Vengeance of the Moon Knight

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3

I've always liked Moon Knight. Yeah, there's no doubt he's Marvel's low-rent version of Batman, as many claim Sentry is their shot at Superman. The case has never been so more apparent with Moon Knight no longer killing victims, just hanging them upside down in typical Dark Knight (ohh) fashion for the coppers to take care of.

I like what Gregg Hurwitz is chasing. He's trying to make Jake Lockley/Marc Spector relevent by placing the multiple-personality caper right in the middle of Dark Marvel's Dark Reign (without becoming a DR book), as even a wide-eyed Spidey notices upon his arrival in Midtown. The writer is doing his best to keep MK's story in tuned with the 616's current happenings, by having his ultimate archenemy from his origin rise. That seems to be the theme of both DC and Marvel these days, luckily The Hood and the Profile help make things more interesting with their involvement.

VOFMK #3 has Jerome Opena and that's all you need to know about the art. It matches the grittiness and recovery of the character, and his intentions will become more clear as the arc moves on. It's not going to outsell X-Men. But I don't care. Moon Knight is a must.

4/5 Bags&Boards - Add To Your Punch List Now!

Yeah, this book does kick ass. I enjoy it.

Loved Issue #3, just loved it. I am so happy that this book rocks. The last book (series/volume not issue) started off great, but turned to crap. It's nice to have the quality back. I hope they can keep it up.

Agree with you all. This issue was another excellent one. Jerome Opena's art is simply outstanding and perfectly suited to this book. I hope he sticks with it.

My only concern - I totally get the Batman influence but I thought with this issue it got even closer to Batman than the last 2. I wouldn't mind a bit more work trying to establish Moon Knight as his own character. I guess that's not real easy to do.

Maybe it's because Batman is my favorite character, but I don't mind MK being similar to Batman. You are right Aussie, this issue did take him closer to Batman, but like I said, I'm fine with that. Though I do agree with you as well, it would be nice to have him be established as his own character. I'm weird I guess. I want it both ways.

Who were the villians in this issue. I mean, I obviously know who Bushman, The Hood, and The Profile (I think his name should be the Profiler) are, but who were the scarecrow and those other two?

Batman25JM wrote:
Who were the villians in this issue. I mean, I obviously know who Bushman, The Hood, and The Profile (I think his name should be the Profiler) are, but who were the scarecrow and those other two?

The Scarecrow is an old 2nd string villain who's been around for a long time and fought Iron Man, Spidey and Ghost Rider but I don't know who the other guys were either.

VOTMK #4

Herwitz underwrites this issue, allowing Opena to display his storytelling prowess practically on his own. It's mostly all action, as Moon Knight is stalked by the Scarecrow, while he runs into problems of his own: that of Bushman and his zombie-like followers. Frenchie's back, giving Locker a friend in need; so while Vengeance strikes upon the open-world that is Marvel U, much of Huston and Benson's fine runs keep their casts and history in mind, to boot. It's a quickie, even taking only 5-minutes to read, but it's developing MK's own rogue war while Norman watches. Cameos and constant Bat-comparisons make this one fun, as well. Too bad it's such a sleeper.

3.5/5 - Very solid mid-arc issue

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #4

I loved it, absolutely loved it. The Batman feel it has is very nice because it also has it's own feel as well. It isn't just a 100% Batman clone.

The art is fantastic. I just love how Moon Knight looks.

Batman25JM wrote:Vengeance of the Moon Knight #4

I loved it, absolutely loved it. The Batman feel it has is very nice because it also has it's own feel as well. It isn't just a 100% Batman clone.

The art is fantastic. I just love how Moon Knight looks.

I know! Just how good is this art? Superb. With this book's similarity to Batman and how good Opena is on it, does anyone think it's just a matter of time before DC try and get this guy over there to work on a Bat-book?

Oh and I have to say Leinel Yu's covers have been excellent also.

VOTMK #5

Since this issue took nearly 2 months to be released, a lot of the momentum it had has sputtered. The entire time I'm reading the issue I couldn't help but feel it all slightly dated...and the last page swiftfully confirms that notion. Not only does the comic include a poorly rendered cameo, but many of the panels from artist Jerome Opena--who's been nontheless the star of the show up to this point--are impossibly eccentric. Thus the storytelling suffers, and Herwitz recent on-point take on Moon Knight does as well.

For a book that does so many things wrong it does at least half of them right. The scenes, despite how limited, between MK and Scarecrow (no jokes, please) are superb, especially when the teamwork between Jake and Frenchie comes to fruition. So far, I'm impressed with a lot of the gadgetry MK possesses. His arsenel is never barebones. Despite my liking for this underrated superhero and the underdog roles these street level characters have, I can't help but feel this book is stuck in a stalemate. It feels a few months too old, and unless something Siegey comes out of this, it's going to be hard to further recommend.

2.5/5 Bags&Boards - Average MK issue you'll simply forget by next month.

I liked issue #5. I don't think it was quite as good as the last few, and the fact that it's been so long in between issues definitely hurts it, but I still enjoyed it.

Yu's cover was FANTASTIC.

I thought issue #6 was decent. Not great, but good. I would have liked a little more between MK and Bushman though.

This is hands down my favorite Marvel book.

VOTMK #6

There are about ten words total in this comic.

And with Jerome Opena as the artist, that's just fine. I don't understand Batman25JM's desires in his comments because half the book is a giant MMA-slash-Rambo-inspired fight to the death (or not) between Moon Knight and Bushman. Bushman reminds me of the WWE's Boogie Man, if anyone with less than half a brain like yours truly can remember.

In all, this quick read deserves a quick review, despite the issue being the high adrenaline spectacle as one following the series would come to expect. It's intense, terrifying, over-the-top as can be, and at issue's end, fanboys have to question Khonshu's omnipresence, as Lockley's reputation as a hero whose constant battle with questionable mental imagery comes to mind.

3.5/5 Bags&Boards - Even with Opena leaving, Moon Knight appears to be in good enough hands with Herwitz for a good time coming...Ya, Deadpool!?!

^I just wanted a little more than a basic brawl. I wanted more dialogue between them, not just a slug fest. Or at least more MK caption boxes.

Herwitz has a 20-word script limit in his contract with Marvel.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #7

Moon Knight has always been an overlooked, albeit underappreciated superhero. He wears a white sheet (not good), he has multiple-personalities (complicated), and anyone with enough marbles left upstairs could tell exactly what vengeful “knight” Marvel chose to emulate (hint: he has a sidekick with green slippers). In spite of the reputation for being such a derivative detective, I’ve always found Moon Knight—be it Marc Spector or Jake Lockley—an intriguing fellow. Mike Benson’s run on the character was pure gold, and thus far, Gregg Hurwitz' work has maintained an even keel. Until now.

Look, I’m as big a Deadpool fan as the next. Okay, maybe that’s reckless talk as I have no interest in any of the side projects ala “Team-Up,” “Merc With a Mouth,” or “Deadpool Corps.” But I really love Deadpool. I really do. Joe Kelly’s Classic Run is timeless; Fabien Nicieza’s run on Deadpool & Cable was exceptional; and Daniel Way’s recent run on the “cash-cow” has been fun until the last few issues. Where am I going with all of this? These two superheroes don’t match, despite their infamous psychological issues, stints with speaking aloud with no one around, merciless brutality of criminals/villains/people just in the way…still. Moon Knight’s been reformed for less than thirty days and now he’s playing Larry to Deadpool’s Balky. Uh-huh.

In a fairly by-the-numbers tale, Moon Knight goes in for the rescue of someone who, by most moral standards, doesn’t deserve the rescuing. The particular elder is a career criminal, full of malevolent ties that lead to homes being devastated and children being harmed. We know just by Lockley’s post-Secret Invasion venture down in Mexico that he would have no patience for this type, newly rehabilitated or not. Strangely enough, Khonshu’s completely absent from this issue; the humor from that little bugger would’ve been a great contrast with Deadpool’s schizophrenic tactics.

Speaking of being all twisted up, Tang Eng Haut’s art carries its own dichotomy. There are many who label the man a genius for his work on Ghost Rider; then, there are those who discount his work on Punisher, unfairly comparing his stylings to that of Bianchi or Moore. With Jerome Opena’s recent brilliance on Moon Knight, expect the comparisons—and complaints—to continue. Haut does draw his typical awkward-looking characters, but has a good hand at pacing and action sequencing. Colorist Dan Brown again stays within the vibe of Moon Knight, contrasting the vivid reds and whites with the darker shadows of New York’s criminal underworld. His work is particularly affective during the retro-outfitted panels capturing the “victim’s” back-story. I just don’t understand why the beginning of the book looks so faded and Silver Agey.

Though not all is bad in Vengeance… #7, particularly Hurwittz’ surprisingly solid handle of the Merc With the Mouth, the arc is simply met with too many conventional matters in just one issue. With the new title, new uniform, new gadgets, and new attitude, Hurwitz was supposed to deliver something unique and exciting to longtime fans of the Moon Knight. Slapping on Deadpool this early in the run, along with all the aimless quibbles and trivial banter that go along with it, isn’t going to fulfill that notion. For Marvel’s sake, I hope ‘Pool’s presence on the cover makes up for the sales dive when the diehards start dropping. Otherwise, Moon Knight’ll have no other choice but to echo Wade’s earlier sentiments about “staring into the abyss.”

2.5/5 Unashamed Deadpool Appearances - Readable

I despised Tan's art.

#7 was pretty alright.

Issue #7 was just meh. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't overjoyed. I did hate the art though. Not only was it not as good as Opena's (which was fantastic), but it just wasn't good in general. There were a few panels that were just abysmal. I wish that Opena was still on the book, or barring that that the cover artist for #7 did the interiors. I loved the cover. Or, the best option (IMO) would be to have Leinil Yu take over.

I do think shoving Deadpool in the book was unnecessary, but whatever. I just want this little arc over and to get back to business.

@LOOSECANNON: You liked Mike Benson's run? I thought it was god awful.

Yup, it didn't finish well...mainly b/c of Dark Reign...but I enjoyed it...I liked it better than Huston's run...

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #8

Gregg Hurwitz does a decent job in this issue writing the guest star of all guest stars, Deadpool. The problem therein lies with how Hurwitz writes his own Moon Knight. He simply doesn't make him all that appealing. You can't help but feel in these last few issues of Vengeance that Moon Knight is merely a White Knight to Wayne/Grayson's Dark. Jake Lockley, the current alias tended by MK, has much of the same rigorous demeanor as Bats as well as many of the same gadgets; though I must admit those crescent hook parachutes are cool. Thus, the book reads like a cheap Batman knockoff.

Now, I've been a fan of Moon Knight since early in Charlie Huston's run. I felt Mark Benson did the best job at guiding Moon Knight's progress, taking him OUT of Dark Reign and into the drug-riddled lands of lower Mexico, with Lockley alongside the Machiavellian alias of Marc Spector’s own committee of alluring friends and foes alike. Now that Moon Knight is smothered into the thick of the Marvel U, the stories are simply no longer as enthralling. Spider-Man returns again next issue. Oh, I’m shaking in my boots.

There’s simply no reason to delve much into the art aspect as Tang Eng Haut’s one-note poppy, horrorcore style continues on from last month. Is it just me or does a lot of Haut’s brushing up look faded and passé? Recently, I shuttled through the goods of the Silver Surfer trade In Thy Name wondering if this was the same artist who currently has me begging for Jerome Opena back on the title. The art in that book is almost unparalleled, with Norrin Radd swooping through captivating gigantic sloths, planet-devouring monstrosities and laser-toting baddies through the most hauntingly detailed sci-fi penciling this side of Patrick Gleason. Call Haut’s tenor on Vengeance a rush-job at best.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #8 doesn’t lack for humor, thankfully, much to the chagrin of Jake Lockley where a heckling Khonshu is concerned. Last month I complained about the absence of the demonic Egyptian shoulder-parrot. In Deadpool's ever-reflecting house of horrors, Khonshu once again strikes to the thick of Jake's mental imbalance, torturing Lockley in both mirrored reflection and nightly dream. And if that was Hurtwitz' goal for the two-parter coming in, I suppose the writer accomplishes one thing: that some hindrances, no matter how minute in stature, just seem to never go away.

2.5/5 Khonshu Deadpool Parallels - Middling

VOMK #9

All I gotta say is the art has greatly improved over Eng Haut's wacky pencils; the only problem being that some of the facial work (non-costume) needs work...the costume/capes look fully fleshed out and hyperactive...the visual storytelling comes off clean yet furious...Herwitz script was oddly "oddball" considering how serious his run has been...it's almost as if he saw "Heroic Age" and wanted to change the tone...but for some reason I had a lot of fun reading this book and it looked great...

3/5 Khonshu's - Good

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #10



I have yet to read issues #8 and #9, but I read this anyway.

This was decent. I wasn't jumping up and down, but I liked it well enough.

The art had a very Scott Kolins feel to it.