Moon Knight #1

Moon Knight has had more comic series than I can keep track of. Being a big Moon Knight fan, I always cringe a little with each one, fearing the inevitable cancelation. I can only hope this one will bring an end to that trend.

The Good 

Going into this comic, there was no way I could not be extremely skeptical. Moon Knight in L.A.? Marc Spector as a television producer? Sounds a little weird but because it's something different, and that's what might be needed to keep this series going where as the other ones (unfortunately) fizzled out at their end. 

Moon Knight will be reinventing himself. Bendis seems to be making some big changes that had me worried at first but it all makes perfect sense. Having Moon Knight in L.A. and having the possibility of criminals making their way to the West Coast is perfect. We've all been asking why all the bad guys hang out in New York City. Moon Knight also seems to be playing nicely with other heroes (Captain America, Wolverine and Spider-Man) rather than try to do everything on his own. Could we be seeing some growth in his character? You really need to read this issue to find out.

When most people envision L.A., they probably think of all the glamour and hoopla that goes with it. Alex Maleev's art gives us a different side...one that needs someone like Moon Knight roaming the area. Whether it's Moon Knight in his civilian guise in his new social circle or fighting bad guys with explosions going off in the background, Maleev depicts each scene perfectly.

I found myself asking, "What the heck is Bendis doing?" a couple times. Moon Knight is one of my favorite characters. How could a new ongoing series written by him make these little mistakes? That's the brilliance in Bendis' writing. It all makes sense in the end.

The Bad 

Despite my happiness with the issue, I can't shake the feeling that I will get sucked in once again and be disappointed when the creative team leaves or the book takes off in a direction that leads to its cancellation. We do see Captain America in his original costume. I just assumed it was because we know Steve is going back to his original costume. There was also one comment that Spider-Man made that shouldn't have been said by him. But if you've read the issue, (as I said before) it all makes sense in the end. Shame on me for questioning it.

My main complaint (if I have to actually come up with one) is I wasn't completely crazy about the villain Moon Knight has to fight in this issue. Sure it's great that we see a villain that doesn't appear too often. He's just never been one of my favorites.

The Verdict 

Moon Knight is back (again) with a new series (again). Bendis and Maleev return to revitalize Moon Knight. In a brilliant move, Moon Knight is no longer in New York City. Comic book readers have been asking for years why all the heroes and villains stay in New York. Moon Knight has set up a new...persona in his civilian guise, one that definitely needs to be explored more in future issues. We see Moon Knight accepting his place as a team player although there will be some interesting repercussions with this. This is the type of issue that makes you want to talk about it. You'll find yourself waiting for your friends (or co-workers) to read it so you can talk about the crazy ending. I can only hope that Bendis will remain on board with this title for a long while and we won't see this volume canceled or renamed like all the past ones. Bendis is taking him to a new place and Maleev's art fits perfectly and gives us a new way to look at the character.