it constantly for everything in comicdom. Anyway, this here's an official Marvel press release:He’s defeated his greatest enemies. He’s survived Civil War and joined the Initiative. But now that he’s leaving piles of broken bodies in his wake, Moon Knight is about to become a marked man in Moon Knight #14! Award-winning television scribe Mike Benson (Punisher MAX Annual 2007, HBO’s Entourage) takes over the writing reins with co-plotter Charlie Huston and the fan favorite art team of Mark Texeira & Javier Saltares (Ghost Rider) to usher in a bold new era for everyone’s favorite dark avenger! Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, created the Initiative to show what good super heroes can do when run by a governing body—so just what does he do with the poster child for super-powered irresponsibility? The shocking first chapter of “God & Country” sets Moon Knight down a path of no return—with hidden foes plotting his downfall!
“Marc Spector is a broken man,” explained Benson. “He's unpredictable. Nothing comes easy to him. He's an underdog and he's not afraid to fight dirty to get what he wants. I'm a fan of the character and I'm trying to write what I would like to see as a fan -- cool dialogue, hardcore fight sequences and good conflict. I have this wonderful opportunity to play in the Marvel Universe and I want to make the most of it.”
With the return of an old foe on the horizon—one sure to put a smile on the faces of Moon Knight fans—and an imminent confrontation with Tony Stark, this is your chance to get on board “God & Country,” a startling new direction for one of 2007’s most popular vigilantes in Moon Knight #14!MOON KNIGHT #14 (NOV072163)
Written by MIKE BENSON (WITH CHARLIE HUSTON)
Art by MARK TEXEIRA & JAVIER SALTARES
Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—12/06/07, On-Sale—1/04/08
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Moon Knight Explores the Dark Side of Justice
I told you I had several press releases to get to you, I've just had so much other stuff to gab about, I haven't bothered to get to them. Well, by "haven't bothered," I mean, "haven't shut up long enough." At any rate, this here's an official Marvel press release:As a deranged individual targets innocent women in New York City, only one white clad avenger can put an end to his reign of terror in Moon Knight Annual #1. Upcoming Cable writer & hot-crime novelist Duane Swierczynski (The Blonde, Severance Package), along with artist Jefte Paolo, bring you the story of three women connected by terrible circumstances and one savior known as Moon Knight! But, when these women and Moon Knight himself are pushed too far, what will they consider to be justice?
With a stunning ending that you won't see coming, the extra-sized Moon Knight Annual #1 takes you on a powerful journey through the pain of three women and their sole defender! Once the Moon Knight descends, nothing will be the same for anyone ever again!
MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL #1 (SEP072213)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils by JEFTE PAOLO
Cover by DAVE WILKINS
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—11/8/07, On-Sale—11/28/07
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