So long, L.A.! Marc Spector is back in New York and he’s bringing a whole new level of weird with Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire.
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Declan Shalvey
Marc Spector is Moon Knight!…Or is he? It’s hard to tell these days, especially when New York’s wildest vigilante protects the street with two-fisted justice and three—that’s right, count ‘em—different personalities! But even with the mystical force of Khonshu fueling his crusade, how does the night’s greatest detective save a city that’s as twisted as he is? The road to victory is going to hurt. A lot. Marvel’s most mind-bending adventure begins NOW as Moon Knight sleuths his way to the rotten core of New York’s most bizarre mysteries!
First issues usually have a lot riding on them. Not only do they have to introduce the reader to the story and characters (and in the cases of Marvel and DC, often have to convince established readers to buy into a new direction for the title), but they have to seed story points to be picked up and expanded on later. Trying to get the balance of that can be tricky, but Marvel seems to have found a method. It could be traced back to the success of “Hawkeye”, but, regardless, it seems that most new #1s from All New Marvel NOW! have focused on one-and-done stories to establish character and tone first and foremost. “Moon Knight” #1 is no different.
The whole creative team do something really incredible here. In just one issue, they completely re-invent Marc Spector and Moon Knight as a character while staying true to the original incarnation of the character. Warren Ellis’ writing bounces between introducing new readers to Moon Knight and creating some subtle twists in the tale to keep the new take on Moon Knight fresh for established fans. Meanwhile, the art team does something wholly unique for the book.
It’s been talked about a lot already so it should be no surprise, but it really is the artwork that sets this book apart. Declan Shalvey creates a visual aesthetic that’s entirely unique for a Marvel book, playing into the crime noir tone of the book with heavily shadowed panels, but what sets it apart is the grey-washed inks. Between the soft ink washed shadows and Jordie Bellaire’s colouring, the book feels as though it’s been painted; that is to say that it is simply gorgeous to look at. Speaking of which, it’s not just Shalvey who contributes to the visuals of this book as proven colour goddess Jordie Bellaire brings her incredible touch to the book. Switching from the harsh yellow lighting of street lamps to the washed out red of the underground to naturalistic lighting and eerie shadows at a moments notice, Bellaire perfectly compliments Shalvey’s pencils and inks. Not only that, but the use of negative space in the stark white and heavily inked portrayal of Moon Knight himself makes him almost literally leap from the page. It gives him an unearthly feel, to be so sharply inked against the soft inks and brushwork of the rest of the panels.
It’s not just the visual aesthetic that makes “Moon Knight” work, though, as this issue really plays to Shlavey’s strengths as a storyteller. There’s nothing fancy, no Jamie McKevie-esque centerpiece splash page to break down and analyse, but Shalvey’s use of the page feels, to use the parlance of early 2000s comic reviews, cinematic. It feels like being dropped into the Moon Knight pilot that never existed as Shalvey employs the use of grand hero shots, wide angle close ups and transitions that show simply that Shalvey is a master at using the space on the page. All of this works because, unlike comics of the early 2000s, Shalvey isn’t ape-ing a cinematic style to disguise that fact that this is a comic. In fact, the use of splash page scene transitions and a page where the use of a six-panel grid allows for the precise control of the passage of time show that the art works because it’s a comic and it’s not ashamed of that. Even though the last time we saw a Moon Knight title, it was from the noir grandmaster that is Alex Maleev, I would hazard a guess that this is already the best looking “Moon Knight” series we’ve seen thus far.
Continued belowAs much as the art works based on the strength of Decland Shalvey as a storyteller, the writing of “Moon Knight” #1 works because it plays entirely into the strengths of Warren Ellis as a crime writer. Part of Ellis’ re-invention of Moon Knight has been to remove him from the “Batman in a white suit” stories that seem to have plagued the character for a while now and put him closer to a consultant for an NYPD. Think something along the lines of Sherlock except… crazy. However, for as much as Warren Ellis writing Moon Knight as a more down-played crime noir as opposed to a straight-up street level superhero schtick, the actual story isn’t as interesting as perhaps it should be.
The opening of the issue works with Ellis, after giving a brief refresher course on the character in the opening pages and already planting mysteries, diving right into the crime aspect of the story with Moon Knight investigating a crime scene. It’s Warren Ellis at what he does best and gives a focus to Moon Knight as a protector of the travellers during the night, instantly separating this take on the character from others. Yet, perhaps it’s the almost anti-climactic feel when Moon Knight instantly encounters the perpetrator of the crime scene and takes them down that’s the problem. Not even twenty pages in and the bad guy is dealt with, but thankfully the issue switches to the real meat of the issue after that. In the last five pages of the book, Ellis completely turns it around to show just how re-invented this Moon Knight is, providing a last page that’s as chilling as it is jaw-droppingly awesome. It’s the kind of last impression that bumps up the entire quality of the book, even the anti-climactic dip in the middle.
Ultimately, this is everything you could hope for from a “Moon Knight” #1. The title completely re-envisions the character, providing a new style and status quo for the character in the stories to come, but does so by remaining incredibly true to the original idea of Moon Knight. Warren Ellis took a character who was a street level hero that never reached the dizzying heights of Daredevil or Batman and brought a crime noir spin that feels both new to the character and yet strangely familiar. Like this is the book Moon Knight always needed and yet no realised until now. Yet, for as needed and welcome a change as Ellis’ writing is (when it works), it’s the art of team of Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire that really make this book as good as it is.
Final Verdict: 8.4 – It’s not the best #1 ever written, but there is definite grounds for improvement and the artwork alone is worth the price of admission.
