Moon Knight by Bendis & Maleev: The Complete Collection

Moon Knight (2011) #1-2

by Brian Michael Bendis

Captain America. Wolverine. Spider-Man. There’s nobody you’d want to have your back more than this trio of mighty Avengers. So who better for Moon Knight to call upon to lend a hand? The trouble is, they’re all in Moon Knight’s head — the latest splinters of Marc Spector’s shattered psyche! And as Spector battles his own mind to find balance in his new home of Los Angeles, a powerful criminal mastermind makes his deadly move — trafficking Ultron’s temporarily inert robot body! Can Moon Knight get his act together in time to take on this deadly threat — or is he way out of his league? Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, who wowed readers with DAREDEVIL, reunite to deliver a unique take on another fan-favorite Marvel vigilante!

COLLECTING: Moon Knight (2011) 1-12

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this back in 2015 as Volume 1 & Volume 2, but I don't know if I had enough appreciation or knowledge of Moon Knight to really understand the story. So. I pulled this up on Marvel Unlimited and decided to re-read the whole thing.



So this time around, instead of Marc's usual extra personalities (Jake, Steven, Konshu), he's adopted the personas of Captain America, Spider-man, & Wolverine. Best part? He knows they aren't real, but he just kind of goes with it.



That was kind of cool. <--really
Buuuuut. This still isn't my favorite Moon Knight. I'm not sure why I'm not more impressed with Bendis' take on this character. Because for all intents and purposes it's a pretty good story.
There is just that undefinable something that's missing here for me to give it 5 stars.
Your personal mileage may vary.



Ok, so Marc is in LA producing a tv show about Moon Knight, while at the same time he's running around being Moon Knight.
And Captain Spider-Snikt.
As expected, he gets his ass (and fake adamantium claws) handed to him by a bunch of hookers escorts, only to be saved at the last minute by Echo, who was working undercover.
They team up (sort of), Marc hits on her (badly), and other spoilery things happen that forward the plot.
Also, there's an Ultron head up for grabs.



It is a very unique Moon Knight story that's readable and interesting.
Not my favorite, but still really good.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was during my phase of 'read everything Bendis' which saw me picking up Moon Knight, a Marvel character that I have had zero interest in! So Moon Knight gets the dream team treatment by
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev which undoubtedly produces the best Moon Knight series ever, even including any future volumes. The team weaves in appearances of the likes of Wolverine, Captain America, Spidey, S.H.I.E.L.D, Echo, Snapdragon and more. 8 out of 12

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the premise Bendis sets up here. Moon Knight is out in L.A. having turned his life into a TV show. He finds out there's someone trying to set themselves up as the Kingpin of Los Angeles and It's someone way out of Moon Knight's league. I also thought it was interesting how Bendis expanded Moon Knight's mental illness, having it take on these new aspects. I do think the second half fails somewhat as Moon Knight really just fumbles through a win. One that is tragic but really is just the frigging of a great character Bendis created.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I continue to get ready for the Moon Knight show, more Moon Knight Comics. This was dope. MK is now living on the west coast in Cali. One night, he intercepts some criminals doing an exchange of a dangerous item, an Ultron head and a body. MK busts up the deal and takes the Ultron head. Now his mission is to find out who was behind the deal and take them down. Also, his crazy ass talks to Wolverine, Cap and Spidey in his head. Some of those interactions were hilarious. Seems like he has a new “Frenchie” working with him that’s an ex-SHEILD agent that makes him all kinds of new weapons. The story is fast paced and action packed. I flew through these 12 issues. Love all the characters that popped up in here. Some really cool ideas and story beats. If you like Moon Knight or have been curious about him, check this one out.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid standalone (mostly) Moon Knight story, now with the titular hero residing in LA-LAland to produce (as his non-costumed identity, Marc Spector) a cheesy syndicated action show based on his life as a solider-of-fortune (think MacGuyver, but with occasion werewolves) and his mental illness has taken on the manifestation of three of his fellow New Avengers popping up to give him "advice" and even certain trademark items.



My one complaint would be how the story eventually handles por Echo, whose death seems excessive and smacks of the "stuffed into the fridge " trope.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the character by writer Brian Michael Bendis, twisty and unpredictable per the necessities regarding the character. Paced unevenly, occasionally drifting into disengaging narrative segments, it has its moments but often dabbles in disoriented directions, almost unsure of the story's premise or goal.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do enough fans know how great this book is? I mean, I don't feel like anyone every told me. Which is weird. Bendis and Maleev's run on Daredevil was celebrated by fans but I don't see anyone raving about this. Probably because Moon Knight isn't as popular as Daredevil and maybe because there isn't enough of a world of Moon Knight and writers always seem to want to start from scratch every time he gets a series. I read the Ellis run a few years ago (loved it!) but it bears no resemblance to THIS Moon Knight which bears little resemblance to the one I read in the 80's. So the character always seems to be starting over.

However, even taken as a 12 issue stand alone mini-series - I loved this. It did hold on to the one thing about Moon Knight from the 80's - he has a bit of a split personality. But it decides he hears voices in his head - Wolverine, Captain America and Spider-man to be specific. Speaking of which - for a long time the cover of this collection made me stay away. "What? Moon knight has the powers of three other heroes, with Cap's shield, Wolvie's claws and Spidey's webs? Bah! Silly!" Well, it makes more sense in the context of the overall story. Bendis is typical Bendis (a lot of dialogue) but ya know what? Sometimes I find it annoying but here it is charming and funny. When someone is having a debate with the voices in his head and it is done in a clever way, I like it.

I love the side characters (agent Buck Lime) and Echo. I love the overall story - Moon Knight is over his head against a big bad guy. I love the resolution of the story. I love Moon Knight's character arc. I really loved this story. There is only one minor thing I didn't like. I won't spoil it fully, but I hate when people are killed off for a drama point. You'll know what I mean if you read this (or have read it). Especially when those characters are the rare female Native American characters representing a disability in all of comics. Oops, I think I spoiled it fully.

But other than that...oh the art!! I can't leave without mentioning - Maleev is a God. A few bits of fighting get confusing to follow but his quieter moments are amazing. Every panel a work of art.

I loved this series and I am a little surprised it didn't get more fan love (that I know of).

[Adam Spanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of great stuff here. This is by far the best use of Marc's multiple personalities. Having the Hollywood backdrop was also interesting. What didn't work is the fate of a co-star (no spoilers), the lack of Bendis like dialogue (super fast read), and sadly the art. The art is not bad, at all, but I don't know if Maleev captures the magnitude of the villain here. Overall, a decent ending with an extremely overt lead-in to a massive crossover.

[OmniBen · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review)
I will never understand how Marvel in their heyday were not able to make Moon Knight more of a thing. Of course in this day and age, modern Marvel couldn't make water a thing in the middle of the desert, but that's another story.
Apparently Bendis thinks Moon Knight is a joke. Or at least his own failing sensibilities as a writer won't allow him to take Moon Knight, or any one of the multitude of poorly realised characters he fills the pages of this book with, seriously. This is the closest thing you get to an action sitcom, targeted at a female audience. Bendis is more interested in tarnishing the characters featured here with his incessant humour, then telling anything approaching the kind of story a Moon Knight book should always be. Grounded, down and dirty. The only thing down about this is the score I'm going to give it.
I will always love Bendis' Alias and Daredevil runs, though the further I delve into his other works, I am fast realising these were mere aberrations in what is a questionable career at best. Scarlet, Ultimate Spiderman, this... they were all highly disappointing.
As much as it pains me to say, Maleev's art (which I normally love) is far from his best, here. Some truly awful colour choices at times doesn't help matters, but this is doesn't hold a candle to his Daredevil stuff. Maybe he put in about as much effort to his art as Bendis did to the script.
Everything about this from the premise to the execution was thoroughly off the mark. there is so little great Moon Knight stuff in collected edition out there, I really wanted this to be good. It wasn't. Gave up after four and a half issues. 2/5


OmniBen.

[Cameron H · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’m not completely sold on some of Brian Michael Bendis’ choices here, any Moon Knight is good Moon Knight and Alex Maleev’s artwork is - as always - amazing.

(Also, Marvel, bring back Echo, ‘kay?)

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story, and introduced me to a few characters I didn't know about. It would be interesting if this is some of the plot for the Moon Knight show, since many of the heroes and villans are known in the MCU.

[Nico D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moon Knight is a fascinating character. A mentally unwell man tied between multiple identities, who fights as a vigilante, has a lot of potential and it's always fun to see how each new creative team decides to interpret him.

Bendis has a history of competent street-level writing, but playing with Marc's mental instability gives him a creative wheelhouse to do interesting things for Marc's narrative. Instead of John Lockley and Steven Grant, Marc's sharing a headspace with Captain America, Wolverine and Spider-Man. This makes Marc's character feel very fluid, but at the same time Marc himself is completely aware of his own psychosis and has started taking it in stride. This leads to some darkly humorous moments throughout the more serious narrative.

The story never really goes into the how or why, so much as expexcting the reader to accept the premise and go with it. How successful that is may vary. It works well in the span of this story, but if it doesn't come up again in later stories it might make this book feel like a misnomer in Moon Knight's history.

At the very least, the book is entertaining. Aside from a very strong "and the adventure continues...!" ending, the main plot has a solid beginning, middle and end-- all without annoying ass company-wide crossovers pulling focus! Those were the days.

The Big Bad is servicable (keeping it vague because it's treated like a big surprise) but I have a special fondness for Madame Masque, and though she's underutulized, I did like her sudden appearance later on in the story. Echo also features, making this the first time I've been able to read her. I liked her writing, more-or-less, though Echo and Marc had a sorta Matt-Murdock-and-Love-Interest vibe that felt a little transplanty. That could def be a YMMV situation.

The art was pretty spectacular, especially those big splash pages and covers. It lends itself so well to the more abstract scenes, while action moments can come off muddled. Overall, really enjoyed the art direction.

I didn't completely love the book, but I did enjoy it a lot. For those interested in Moon Knight, I think this could be an excellent jumping on point.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story only Bendis could tell. Spector's mental issues, as portrayed by a greek chorus of superheroes, is a tenuous construct to build a plot on, but Bendis makes it work, as Spector steamrolls into Los Angeles' underworld to figure out who the mastermind behind it is, and prevent a dangerous artifact from falling into their hands.
The first of the two collected volumes is definitely the stronger, as it sets up Marc and his uneasy allies as features more investigation in balance with a couple of action packed sequences. In the second half, as the true villain is on display, doesn't live up to the quality of the first half, and suffers from a plot point that is all too often used in super hero comics, and is responsible for the loss of one star from my rating.
The art is well done throughout - Maleev's style serves the quiet moments, the "interior" dialogues, and the action equally well, and special praise goes to the color artists Matthew Wilson and Matt Hollingsworth, who both do some very good work with limited palettes.
The take on mental illness in a super hero is a fraught topic, but Bendis does make it work here, mainly by just accepting it as part of the character and not interrogating the deeper issues it would entail. that makes the book a bit more... I hate to say light-hearted, but considering the death and grime of the world it inhabits, it does seem pretty shallow. In this case, though, that works. For the most part.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moon Knight collects issues 1-12 of the Marvel Comic series written by Brian Michael Bendis and art by Alex Maleev.

Marc Spector has moved to L.A. to create a show based on his life. He is living a more stable life until Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-man arrive to tell him that Moon Knight needs to protect Los Angeles and hunt down a mysterious crime kingpin who has set up shop in the city. Things will quickly spiral out of control when Moon Knight secured a head of Ultron and this becomes an Avenger level threat.

This was great! It's full of humor, action, drama, and suspense.i really liked how Bendis takes Moon Knight out if New Yoek and places him in a city where he doesn't have any help until he stumbles upon Echo who is undercover. I also really enjoyed how Bendis takes in Spector's mental issues by having him project the the thoughts of Cap, Wolverine, and Spidey. It makes for some great moments. Maleev's art is perfect for moon Knight. I was fully engrossed with the world they created.

[Trike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is okay, but it feels like generic Bendis kinda phoning it in. I’m not sure if this is the same Moon Knight as earlier incarnations, because with multiple personalities who can tell? It’s a complete story, which is a nice change.

For an ordinary guy without superpowers, though, his abilities are all over the place. The big bad here is Count Nefaria, who took on the entire Avengers back in the day, so I’m not sure how Moony is able to go toe-to-toe with him. It’s basically a street-level Scrapper taking on a Tank-Mage, which is hard to buy into. (For those unfamiliar with those terms, think Jackie Chan fighting Superman. Jackie isn’t going to win that, no matter how good he is.) So that’s an issue, but otherwise it’s fine, I guess.

I liked this moment, though:

https://ibb.co/dKrC47q

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is an enjoyable Moon Knight adventure that doesn't do much to explore any of his larger themes. There are better Moon Knight runs and better comics/graphic novels in general. I did enjoy the plot arc and learning some of the events from the story that contribute to the greater character of Moon Knight.

[Chris Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never heard of Moon Knight before, but what a lot of fun this was. Moon Knight, a schizophrenic who sees has imaginary conversations with Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, is a great character, and so is his deaf girlfriend Echo. The dialogue is spot-on, filled with wit and humor. The art is also great. Just excellent overall.

[shay૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 | loved the art not the overall story. the way marc’s D.I.D is written and explored while is interesting in theory was poorly executed. echo was kinda the highlight of this for me and she was treated very poorly in this, so it can’t even be called a highlight, but i did like marc and echo’s interactions a lot.

[Logan Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10:
Overall, a really solid story that showcases Marc Spector in a way that I didn’t expect (in terms of so many new personalities being created in his head).

The fact that Marc’s mind created fragments of itself that resembled Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America is really neat because it shows how important each of those Avengers is to him and his development as a hero. Then to embrace those fragments and mirror aspects of their personas? How cool!

I didn’t expect for Echo to be around with such a prominent role in this comic, but I really love how easily she was incorporated into the story. As usual, the writing for her was awesome and they showcased her deafness in a way that is respectful while also normalized.

That ending showed a few more potential fragments in Marc’s head, I wonder if we’ll ever see him embrace aspects of Echo and Iron Man alongside his other personas or not.

[Vanny (reading.halfling) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was ein klasse Comic! Auch die Story ist super spannend und zugleich was anderes als sonst so von Marvel gelesen, finde ich. Die Grenze zwischen dem klar Unwirklichen (aka den Teilen der Persönlichkeit von Moon Knight) und dem echten Geschehen ist an manchen Stellen so vage, dass ich überlegen musste, ob das nun echt oder nicht ist.
Ich hätte gerne noch ein wenig mehr von Marcs normalerweise anderen Persönlichkeiten gesehen, was hier aber so vollkommen wegfällt. Das fand ich zwar etwas doof, aber trotzdem konnten mich die neuen Persönlichkeiten dann umso mehr begeistern – vor allem in der Kombination.
Anders als erwartet, aber alles in allem echt klasse!

[Tom Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moon Knight packs up his multiple personalities and heads to L.A., where he becomes involved with a mysterious figure attempting to consolidate a west coast criminal empire.

I've always enjoyed the character of Moon Knight, but the way the character has been handled over the years has been all over the map, both in concept and quality. I knew of the Bendis/Maleev run, but I hadn't checked it out prior to now.

The art is a high point here, with Alex Maleev's style being nontraditional and moody, reminiscent of the classic Sienkiewicz approach. Brian Michael Bendis takes a different approach to the character's personality disorder, one which is novel, though it seems to have been since discarded. The story stretches across the 12 issues contained in this collection, pretty standard Bendis decompressed storytelling. At the same time, it does feel like he was doing a better job of balancing character interaction to action than in prior projects.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this more than I thought I might going in, finishing the collection in one sitting. I wouldn't call this a must-read, but it is a solid Moon Knight adventure.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

In anticipation of the coming Marvel's Moon Knight TV Series, I decided to check out the Greatest Hits featuring the Moon Knight. Started with Bendis who is known for reinventing and reinvigorating subpar characters into something memorable. This one delivers on that promise.

Earlier it was said that Moon Knight is a schizophrenic's Batman. Bendis' run brought to life by ever spectacular Alex Maleev takes that remark and turns it into a remarkable gritty crime story that relishes on those quirks and uses it to differentiate Moon Knight sufficiently from the Dark Knight. All in all, it is a fun read.

I just wish that Moon Knight's mental condition had a more substantial role in the plot than just being reduced to a character's quirk.

Hoping that in next stories, it will be explored more.

[John]

Action-packed, funny, and with great dialogue, this collection of 'Moon Knight' is another victory for the long-time collaboration between writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. Marc Spector's mental illness is taken full advantage of, providing some excellent character development, both for the titular character and the supporting cast. Nobody can crack a joke in the face of annihilation like Bendis and nobody can go from brutal violence to funny reaction shots like Maleev. This is a comic that works on all levels.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to have a Moon Knight addiction. BMB sends MK further down the crazy train tracks. MK moves to L.A. and produces an action/adventure show about his past life as a mercenary to fund his night time activities.

Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine show up to encourage him to sniff out a King Pin setting up shop on the mostly super-capes free West Coast; however, there is a big problem, the three Avengers are only voices in Spector’s head.

MK teams up with Echo, shenanigans happen.

[Rockito · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the Top Moon Knight is as follows:

1: Warren Ellis Run
2: Briand Wood Run
3: Bendis Run
4: Cullen Bunn Run

I'll have to check the rest.

[Jessica Maggio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this book fresh off the Disney+ show
And it is so rare that I like a show better than the book.
But here we are...

Maybe it's because this is a later adaptation without Steven Grant or Jake Lockley. Maybe it's because they killed the coolest fucking character for man pain.
But I was very mid on this

You hate to see it, but the best part was Spider-Man.
Or should I say Bi-der-Man, what do you MEAN you sort of dated Moon Knight, Peter?!?!

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zastanawiałem się czy nie dać trzech gwiazdek za stronę artystyczną, ale jednak irytacja tym jak pisane są dialogi we mnie wygrała. Sama historia byłaby okey, gdyby nie niektóre dziwaczne i bardzo złe wybory Bendisa. Za to cameo Madame Masque było miłym zaskoczeniem

[Shane Stanis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moon knight character close up

Read for a novel take on moon knights alternate identities. Story is good, but not mind blowing. Essential for ultron completionists

[Agnieszka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75?
4?

[Wavieff · Rating 4 out of 5]

mooning knight <3