The news is out: “Moon Knight” is coming back in the hands of writer Warren Ellis, artist Declan Shalvey and colorist Jordie Bellaire. This is a dream team supreme, and we couldn’t be more excited about this book and the direction this trio is going to take the character and the book. We’re so excited that we had to contact Shalvey to talk about what his big plans are, and talk we did.
Check out below as we talk with Shalvey about starting a book from the beginning, working with Warren Ellis, making a Moon Knight book work, and why you should not miss this comic. Thanks to Declan for chatting with us, and for the Multiversity exclusive sketch which you can find above. This book should be pre-ordered as soon as you can folks. It’s going to blow minds.
Trust us.
So the big news is out: you’re launching a new Moon Knight series with Warren Ellis writing, which makes this immediately the coolest book around. Let’s talk Warren and the character of Moon Knight himself. What appealed to you about working with Warren, and did you have affinity for Moon Knight before being offered this project?
Shalvey: Well, pretty much anything Warren has done; I’ve LOVED. Warren has been one of my favourite writers for years, I never imagined I’d ever get to work with him. It simply was an opportunity that I couldn’t dare pass up. As regards Moon Knight; I’ve never been a huge fan. The various identities kinda confused me and made it hard for me to get into. I’ve read various Moon Knight stories though; some good, some bad. I enjoyed the recent Bendis/Maleev series actually. So good to get a nice, consistent run from those creators again. It was more the idea of getting to do a street level book that interested me most. I got a proper taste of that on Venom and wanted more. Also, Warren has such an original take on Moon Knight that it feels like I’m working on a brand new character.
This is the first book you’ve been the artist at launch on since 28 Days Later arrived at Boom!, and for you as an artist, what does it mean to you to be the person who helps dictate that initial look and feel of the book, and to help define the vision of it going forward?
Shalvey: It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. Every Marvel book I’ve worked on, I’ve come in on the back of an established run. That can be a huge help as you can take what’s come before and twist it a little to your liking, like with how I borrowed from Tony Moore’s Venom and Deadpool designs. but tried to to my own variation on them. With Moon Knight, I get to start form the ground up, and build the look of a book with Warren. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m really glad to have the chance to do something my way and not be swayed by a preceding artist (though I should note Michael Lark did get to draw the suit-and-tie version first in one of Warren’s Secret Avengers issues) Myself and Jordie (colourist, and also my girlfriend) have had some talks about the look of the book, and of course I’m always open to stealing Warren’s ideas and claiming them as my own.
When it comes to working on a project with Jordie like this, what does it mean for your art? Does it allow you to take more chances and play to each other’s strengths more? How do you feel it’s going to improve your Moon Knight experience, and ours in turn?
Shalvey: Well, I finally got a chance to work with Jordie on my regular Marvel work with our arc on Deadpool. She had been colouring all of my cover work on Winter Soldier and Venom, etc, but Deadpool was our first complete arc (first whole issue was The Massive 11 fact-fans). I think the work she did really did wonders for my pages; I’m so happy with how it all came out. While Jordie brought something new to my work on Deadpool, I’m hoping that *I* can add something new to this book, and give her something different to play with. I want to try using greywash more in the Moon Knight pages, but just to enhance some of the drawing. That’s what Jordie does; enhance my work with her own choices, and for me to go too far trying a technique that handcuffs her, well that would defeat the point of working with her. So, the trick for me will be adding elements that will add a more illustrative flair to the series while giving Jordie the space to do what she does best.
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Moon Knight has always been defined by the art style as much as the written story, as is evidenced by the colossal talents that have worked on his books in the past – Finch and the blockbuster epic, Maleev and the noir. Have you found that there is any one style or genre that you’re trying to evoke for your take, or is the path you’re going down more fluid and defined by situation and script?
Shalvey: As always, it all depends on the story and script, but I try to draw every book I do with noir elements; dark, moody expressive, atmospheric, etc. That’s the type of book I want to draw. Even with Deadpool, thanks to the story itself I was still able to apply my moodier sensibilities to the art. By employing the greywash a little more, I do hope to twist the look to something lightly more surreal. Warren initially described the book as ‘Weird Noir’ and that’s something I hope translates in the art.
Traditionally, Moon Knight’s costume is one of the most unique of all comic characters, if only because its mostly – if not entirely – white. Given that how you to try to draw each book with noir elements, how does that change things for you as an artist and what exciting opportunities does it provide you, especially when its a character who historically lives in the shadows?
Shalvey: I was studying how a lot of artists draw the costume, and I saw how that while Moon Knight’s costume IS white, most artists make the decision to heavily shadow him. That white costume takes up so much of the page and can over-dominate, so I see artists manipulate shadow to ground him. I’m making that same choice; I played with the idea of using wash, open line, line and a mix of all but it just made him look too ghostly. Grounding him and depicting him in black line just seems to be the best way. Which will really works for someone who draws like I do.
You’ve mentioned that Warren’s take on the character is very original. What kind of unique opportunities does the way he has it structured and conceived give you as an artist, and what challenges does it bring to your doorstep?
Shalvey: I think Warren is re-approaching the concept of Moon Knight rather than just ‘updating’ him. I don’t really want to elaborate more than that, as I don’t want to speak for him, but what I like is that I’m reading these new Moon Knight stories as if it’s new character but I’m learning more about a character I’m familiar with. Thanks do the single issue stories, the structure makes the book accessible in a way I haven’t found a Moon Knight story to be in a long time. Also; it’s excellent comics and bloody great to draw.
You’ve mentioned your usage of greywash in your work on this book as something you’re hoping to employ more. What does that bring out in your art, and what makes it a tonal fit for your work on this book?
Shalvey: I’m not quite sure why it is, but when I use greywash, it forces me to be a bit more spontaneous and experimental in my inking. I get to add more shading and value to the drawing, which is always appealing in an illustrative way, but it does create more opportunity to mess up; to make mistakes. A large part of my inking is trying to create the space for happy accidents to happen, as that’s where the really interesting stuff gets on the page. When I work in strictly black and white (which is what I do 99% of the time) I can be a lot safer and more productive. With Moon Knight; I want to take the time to be a little more experimental and let interesting things happen. Also, on top of all that, with so much digital drawing and digital effects in comics today, greywash adds a real organic feel that can’t be replicated easily and will help the book be more visually distinct, especially with Jordie on colours.
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Obviously, with a team like yourself, Warren and Jordie, there’s a lot to love here creatively. But for you, both as a creator on the book and as a fan of comics, I’m curious: why do you think everyone should pick this book up? What sets this book apart from other books both at Marvel and and other publishers being released today?
Shalvey: Well personally, as a fan of comics, I think once you see ‘Moon Knight’ and Warren Ellis’ in the same sentence THAT’S reason enough to pick up the book. maybe it’s because I am a creator I think like this, but I know when I hear of a certain creative team are working on a certain character and makes me think “Oh, I wonder what that’s going to be like.’ For me, that’s the best reason to pick up a book; because you’re excited about the potential of a series but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until you read it. So many comics on the stands are just the same thing over and over again; you know exactly what you’re going to read before you read it. There’s no surprise, there’s nothing compelling, etc. With Warren on Moon Knight (and I hope that myself and Jordie would add an extra element of excitement too) it at the very least be interesting. That’s what I want in a book and I don’t think I’m alone in that.
I could argue that Moon Knight is not alone at Marvel ass they seem to be launching some genuinely quality titles with exciting creative teams (the new Ghost Rider, Secret Avengers and Winter Soldier titles, for example) but it is my hope that Warren, Jordie and I are doing something different on Moon Knight; something everyone is going to want to check out. It’s not really up to me to say what sets this book apart; it’ll be the readers who decide that.
