There’s something that works about pairing a plucky teen hero with a dark, brooding vigilante loner. It’s the fun juxtaposition of fun enthusiasm of adolescent heroics against the jaded and world-weary life of a person who’s been doing this for a while (or, at the very least, has seen the darker side of the world.) It’s one of those things that has been happening more or less as long as there have been caped crusaders. The thing, though, that makes or breaks these duos is the dynamics of their relationship. If you don’t have that, you lack a fundamental piece of the puzzle that makes odd couples entertaining. The pairing of “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1 is enough to make you interested in checking out the title, but there’s a problem in the execution that leaves you wanting more.
Written by Jody HouserCover by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee
Illustrated by Ibraim Roberson
Colored by Erick Arciniega
Lettered by VC’s Travis LanhamTHE FIST OF KHONSHU MEETS THE EMBIGGENED FIST OF MS. MARVEL! MARC SPECTOR, A.K.A. MOON KNIGHT, protects the travelers of night…but what about those traveling to bring him death? A mechanical (and maniacal!) threat brings MS. MARVEL into Moon Knight’s orbit, and the gravity of what they uncover will require them to plumb the depths of life and death! The mystery teased in last month’s team-up with WOLVERINE continues to unfurl as the super hero spectacle of the summer sizzles on!
Ms. Marvel is no stranger to these kinds of pairings. In fact, one of her first forays into the world of superheroes involved everyone’s favorite lone wolf (but secret dad) mutant, Wolverine. Much like Spider-Man before her, Kamala Khan is a perfect character to mash up with the more established members of the Marvel Universe. Not only does she have the unbridled enthusiasm of a teen hero, but she also has genre savvy and knowledge of the world. One of the places that Jody Houser’s script works the best in “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1 is in Kamala’s narration. It’s light and breezy, showing her knowledge of mysterious robotics goings-on in New York and her hesitation to work with Moon Knight for fear of his “weird rep.” Houser successfully captures Ms. Marvel’s voice in the narration, a combination of teen sleuth and awkward teen. Most of the setup of the issue itself is effective. There’s a tense introduction that feels akin to a classic horror movie, transition straight into Kamala’s narration, and then rush off to meet our team-up of the month. The thing is that once we get to that team-up, the issue starts to lose the fun.
There’s just something about Moon Knight that doesn’t work in “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1. Moon Knight feels incredibly distant in Houser’s script. He’s doing the Moon Knight thing of strike first, ask questions maybe, sneaking out of situations once he considers them finished, and skulking through the night as The Fist of Khonshu. While this all works well in his solo title, you want that promise fulfilled during a team-up. Even then, Marc is acting much more aloof to his new partner than he does with his little crew in his ongoing series. It’s possible that Houser just doesn’t feel as comfortable writing Moon Knight as she does Kamalah, but their interactions don’t have the energy you might imagine. There are occasionally funny moments here and there, but it’s mostly REACTING to Moon Knight instead of interacting with him. It’s a little thing, but you hope for more of it, for their personalities to clash and ultimately come to an understanding, or for Moon Knight to lighten his brooding and help his newfound friend. We have an awkward teen afraid to look foolish in front of a brooding weirdo. That is neither fun nor interesting enough to merit a whole adventure.
Though the dynamics are off, some elements of the issue work. This is primarily achieved through Ibraim Roberson’s art, which matches the creepy, almost horror movie esq, story of “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1. Roberson’s art captures the dark mysteries of Moon Knight’s domain, featuring the grit and grime of Spector’s stomping ground. One of the best designs of the comic is the robot mice, harassing the residents of an apartment complex, as well as our heroes. The rats are unsettling, slimy and terrifying, with robotic eyes and unsettling voices. Special credit is due to VC’s Travis Lanham, who helps to build the tension during the early panels, with the floating “skrtch” throughout the street. It captures the unsettling feeling of the echoes of the night and helps build the tensions until we finally see the foes. But despite the successful set up, once the action starts, everything feels pretty standard. There are no moments where Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel work together, combine their powers, or even coordinate their attacks. Much like their dialogue, their action could have been much more impactful if it felt like a team-up rather than two characters on the same case.
Finally, while this comic is a #1, “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1 seems to be part of an ongoing series of Kamala Khan teaming up with other heroes. While the narration and editor’s notes give you context, this is not a clean entry point for Kamala’s current adventures in the Marvel universe. While this might not be a deal breaker for some, the issue’s ending indicates a larger story. Is this a connection to the current Marvel event? Part of a larger Kamala story? This would have been helpful when reading the issue. That is, however, small potatoes compared to the more significant issue, this was supposed to be a team-up, but it lacked the fun a team-up can bring.
Final Verdict: 5.5 While the art of “Ms. Marvel & Moon Knight” #1 is appropriately atmospheric, the team-up or Kamala Khan and Marc Spector leave something to be desired.
