On The Rack: Moon Knight #1 Review
Moon Knight is a sadly underrated character but in the hands of Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire, his new book is starting off with the bang he deserves. Moon Knight #1 is part of the Marvel NOW! line-up and is a fantastic way to relaunch this character. Instead of a dragged out retelling his origin story, it integrates the tale of Marc Spector’s death and resurrection as Moon Knight into the wider story and throws you right into the action. Ellis’s story sees Marc Spector return home to New York and jump right back into the groove as Moon Knight to help the NYPD with a murder investigation. The beginning of the book feels a bit like a procedural, but quickly swings into the sort of action one would expect from a superhero comic.
The real appeal of this book is in the larger story arch that it is being set up. It’s easy to question Marc Spector’s sanity. It is an insane proposition to run around with an assumed identity looking for trouble, but Marc Spector does just that. He dresses entirely in white, pulls a mask over his eyes and hits the streets. Ellis has some fun with the character as he throws the character’s sanity into question. The story is framed by a discussion of weather of not Marc Spector has dissociative identity disorder and is clearly leading to the story Ellis is planning to tell.
And then there is the art. Somehow Declan Shalvey manages to create expression in a character who is constantly wearing a mask and he builds atmosphere and drama through the perspective in his panels. Colour artist Jordie Bellaire further enhances the visual story telling with sharply contrasting tones. Deep blues for an interior, yellows provide a source of light in an ally and reds overwhelm the pages during the climax. Every panel rounds out the written story to create a complete picture that is a lot of fun to read.
Moon Knight #1 is a successful take on a character that deserves a moment in the spotlight. Now that his story is being retold, it’s a great time to jump on board. With Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire in charge of telling his story, Moon Knight is sure to develop some new fans.
