Doctor Strange #385 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 385, April 2018

Considering that Donny Cates’ “Loki: Sorcerer Supreme” storyline significantly relies upon the presence of the Sentry in order for Stephen Strange to be able to match mystic arts with the God of Mischief, it probably came as little surprise to some of this comic’s 26,774 readers that the all-powerful evil imprisoned within the Sanctum Sanctorum is actually Robert Reynolds’ “dark opposite”, the Void. But whilst the presence of “the black and destructive counterforce” undeniably makes for a somewhat sense-shattering conclusion to the American author’s long-winded narrative, the simplistic ease with which Loki, the former “preeminent surgeon” and “arguably the most powerful of all heroes” defeats it smacks of this title’s writer mismanaging the plot’s pacing quite significantly.

For starters, having unleased a force supposedly “capable of destroying the Earth, if not the entire universe”, it disconcertingly takes this publication’s three heroes less time to batter the Void back inside its sealed room than it does Thor’s step-brother to later explain to Strange just why he duped the magic user into believing that the Vishanti had robbed him of his title. Indeed, the titular character appears to be in far more danger of being killed by a murderously enraged “Golden Guardian of the Good” than he does from the evil psyche of the Sentry, and probably would have been if not for Loki’s protective spells sparing the man from the bone-breaking fury of the angry New Avenger; “You told me we had to protect the world! I didn’t know we’d have to protect it from you. I trusted you, Stephen.”

Of course, all this pulse-pounding pugilism and carousel of theatrical spell-casting is soon disconcertingly diminished by Laufeyson’s revelation that “there… never was a tournament” for Doctor Strange to lose, and that he had apparently simply weaved the illusion so as to make the Master of the Mystic Arts better prepared for the War of the Realms, “Hell on Earth”, the gathering of the Infinity Stones and the Final Host.” This grand-sounding motivation momentarily appears disconcertingly credible, considering the Agent of Asgard has just “used the Exile of Singhsoon to consolidate Midgard’s magic into myself so I could jump-start the Dragon Lines." Yet such an explanation is soon disappointingly dispelled and clouded in doubt by a dubious Sorcerer Supreme and Loki’s abrupt departure...

Writer: Donny Cates, Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire

Doctor Strange #384 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 384, March 2018

As cataclysmic confrontations go, it is probably likely that Stephen Strange’s all-out attack upon the God of Mischief in Issue Three Hundred And Eighty Four of “Doctor Strange” didn’t quite excite the comic’s 25,652 strong audience in January 2018 as much as its writer Donny Cates would have hoped. Indeed, as battles between two of the Marvel Universe’s greatest magic users go, this penultimate instalment to the American author’s “Loki: Sorcerer Supreme” storyline arguably lacks much in way of either pulse-pounding mystic pugilism or sense-shattering spells; “I have shown remarkable patience with you. But I have a limit. And you are dancing rather precariously on its edge right now.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that this twenty-page periodical isn’t entirely devoid of entertainment, with the veterinarian’s nonchalant transmutation of the entire Dimension Blood, “ancestral nesting realm of the cancerous Vampa Cambra Warriors”, into a rolling green landscape filled full of cute bouncing bunnies debatably being worth this publication’s cover price alone. But even such other notable moments like the titular character bringing the Lord of all Liars’ floating Sanctum Sanctorum crashing down to the ground with nothing more than a hand gesture, or unexpectedly dropping the deity from a great height, seemingly lack the phenomenal dynamism many of this book’s readers probably expected from such a titanic tussle and instead apparently play out like something out of a bog-standard ‘fight-by-numbers’ script.

Perhaps this battle’s biggest disappointment though, is that it is brought to an abrupt halt two-thirds through the magazine by Zelma Stanton’s miraculous ability to rob both combatants of their ability to “cast any magical spells” for “the next three minutes” simply by angrily uttering the words “Vrak Par Hensargin!” Just how a former librarian from the Bronx is able to reduce both the Master of the Mystic Arts and Thor’s half-brother to so vulnerable a state that neither “can so much as wish on a lucky penny” smacks of Cates desperately scrambling around for a reason as to how Loki could unsuspectingly force the “unbelievable hack” to release the Void when the “second-rate sorcerer” is being powered by the Sentry and Yggdrasil.

Fortunately, despite its potentially poor penmanship, Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s storyboards do at least prove predominantly pleasing to the eye, especially when the Spanish artist depicts Stephen Strange’s wonderfully-humorous facial horror at having been robbed of his magical spells whilst still in close proximity to the fuming Asgardian god. In addition, the Hugo Award-nominee provides a nice nod to this comic’s co-creator, Steve Ditko, by pencilling “DITKO” on the arm of the construct seen “on the panel that features Strange and Loki exiting the Dark Dimension.”

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR STRANGE" No. 384 by Mike Del Mundo

Doctor Strange #383 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 383, April 2018

Having literally upended Marvel’s entire magical universe just two short editions earlier with Loki Laufeyson’s shock replacement of this comic’s titular character as the Sorcerer Supreme, Donny Cates’ opening to Issue Three Hundred And Eighty Three of “Doctor Strange” probably had its 23,021 readers on the edge of their seats due to his narrative finally promising to explain just how the God of Mischief managed to defeat the former “preeminent surgeon” during “The Tournament”. However, rather than provide any sort of sense-shattering contest between the two mystics, the former sequential artist at the Savannah College of Art and Design instead disappointingly shows a victorious Stephen being stripped of his appointment simply upon the whim of the Vishanti because they suddenly feel “that a mortal can no longer fulfil the role…”

Indeed, this third instalment to the author’s “Loki: Sorcerer Supreme” storyline somewhat ludicrously presents Thor’s mischievous step-brother as being an uninvited spectator of the event, who, having first bewilderingly unplugged himself from his personal stereo, actually also challenges the “trio of supernatural, god-like entities” regarding their nonsensical decision. Understandably, a furious Master of the Mystic Arts, made all the angrier when the triumvirate imply that the troubled Jotunn will face some considerable dangers in the days ahead, voices his outrage at being so disrespectfully cast aside after all he has done to protect the realm, and with hindsight it is perhaps arguably easy to see just why this comic’s circulation was declining at its time of publication, if the book’s loyal fan-base felt Cates’ penmanship was disparaging them in a similar fashion…

Alas, little of what follows this massive anti-climax, including the substitution of “Flashback Artist” Niko Henrichon with Gabriel Hernandez Walta, makes for a compelling read until near the twenty-page periodical’s end when Doctor Strange challenges the mighty Asgardian leader Cul Borson, brother of Odin, so as to gain “access to an almost unlimited well” of magic, and brings the all-mighty Sentry with him “in case things went sideways.” The subsequent clash of arms as Robert Reynolds literally flings himself into the midst of a heavily-armoured horde of warriors is impressively palpable, and beautifully contrasts with a truly touching scene moments later when the humble sorcerer somewhat tearfully tenders Yggdrasil the corpse of his friend, Bats, so as to win the World Tree’s favour; “I can offer you a very, very good boy… Please… I don’t have anything else…”

Writer: Donny Cates, and Artists: Gabriel Hernandez Walta & Niko Henrichon

Doctor Strange #382 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 382, February 2018

There’s debatably a palpable sadness emanating from Donny Cates’ script for this second instalment to his “Loki: Sorcerer Supreme” storyline which must surely have disconcerted some within the publication’s 24,286 strong audience in December 2017. But whilst the demise of the wonderfully lovable Bats towards the end of this twenty-page periodical is undoubtedly something of a true tear-jerker, this comic’s greatest lamentation is arguably due to just how uncharacteristically low “one of Marvel’s few bright spots in recent months” has penned Stephen Strange to sink.

Naturally, the former “preeminent surgeon” is going to be understandably disheartened by his ‘off-screen’ loss to the Asgardian God of Mischief, resultant abrupt departure from the Sanctum Sanctorum and surreal switch from being “Earth’s first defence against all manner of magical threats” to the life of an untrained veterinarian running a small animal hospital. However, that hardly explains why the Garland-born author would depict the Master of the Mystic Arts pitifully pleading with his former apprentice on the doorstep of his old mansion simply because he suspects Zelma Stanton has become Loki’s girlfriend; “Ouch. That’s… yeah, that’s rough, Doc. I mean, guy takes yer house… yer cape, yer job… And now this? Jeez, I feel for ya, I really… Doc?”

Interestingly, Cates does desperately try to overshadow the fallen member of the Illuminati’s evident bitter jealously by ridiculously revealing that Stan Lee’s co-creation has supposedly covertly bound the Exile of Singhsoon to the one-time mind-maggot infested librarian’s soul so as to keep the all-powerful spell out of “anyone’s hands”. Yet this bizarrely convenient rational as to why Strange subsequently awakens the Sentry, having been easily bested by Thor’s half-brother once again after spying him briefly kissing Zelma, somewhat smacks of contrivance and lazy writing.

Similarly as inconsistent as this comic’s questionable narrative is Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s artwork, with the Hugo Award-nominee’s pencilling imbuing both Stephen’s barking basset hound and venomously angered Stanton with some thoroughly enthralling dynamism one moment, and then presenting a somewhat lack lustre titular character or Loki in the next. In fact, much of the pet doctor’s emotions disappointingly are only ‘picked up’ from the book’s numerous text boxes rather than from any facial expression sketched by the Spanish illustrator.

Writer: Donny Cates, Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire

Doctor Strange #381 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 381, January 2018

Whilst Donny Cates’ narrative for this opening instalment to “Loki: Sorcerer Supreme” makes it very clear straight from the start that this comic’s “new magical landscape” is going to be decidedly different from that which has gone before, its contents must still have caught many of this book’s 47,942 readers off-guard by landing them straight smack in the aftermath of Stephen Strange’s replacement as the Master of the Mystic Arts. In fact, considering this book's bamboozling beginning and that the title reverts back to its “Legacy” numbering on its cover, it is arguably hard not to imagine some within the series’ disconcerted audience scrambling around the spinner-rack looking for at least one or two missing issues for their collection.

Sadly however this bombshell was probably just the sort of reaction the former “Marvel Comics” intern was looking for, as not only does the twenty-page periodical’s plot quickly describe the good Doctor’s defeat in a mysterious tournament at the hands of the Asgardian trickster god. But his penmanship also strongly indicates that Thor’s adopted brother is both already partially settled into the role, coming “face to thousand faces with a horde of the deadly vampa-cabra warriors from Dimension Blood”, and apparently enjoying the prestigious honour to boot; “I should just give it up. No one wants me in this role. No one will trust that I have changed, and I seem to be unfit to prove them wrong… I just want to help.”

Interestingly, Cates also seems to somewhat invalidate all the finely-detailed, heavily-explored work of his predecessor Jason Aaron, by depicting Loki dismissing “this business about magic always having some sort of cost… some sort of price” and calling such a state of affairs “silly”. Of course, this contempt for “sin-eating” could well be one of Laufeyson's ploy’s to quickly win over his fellow magic users, considering that the "pretender" himself admits to the occupants of The Bar With No Doors that he would only bring about such a change in order to advance his “own self-serving needs.” Yet such is the speed with which the notion is introduced and subsequently demonstrated, courtesy of the “exclusive enchanted watering hole for the mystic and magical lot” being instantaneously evaporated, that it arguably feels a little disrespectful to the previously established lore…

Perhaps this comic’s biggest disappointment though is Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s artwork, which despite being competently pencilled, debatably lacks the dynamism needed for such a word-heavy, dialogue-driven storyline. Indeed, the Spanish artist’s depiction of Doctor Strange – veterinarian, seems remarkably lifeless and flat-looking when compared to this publication’s “three bonus Marvel Primer Pages” portraying the one-time neurosurgeon in his earlier days as illustrated by Niko Henrichon at the end of the book.

Writer: Donny Cates, Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire

Moon Knight #193 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 193, May 2018

Whilst Max Bemis undoubtedly lived up to his pre-print promise of having some “very weird” plans for this series with his script for Issue One Hundred And Ninety Three of “Moon Knight”, this sixth and final instalment to the lead singer’s “Crazy Runs In The Family” story-arc arguably fails quite miserably in its aim to create an “ultimate nemesis” for the titular character with its portrayal of the Sun King as being little more than a plain, unbalanced madman whose only as powerful as his confidence in Amon Ra is strong. In fact, far from being “the Joker to his Batman”, or even a plausible “ultimate bad guy who’s his polar opposite in pretty much every way”, Patient 86 ultimately must have struck the majority of this comic’s 20,383 readers as merely yet another disappointing addition to the Fist of Khonshu’s frustratingly impotent Rogues Gallery; “Never trust a madman to do a mercenary’s job.” 

Just as perplexing as the primary lyricist’s underwhelming main antagonist, who despite his formidable fire-starter super-power is ultimately bested by a bare-chested Marc Spector in a ritualistic fist-fight, is just why the silver-shrouded crime-fighter is even participating in the brutally sadistic ceremony anyway. True, Marlene is being held a prisoner on Isla Ra, and her deranged captor does seemingly plan to “hunt down your daughter after I strip off your flesh.” But none of that explains why, having beaten Bushman and an entire boat-load of criminals within an inch of their lives, the former U.S. Marine suddenly surrenders himself to being systematically brutalised and tortured once he arrives on the tropical island. Surely it would have made far more sense for Moon Knight to have stealthily infiltrated the despot’s small collection of huts and rescued his lover that way..?

Instead however, Bemis would have his audience believe Spector agrees to being repeatedly sliced, mutilated and bloodied just in order to say a touchingly sentimental farewell to Diatrice’s mother, before engaging Amon Ra’s host inside a fiery circle of night-time combat. Such unconvincingly abnormal behaviour, especially in one who as a hardened mercenary has already experienced death and been “returned to life”, is then made all the worse by the American author suggesting Marc’s ordinarily unconquerable will can be despairingly broken just because he loses a tooth and some hair during his clash with the bearded pyro-maniacal psychopath.

Quite possibly the only successful element to this disconcertingly contrived conclusion, is Jacen Burrows’ pencilling. It is quite clear from the quality of the San Diego-born illustrator’s bone-cracking pugilistic panels just why he has been one of Max’s “favourite artists for years and years” and reminds him “of artists like Steve Dillion”. Yet even the Sequential Art degree-holder seemingly struggles when drawing the “faint firings” of Moon Knight’s synapses, especially a less than flattering portrait of Diatrice which is supposedly meant to inspire Moon Knight to defeat his opponent with “the power of crazy!”

Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Inker: Guillermo Ortego

The Amazing Spider-Man #789 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 789, December 2017

Despite being the third best-selling comic of October 2017, shifting an astonishing 110,349 copies, Dan Slott’s less than memorable script for “Top To Bottom” arguably must have struck many of its bemused readers as a genuinely lack-lustre affair which focuses far more upon the downfall of the major tech company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Parker, than it does his web-slinging alter-ego. Indeed, with the exception of a terribly contrived confrontation with the Griffin, which genuinely appears to have been ‘crowbarred’ into the book’s sedentary ‘soap-opera’ script simply to ensure the titular character actually makes a fleeting appearance within his own title, this opening instalment to the Berkeley-born writer’s “Fall Of Parker” story-arc relies almost entirely upon endless contemplative, self-pitying exposition and heated debates or discussions; “Well, what are you looking at? What do you think I am? Some kind of jerk or something?”

Admittedly, such slow-paced, somewhat sentimental insights into the crime-fighting super-hero’s meteoritic decline would be perfectly palatable in small doses, and actually go a long way to helping shape the future of the New York-based publisher’s “company mascot” now he’s no longer financially able to summon the sort of formidably-powerful technological armaments he once did in order to invade Symkaria and thwart Norman Osborn. But that doesn’t mean the Eisner Award-winner needed to ‘pad out’ almost an entire book with a dejected Spidey slobbing like a couch potato within the apartment of Bobbi Morse, or later looking vain and stupid in front of the entire Daily Bugle staff when he arrogantly chides Joe Robertson for quite correctly publically declaring him a “threat or menace” in the editor's newspaper.

Fortunately however, Johnny Horton’s aforementioned brief appearance does at least provide a modicum of entertainment, even if the one-time Master of Evil has stooped so low as to be simply “robbing food trucks now” as opposed to “banks, or jewellery stores, or armoured cars”. In fact, any readers who thought Spider-Man’s fortunes had soured under the Berkeley-born writer’s pen, need only look at the apparent fate of the experimental mutagenic serum-enhanced criminal to realise just how much further the empanadas-thieving former “King Of The Beasts” had sunk since “that big energy bubble went up over the city” courtesy of Doctor Octopus.

Regular penciller Stuart Immonen also steps up his game once the super-humanly strong winged villain momentarily takes centre-stage, and produces some genuinely pulse-pounding panels in his depiction of Mockingbird shocking the lion-headed beast with her battle-staves, as well as the wall-crawler subsequently vying for control of a hefty food truck in order to ensure that it, and its owner’s livelihood, is saved.

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" No. 789 by Alex Ross

Moon Knight #192 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 192, April 2018

If there’s one thing which Max Bemis’ narrative for Issue One Hundred And Ninety Two of “Moon Knight” undeniably delivers, it is one of the best fight-scenes the Fist of Khonshu has been involved in since Warren Ellis’ “Scarlet” storyline was published way back in September 2014. Indeed, the five-page long sense-shattering sequence is arguably worth the cover price of this comic alone, as Marc Spector’s alter-ego initially busies himself simply biting Bushman’s hand, before becoming a physical whirlwind of devastation upon a crew of “disabled” criminals and ultimately severs a couple of the bald Burundan mercenary’s fingers; “You want to play pirates? Yo $%#& ho, mateys… I’m not one of those super heroes who won’t straight-up kill you, Bushman.” 

Sadly however, this flurry of fisticuffs is arguably all the New York-born lead singer’s script had to offer its slowly declining 20,923-strong audience in February 2018, apart from some simply bizarre conversational pieces between a cuiously ‘zombified’ Jean-Paul “Frenchie” DuChamp, a strangely therapeutic Truth, and a disturbingly polite Sun King, who, with his shades and casually open white shirt, would seem more suited to life as a Travel Agents’ representative than a living vessel of “the Egyptian sun god Ra”. Of course, this comic also contains the utterly surreal suggestion that if Moon Knight hadn’t been such a “bad, bad boy” he could have become a Herald of Galactus, the basis for a ‘mutant-loving’ series of Sentinels, or the very ‘voice of reason’ which somehow scientifically convinced Reed Richards not to undertake his ill-fated starship journey. But it's extremely doubtful that many perusing bibliophiles actually managed to make any semblance of sense from these escaped psychological patient’s mental meanderings within the titular character’s metaphorical mind...

Similarly as ‘hit and miss’ as this book’s writing is its artwork by Jacen Burrows. The one-time “Avatar Press” exclusive contractee really does an incredible job for this periodical’s (infuriatingly misleading) cover illustration by depicting the “deadly vigilante” tightly bound beneath the waves and encircled by a school of hungry sharks. Yet, besides the American’s aforementioned dynamically drawn ding-dong on board Bushman’s “death-barge”, seemingly struggles to subsequently bring any real sense of life or animation to the rest of his sketch’s figures, especially those post Spector’s altercation across “a rolling mysterious seascape” and set upon “Isla Ra.”

Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Moon Knight #191 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 191, March 2018

It must have been hard for this comic’s 21,504 readers to imagine a more anticlimactic confrontation than the one Max Bemis penned for Issue One Hundred And Ninety One of “Moon Knight”. Apparently destined to contain a fearsome face-off between the titular character and two of his deadliest enemies, as well as the blood-chilling possibility of Marc Spector’s infant daughter being hurt in the cross-fire, this fourth instalment to the New York-born writer’s “Crazy Runs In The Family” story-arc genuinely appeared set to deliver an all-action twenty-page long periodical which would arguably help the American author take a step closer to his run on the title emulating the impact of Gregg Hurwitz, Brian Michael Bendis, or more recently Warren Ellis.

Sadly however, having initially paired the ex-mercenary off against the Sun King, and shockingly shown Marlene Alraune to be perfectly capable of stabbing an off-guard Bushman in the thigh with a small knife, the ensuing fracas quickly degenerates into an appallingly ludicrous comical clash, which sees the suited super-hero hurl his fiery trousers into the face of Patient 86, and then subsequently battle the bearded fire-starter in little more than his boxer shorts. Such an utterly fantastic bout of fisticuffs genuinely undermines any sense of jeopardy or danger which this publication’s opening had created, and doubtless many a perusing bibliophile was rather glad when the scene sputters out after just a handful of panels simply because Amon Ra’s flames are in danger of ruining Diatrice’s garden swings…

Regrettably, not even the surprise return of The Truth, seemingly fully-recovered from previously having both of his eyes gouged out by a pair of Moon Knight’s crescent-shaped throwing blades, manages to imbue this book with any semblance of menace either, even when the hulking killer discloses to Bushman that he is actually unable to control his lethal influence over another person and “sometimes it just kind of happens without me trying.” Indeed, one of this storyline’s saddest sights, wistfully pencilled by Jacen Burrows, is that of a pot-bellied Raul despondently munching upon a cracker alongside the heavily-tattooed brute and being unknowingly influenced by the villain’s Truth Touch; “I can’t stop eating. I eat because I feel powerless… Not that it matters. I just got replaced as enemy number one, so I might as well just…”

Writer: Max Bemis, Penciler: Jacen Burrows, and Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Moon Knight #190 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 190, February 2018

Disappointingly depicting “Marc’s good relationship with his other [split] personalities” badly fracturing having only just established how the different personas successfully collaborate together in this story-arc’s previous editions, Max Bemis’ narrative for Issue One Hundred And Ninety of “Moon Knight” is arguably as choppy as the titular character’s mental stability. For although this 22,064 copy-selling comic contains some intriguing flashbacks through time in order to illustrate Amon Ra’s continuous conflict with the various Fists of Khonshu, it also debatably includes some truly disappointing interpretations of supporting cast members Marlene Alraune, Jake Lockley, and notorious nemesis Raul Bushman.

Indeed, the New York-born author’s version of the savage Burundan mercenary who “once ruled an entire African nation” where “men literally bowed before me” is almost unrecognisable from the sadistic, cold-blooded killer who slaughtered “archaeologist Peter Alraune [simply] to find an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb”, and is instead replaced by an overweight drug-dealing thug who freely admits before a packed warehouse of his criminal peers that “Marc Spector… scares the c%$p out of me.” Hardly the sort of long-term maniacal antagonist Doug Moench probably had in mind as his co-creation’s arch-enemy when he originally penned Bushman leaving the defeated “rabbi's wayward son” to “die in the sub-zero temperatures of the desert night” back in November 1980.

Just as bewildering is this comic’s bizarre plot twist that over the past five years, Moon Knight’s female confidante has been having a relationship with his cab driving persona, and resultantly has an infant daughter. Such a scenario sadly smacks of sensationalism, as if the “primary lyricist of the band Say Anything” was desperate to make a quick, indelible mark upon the history of “the masked crime-fighter” and simply didn’t care that historically Marlene had actually become so “increasingly distressed” by the super-hero’s “schizophrenia” that she eventually “moved out of his Long Island mansion.”

Quite possibly just as bemused by Bemis’ erratic scribblings as doubtless the majority of this book’s audience were, Jacen Burrows’ pencilling lacks any semblance of animated life for much of this twenty-page periodical. True, the Savannah College of Art and Design graduate imbues plenty of sense-shattering action into any panels which depict the Fist of Khonshu fending off “a random attack by disabled gentlemen.” But this “dark” sequence is perhaps understandably short-lived, and leaves the American artist to subsequently rather woodenly sketch a seemingly endless series of dialogue-heavy discussions.

Writer and Arti: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Moon Knight #189 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 189, January 2018

Shifting just 23,147 copies in November 2017, less than half of what its preceding instalment sold, Issue One Hundred And Eighty Nine of “Moon Knight” nonetheless arguably contains a script which demonstrates just why writer Max Bemis, “the lead singer of the band Say Anything” had “already made an impact at Marvel with X-Men: Worst X-Man Ever and Foolkiller” prior to penning the adventures of the Fist of Khonshu. Indeed, with the exception of a somewhat sedentary section dedicated to illuminating Steven Grant’s persona as a “wealthy… stylish investor and entrepreneur” this twenty-page periodical enthrallingly demonstrates just how physically violent “a fictional superhero” Marc Spector’s alter-ego can be when the occasion demands it; “You. Before I knock you out, tell me… Do you need to be called anyting?”

Foremost of these insights into the ex-mercenary’s brutally psychotic world has to be the titular character’s bloody confrontation with the primary composer’s ‘villain-of-the-piece’, The Truth. Towering over the “rabbi's wayward son”, his heavily muscled body adorned with cyan-coloured tattoos and hieroglyphs, this “giant pest” takes a real beating at the hands of the silver shrouded crime-fighter, and yet still manages to momentarily overpower his opponent long enough for his “Truth Touch” to make the mentally unstable protagonist “experience the pervert side of humanity.”

This ferocious fist-fight encompasses an entire third of the publication, and besides showing that Moon Knight isn’t afraid of getting ‘down and dirty’ when he has to, on this occasion first lacerating the giant killer’s forearm with a crescent-shaped blade before lethally hurling an additional pair straight through his foe’s eyes and into his brain, it also provides an enthralling understanding as to just how Bemis ‘sees’ Spector’s multiple personality disorder working within the comic book medium, with each separate persona cooperatively communicating with one another in order ‘to get the job done.’

Such individuality is further exaggerated by the excellent pencilling of Jacen Burrows, who does a great job of differentiating between the former United States Marine’s contrasting personality states whilst he is battling for his life beneath a cowl. Understandably, whenever Marc is ‘in charge’, then the West Coast Avenger is drawn fully ensconced inside his all-encompassing familiar-looking costume, but just as soon as Jake Lockley takes over, then the suddenly brutish hero removes his hood, rolls up his face mask to reveal a truly terrifying sadistic smile and confidently swaggers into the fray…

Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Colorist: Mat Lopes

Moon Knight #188 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 188, January 2018

Billed by “Marvel Worldwide” as “a new day is dawning” with “the introduction of Moon Knight’s greatest nemesis”, this twenty-five page periodical may well have initially disconcerted many of its 50,971 buyers in November 2017. For whilst Max Bemis’ opening instalment to his “Crazy Runs In The Family” story-arc initially appears to follow the titular character’s previous series by focusing upon Doctor Emmett at the Ravencroft Asylum, the New York City-born writer’s narrative soon leads it audience off down a different, yet somewhat familiar track, following another “lunatic [who] joins the army… freaks out and ends up spiritually reborn in a near-death experience.”

Indeed, despite Patient 86’s lank, long hair and somewhat dishevelled beard, it’s all too easy to momentarily believe the disconcertingly obsessed psychiatrist isn’t actually once again re-interviewing Marc Spector, rather than a simply new patient whose hands have been heavily burnt during the multiple military murders he’s previously committed. Fortunately however, such similarities to the cowled crime-fighter’s mental instability actually makes the popular singer’s slightly surreal scenario all the more enthralling, especially when the well-meaning therapist introduces the disgraced soldier “to Egyptian mythology, specifically the god Amon Ra” and her enquiries at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs reveal that “the nameless one” was actually “tied up [and] naked” when he killed the army bullies tormenting him; “How could he possibly have started that fire? No matches. No lighter.”

Coupled with the softly spoken patient’s swelling semblance of sanity, these fleeting glimpses into the Old Kingdom’s pantheon rather cleverly suggest that perhaps it is the counsellor who is struggling to keep her fixations in check, and definitely must have wrong-footed this book’s bibliophiles when the “indie rock” composer finally reveals Patient 86’s true identity in his script’s final act. Delightfully, this truly horrific conclusion, wonderfully sketched by Jacen Burrows, and featuring a heavily-restrained, blood-drenched “Amon Ra” who has bitten off Nurse Hayworth’s nose, is made all the more jarringly shocking by the fact that up until this point, besides a briefly pencilled Doctor Emmett nightmare sequence, this comic had contained a rather pleasantly paced plot.   

Interestingly, Issue One Hundred And Eighty Eight of “Moon Knight” also contains an incredibly atmospheric three-page short, written by Robbie Thompson, which seems to confirm a plausible assumption behind this “bizarre” publication that Marc Spector has in fact “managed to make peace” with his multiple personality disorder, as well as Khonshu’s voice, so that “together, we are… Moon Knight”. This brief exposé strongly suggests that previous writer Jeff Lemire’s fourteen-edition long story-arc potentially never happened, especially as artist German Peralta pencils the Moon deity protectively supporting the “mercenary, scoundrel, lunatic” rather than his servant destroying him…

Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Colorist: Mat Lopes