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Moon Knight (2016) #1-3
Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood: The Complete Collection
Marc Spector (A.K.A. Moon Knight/Jake Lockley/Steven Grant) has been fighting criminals and keeping New York City safe for years...or has he? When he wakes up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime's worth of medical records, it calls his whole identity - identities - into question. Something is wrong, but is that something Marc himself? Delve deep beneath the mask of Moon Knight to meet the many men inside his head! While Steven Grant prepares for a box-office smash, Jake Lockley is arrested for murder! And as the muddled mind of Moon Knight reaches its limit, the secrets of his past are revealed in a story of birth, death and rebirth unlike any other. Trapped outside of reality, Moon Knight's survival depends on answers - but Marc Spector is plagued by nothing but questions!
COLLECTING: MOON KNIGHT (2016) 1-14
COLLECTING: MOON KNIGHT (2016) 1-14
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2018
109 people are currently reading
1031 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,393 books3,872 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
March 30, 2022
“I am Marc Spector. I am Steven Grant. I am Jake Lockley. And we are going to be okay. We are going to live with who we are. We are Moon Knight. And we never needed you.”
Jeff Lemire & Greg Smallwood are joined by incredible guest artists James Stokoe, Francesco Francavilla, and Wilfredo Torres to create what is easily the best Moon Knight run I have ever read by a long shot. I loved this series when I first read it back in High School, and it’s even better nowadays on a reread. Marvel has reprinted this amazing run in a nice paperback in preparation for the upcoming Disney + show, and I’m so happy I picked it up.
Lemire plays with reality and fantasy in a fascinating way as we see Moon Knight go on a complex and intimate journey that is unlike mostly anything else Marvel publishes nowadays. He follows up on the Ellis & Bunn era of Moon Knight in one of the most interesting ways possible: Making Marc Spector wake up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime of medical records, as he is forced to face the possibility that he was never really Moon Knight at all.
Lemire’s story is personal as we see Spector go on this aforementioned journey of self acceptance throughout a glorious 14 issue run. Smallwood’s art is fucking jaw-dropping, utterly incredible, and any other pretty adjectives you use to describe incredible art. The guest artists that come in during different points are great as well, never ruining the pace or flow of the book.
My favorite part of this amazing run is the ending, with the quote that I used above being one of my favorite passages from any comic ever. The page it’s on is a personal favorite of mine as well, and has always stuck with me since I read it as a teen. It just hits me right in the heart every single fucking time I read it. The book also has an amazing message about dealing with mental health issues, and Lemire shows he actually did the research into understanding how different mental illnesses, especially DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), can affect people differently. I think he did a great job executing what he set out to do with this book.
A story about learning how to come to terms with & accept who you really are, no matter how you or others may already perceive you, Lemire & Smallwood’s Moon Knight is a genuine masterpiece and easily the best piece of superhero media Jeff Lemire has ever written. One of the most emotionally rewarding pieces of superhero media anyone can consume, please go to your LCS and pick this up as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed. This book & the Doom Patrol TV show are BY FAR the best representations of mental health issues in superhero media by a mile. If you want a more action packed Moon Knight run, go read literally any other fucking book with the character.
Jeff Lemire & Greg Smallwood are joined by incredible guest artists James Stokoe, Francesco Francavilla, and Wilfredo Torres to create what is easily the best Moon Knight run I have ever read by a long shot. I loved this series when I first read it back in High School, and it’s even better nowadays on a reread. Marvel has reprinted this amazing run in a nice paperback in preparation for the upcoming Disney + show, and I’m so happy I picked it up.
Lemire plays with reality and fantasy in a fascinating way as we see Moon Knight go on a complex and intimate journey that is unlike mostly anything else Marvel publishes nowadays. He follows up on the Ellis & Bunn era of Moon Knight in one of the most interesting ways possible: Making Marc Spector wake up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime of medical records, as he is forced to face the possibility that he was never really Moon Knight at all.
Lemire’s story is personal as we see Spector go on this aforementioned journey of self acceptance throughout a glorious 14 issue run. Smallwood’s art is fucking jaw-dropping, utterly incredible, and any other pretty adjectives you use to describe incredible art. The guest artists that come in during different points are great as well, never ruining the pace or flow of the book.
My favorite part of this amazing run is the ending, with the quote that I used above being one of my favorite passages from any comic ever. The page it’s on is a personal favorite of mine as well, and has always stuck with me since I read it as a teen. It just hits me right in the heart every single fucking time I read it. The book also has an amazing message about dealing with mental health issues, and Lemire shows he actually did the research into understanding how different mental illnesses, especially DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), can affect people differently. I think he did a great job executing what he set out to do with this book.
A story about learning how to come to terms with & accept who you really are, no matter how you or others may already perceive you, Lemire & Smallwood’s Moon Knight is a genuine masterpiece and easily the best piece of superhero media Jeff Lemire has ever written. One of the most emotionally rewarding pieces of superhero media anyone can consume, please go to your LCS and pick this up as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed. This book & the Doom Patrol TV show are BY FAR the best representations of mental health issues in superhero media by a mile. If you want a more action packed Moon Knight run, go read literally any other fucking book with the character.
March 30, 2022
Moon Knight is one of the more fascinating heroes in the Marvel universe and a number of writers have tried to tackle his stories to varying results. The one element that really sets Marc Spector apart from the other heroes is his mental illness, and while it’s always there in every story, it’s mostly been a quirk, to justify his multiple aliases or explain his solitary nature or brutal justice. But this series is the first time that I can tell where there’s been a serious look at his dissociative identity disorder and genius Jeff Lemire is just the right person to do it.
This one blew me a way actually. Lemire crafts an emotional, mysterious tale that opens with Marc in a creepy mental hospital, which he believes might be part of a plot to keep him trapped so that the Egyptian god Seth can take over the Earth. But as he questions what’s real and whether he can trust his sanity, so does the reader. I was constantly not sure what to trust or where the story was going. It’s trippy and psychedelic, and surprisingly, is a really good place to start reading Moon Knight as it ultimately explores who Marc and his personalities are, what their background is and why he dons the Moon Knight persona. While many fantastical things occur, this barely fits in the category of the superhero comics you’re used to, and is much more focused on exploring mental illness from a personal, first-person perspective.
And the art here is phenomenal, grounded by the gritty etchings of Greg Smallwood, and featuring other guest artists, whose styles provide a great contrast when Marc switches personalities. It’s a perfect way to take us on this multi-faceted journey.
This one blew me a way actually. Lemire crafts an emotional, mysterious tale that opens with Marc in a creepy mental hospital, which he believes might be part of a plot to keep him trapped so that the Egyptian god Seth can take over the Earth. But as he questions what’s real and whether he can trust his sanity, so does the reader. I was constantly not sure what to trust or where the story was going. It’s trippy and psychedelic, and surprisingly, is a really good place to start reading Moon Knight as it ultimately explores who Marc and his personalities are, what their background is and why he dons the Moon Knight persona. While many fantastical things occur, this barely fits in the category of the superhero comics you’re used to, and is much more focused on exploring mental illness from a personal, first-person perspective.
And the art here is phenomenal, grounded by the gritty etchings of Greg Smallwood, and featuring other guest artists, whose styles provide a great contrast when Marc switches personalities. It’s a perfect way to take us on this multi-faceted journey.
May 12, 2022
Oh my, what a trip!
Ok, so. Like many people, I can hardly resist whatever Marvel is currently releasing. There are some notable differences but especially the shows were very nice indeed. Moon Knight, I'm happy to report, has been the best one so far and I'd rank it up there with my favourite MCU movies even. It's hilarious, witty, smartly done, sometimes heart-breaking, and always of top notch quality.
This comic was definitely more of a base for the TV show than the others I've read (Vol 1 and Vol 2).
Marc Spectre wakes up in a mental hospital where he is abused. There is a kind of Prison Break situation with people he knows he knows but can't remember clearly. But when they get out ... they either are in a post-apocalyptic world or in another one of Marc's delusions. And it doesn't end there. Worlds within worlds within worlds with gigantic Egyptian pyramids in NYC, spaceship-flying wolves, vigilante cab drivers, rich movie moguls and more!
It's crazy, it's weird, it keeps you guessing what is really going on, what is real and what is Marc's insanity.
I was a bit miffed about them not getting the mythology right, but I'm kinda used to that by this point and instead focused on enjoying the depiction of the mental health issues and the truly meta (almost 4th-wall-breaking) bits, which were just delicious.
The show is still better IMO, but this wasn't bad at all!
Ok, so. Like many people, I can hardly resist whatever Marvel is currently releasing. There are some notable differences but especially the shows were very nice indeed. Moon Knight, I'm happy to report, has been the best one so far and I'd rank it up there with my favourite MCU movies even. It's hilarious, witty, smartly done, sometimes heart-breaking, and always of top notch quality.
This comic was definitely more of a base for the TV show than the others I've read (Vol 1 and Vol 2).
Marc Spectre wakes up in a mental hospital where he is abused. There is a kind of Prison Break situation with people he knows he knows but can't remember clearly. But when they get out ... they either are in a post-apocalyptic world or in another one of Marc's delusions. And it doesn't end there. Worlds within worlds within worlds with gigantic Egyptian pyramids in NYC, spaceship-flying wolves, vigilante cab drivers, rich movie moguls and more!
It's crazy, it's weird, it keeps you guessing what is really going on, what is real and what is Marc's insanity.
I was a bit miffed about them not getting the mythology right, but I'm kinda used to that by this point and instead focused on enjoying the depiction of the mental health issues and the truly meta (almost 4th-wall-breaking) bits, which were just delicious.
The show is still better IMO, but this wasn't bad at all!
May 25, 2020
This book was absolutely fantastic. Jeff Lemire will always be a staple among the best!
Moon Knight may be one of my new favorite characters. From what I’ve seen, it is hard to capture a character that deals with internal issues (multiple personality, memory loss, etc) and self-discovery without being too repetitive, but Jeff Lemire nails it! I’ve read a few other characters recently where the author doesn’t do this well... e.g. Madman and Legion.
Lastly, the art. Holy $#!%. It’s insanely good... from Greg Smallwood to James Stokoe; top notch. I don’t want to spoil anything but the way that they integrated the different artists into the story was perfect.
I can’t think of one negative thing to say about this story. We need to see more Moon Knight! If you have this on your shelf unread... don’t wait for the next full moon to read this book! Read it now. You won’t regret it.
Moon Knight may be one of my new favorite characters. From what I’ve seen, it is hard to capture a character that deals with internal issues (multiple personality, memory loss, etc) and self-discovery without being too repetitive, but Jeff Lemire nails it! I’ve read a few other characters recently where the author doesn’t do this well... e.g. Madman and Legion.
Lastly, the art. Holy $#!%. It’s insanely good... from Greg Smallwood to James Stokoe; top notch. I don’t want to spoil anything but the way that they integrated the different artists into the story was perfect.
I can’t think of one negative thing to say about this story. We need to see more Moon Knight! If you have this on your shelf unread... don’t wait for the next full moon to read this book! Read it now. You won’t regret it.
April 19, 2023
Jeff Lemire's take on Moon Knight is interesting. At first, I didn't know if I liked how the story unfolds, but in the end? Yeah I did like it overall.
Lemire's story is a trippy one. Shown in different forms, each based off one of Mon Knights split personas, it can be a bit confusing as to what's actually going on. Smallwood's art style, while not to my liking, seems to work for this story. Different art shows his different personalities and all of them come together to help Moon Knight "find himself".
As someone with only a basic idea of Moon Knight, this story left me with some questions, but will serve as a decent introduction to the character. The perspective shift gives this story a trippy "Grant Morrison-like" feel. While, eprhaps not the best, this is a good introduction to Moon Knight.
Lemire's story is a trippy one. Shown in different forms, each based off one of Mon Knights split personas, it can be a bit confusing as to what's actually going on. Smallwood's art style, while not to my liking, seems to work for this story. Different art shows his different personalities and all of them come together to help Moon Knight "find himself".
As someone with only a basic idea of Moon Knight, this story left me with some questions, but will serve as a decent introduction to the character. The perspective shift gives this story a trippy "Grant Morrison-like" feel. While, eprhaps not the best, this is a good introduction to Moon Knight.
March 21, 2020
This might be the craziest, weirdest and most unique Marvel comic I’ve ever read.
What’s it about?
Marc Spector wakes up in a mental hospital... or is it Jake Lockley... wait maybe it’s Steven Grant? Whoever he is, he knows that Moon Knight was real and that he has to escape the sinister trap that is disguised as a mental hospital! That’s all I can say without spoilers.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story! It is so good. Lemire always knows how to make a fast-paced and interesting story. I was not exaggerating when I said that this may be the most unique Marvel comic I’ve ever read. I would actually say that even if you aren’t into Marvel or even superheroes in general you should try this one, it is so far away from what most readers would expect with a superhero comic.
The characters are very interesting. Lemire makes something complex and amazing out of the Moon Knight character.
The art is amazing. It suits the story perfectly and the way it changes and mixes styles to suit different scenes is just amazing!
The action scenes are frequent, wonderful and the tone feels different from most superhero comics’ action scenes.
There’s a couple of comic relief moments that work surprisingly well.
This book is super unpredictable.
Lemire is a master of storytelling and it’s clear in this work. This comic shows off the brilliance of his writing once again.
This book is super weird but in a way that still makes sense and I always have fun with that!
Overall:
This rendition of Moon Knight is an example of Lemire’s masterful storytelling, Smallwood’s outstanding artistic talent and Marvel publishing something truly unique that works for a wider audience than just those who like Marvel superheroes.
I will say that I definitely would recommend reading this omnibus version. I remember reading the first 2 individual volumes (now not seen on my Goodreads shelves) and really liking them but being slightly confused, when consuming the whole story at once it is more clear.
I don’t know what to say guys, this comic is bad-ass and unique so you should definitely read it!
5/5
What’s it about?
Marc Spector wakes up in a mental hospital... or is it Jake Lockley... wait maybe it’s Steven Grant? Whoever he is, he knows that Moon Knight was real and that he has to escape the sinister trap that is disguised as a mental hospital! That’s all I can say without spoilers.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story! It is so good. Lemire always knows how to make a fast-paced and interesting story. I was not exaggerating when I said that this may be the most unique Marvel comic I’ve ever read. I would actually say that even if you aren’t into Marvel or even superheroes in general you should try this one, it is so far away from what most readers would expect with a superhero comic.
The characters are very interesting. Lemire makes something complex and amazing out of the Moon Knight character.
The art is amazing. It suits the story perfectly and the way it changes and mixes styles to suit different scenes is just amazing!
The action scenes are frequent, wonderful and the tone feels different from most superhero comics’ action scenes.
There’s a couple of comic relief moments that work surprisingly well.
This book is super unpredictable.
Lemire is a master of storytelling and it’s clear in this work. This comic shows off the brilliance of his writing once again.
This book is super weird but in a way that still makes sense and I always have fun with that!
Overall:
This rendition of Moon Knight is an example of Lemire’s masterful storytelling, Smallwood’s outstanding artistic talent and Marvel publishing something truly unique that works for a wider audience than just those who like Marvel superheroes.
I will say that I definitely would recommend reading this omnibus version. I remember reading the first 2 individual volumes (now not seen on my Goodreads shelves) and really liking them but being slightly confused, when consuming the whole story at once it is more clear.
I don’t know what to say guys, this comic is bad-ass and unique so you should definitely read it!
5/5
January 18, 2021
This book was garbage, the worst thing I have read, its so confusing and its all fantasy seems like. The writer tries to pass off as intelligent but its all crap and non-sensical, its mark coming to terms with his personalities and like accepting it and then going to Kill Khonshu because he is the source of it all? Honestly it could have been done in maybe 3-4 issues but this story feels pure trash and extended, its a chore to read after a while into it and like frustrating even. Its the worst Marvel book ..nay its the worst book ever. Super disappointing and don't waste your time on this heap of trash.
June 22, 2022
i would do anything for marc
April 1, 2022
Loved this 2016 comic so much that I devoured all 14 single issues in one day.
I wanted to brush up on the character MOON KNIGHT because the TV series coming out on Disney+. This helped me prepare immensely, and because of this comic, I was able to guess a few of the TV characters correctly!
The art, color palette, and more show less talk style were brilliant here. Love comics that aren't too wordy or hard to understand. The updated art style was so refreshing!
I knocked one star for the Space Astronaut storyline because that didn't seem to fit within the triad of the comic book.
THEMES (which I loved)-
• Mental Health / Mental Illness - D.I.D. (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Egyptian Gods of Death
Another great rec' from my Fiancee! Thank goodness he liked Moon Knight before it became mainstream because this hardback comic is going for almost $400 on some sites right now. Ridiculous.
Onto the next Moon Knight comic on my list: The origin stories, some from the 70s. It's very wordy and has that super old-school comic feel.
— Marvel's Epic Collection of MOON KNIGHT 🌙 Bad Moon Rising 🌙 • Moench • Kraft • Mantlo • Perlin • Giffen •Sienkiewicz
All reviews by me are honest and voluntary.
I wanted to brush up on the character MOON KNIGHT because the TV series coming out on Disney+. This helped me prepare immensely, and because of this comic, I was able to guess a few of the TV characters correctly!
The art, color palette, and more show less talk style were brilliant here. Love comics that aren't too wordy or hard to understand. The updated art style was so refreshing!
I knocked one star for the Space Astronaut storyline because that didn't seem to fit within the triad of the comic book.
THEMES (which I loved)-
• Mental Health / Mental Illness - D.I.D. (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Egyptian Gods of Death
Another great rec' from my Fiancee! Thank goodness he liked Moon Knight before it became mainstream because this hardback comic is going for almost $400 on some sites right now. Ridiculous.
Onto the next Moon Knight comic on my list: The origin stories, some from the 70s. It's very wordy and has that super old-school comic feel.
— Marvel's Epic Collection of MOON KNIGHT 🌙 Bad Moon Rising 🌙 • Moench • Kraft • Mantlo • Perlin • Giffen •Sienkiewicz
All reviews by me are honest and voluntary.
March 20, 2022
Ok this was a real mind trip. Specter wakes up at an insane asylum/hospital and is being told that what he remembers is not true. They tell him he’s been there since he was 12. But he does notice people there from his past like Frenchie, Gena, Marlene and Crawly. After reading the Doug Moench Moon Knight omnibus, it was cool seeing these characters again. So are the people in charge of this hospital telling the truth or is Specter really Moon Knight? MK rounds up his people and they make an escape and the book gets trippy from there. But I was into it? Weird, I know. I did think Lemire did some really cool stuff with his multiple personalities and while dealing with each one, the art changed which I though was a nice touch because all the art in here was awesome. I like how Lemire used things that happened in previous runs in his crazy display of the different personas of Jake Lockley, Steve Grant and Specter. I had a good time following all the crazy stuff going on as I waited for answers. This ended up being different from the norm yet also entertaining.
May 13, 2025
Francisco Francavilla and James Stokoe trading pages was fantastic. Always fun to find some surprise work from those creators. I'm surprised Lemire didn't get credit on the Moon Knight TV show, it very obviously found a lot of its story from this book. This definitely got me interested in the character, I may finally go read those original comics I've been putting off.
Lemire does an excellent job with some fast-paced storytelling.
Lemire does an excellent job with some fast-paced storytelling.
May 10, 2020
After being introduced to Moon Knight upon reading Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey’s run that only lasted for six issues, which was the writer’s somewhat deconstruction towards what many have seen the character as Marvel’s answer to a schizophrenic Batman by telling a lean but action-packed series of short stories. Although the title continued on with writers like Brian Wood and Cullen Bunn takes over, I never bothered reading more of Moon Knight. In 2016, when Marvel did yet another relaunch with the All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, Moon Knight was taken over by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Greg Smallwood, the latter of which has had previous experience with the character.
Given that earlier creators have explored Marc Spector’s troubled mind, due to suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID), Lemire pushes this idea to new heights and the story opens with Spector waking up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime's worth of medical records, suggesting he was never Moon Knight at all. As he sees the faces of past allies who are also mental patients and realises that the chief doctor is the Egyptian demoness Amitt, Spector seeks a way for him and his fellow inmates to escape the institute, whilst questioning his own sanity.
It's fair to say that given the Batman similarities that you see in Moon Knight, we have certainly seen the story of a dark vigilante wrestling with his mental state. In terms of Spector himself, Lemire writes him with more warmth compared to Ellis’ lone figure, given the current situation Spector goes through here, which is his determination to save the people he cares about, leading to consequences and sacrifices. Even you have no pre-existing knowledge of the character and his world, Lemire finds room in order for us to engage with these characters during the book’s few moments of levity.
With a greater focus on mental illness, Lemire’s approach to the subject matter changes throughout each of the three arcs, all of which builds into a complex character study over the course of fourteen issues. The first arc is your typical escape plan from an asylum that leads to a great conspiracy, mixing psychological drama and Egyptian-themed horror like mummies. Greg Smallwood combines these two specific genres with ease with an inventive use of panels that shrink to symbolise Spector’s status, as well as an art-style that is highly stylized and verges on abstraction, similar to the work of Bill Sienkiewicz.
By the time you reach the second arc, things certainly get crazy as after discovering who the real villain is, he escapes his prison and plunges into living three separate lives at the same time, referencing the multiple personalities of before, each of which drawn by three distinct artists. In one life (drawn by Wilfredo Torres & Michael Garland), he is Steven Grant, producing Marvel's next box-office smash: Moon Knight: The Movie. In another life (drawn by Francesco Francavilla), he is cab driver Jake Lockley, who is under arrest for murder. And finally, fighting in a galactic war against space werewolves (drawn by James Stokoe), he is the space pilot, the Moon Knight.
Okay, Moon Knight in space is certainly a stretch, something Marc Spector acknowledges. That said, with Lemire jumping the narrative from one version to the next, you get these distinct styles shine from Stokoe’s detailed high-tech futurism to Francavilla’s pulp New York illustrations and finally Torres & Garland’s conventional art, with numerous occasions of the art-styles being shown on the same page.
As we approach the final arc, where the final confrontation approaches, whilst we get flashbacks to Spector’s childhood showing the early stages of DID, leading up to being resurrected by Khonshu. Lemire can get heavy-handed with the Egyptian mythology, although Smallwood draws these sequences with such haunted beauty, but what works best about the climax is Spector comes to terms with his condition and just accepts it, knowing there is no cure for it. By the end of this run, which perhaps went longer than it should have, Lemire brought a sense of final acceptance to the character that I don’t feel like we needed more from Moon Knight. That may sound harsh towards the subsequent creators who worked on the title, but Lemire and Smallwood did something really great here.
Given that earlier creators have explored Marc Spector’s troubled mind, due to suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID), Lemire pushes this idea to new heights and the story opens with Spector waking up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime's worth of medical records, suggesting he was never Moon Knight at all. As he sees the faces of past allies who are also mental patients and realises that the chief doctor is the Egyptian demoness Amitt, Spector seeks a way for him and his fellow inmates to escape the institute, whilst questioning his own sanity.
It's fair to say that given the Batman similarities that you see in Moon Knight, we have certainly seen the story of a dark vigilante wrestling with his mental state. In terms of Spector himself, Lemire writes him with more warmth compared to Ellis’ lone figure, given the current situation Spector goes through here, which is his determination to save the people he cares about, leading to consequences and sacrifices. Even you have no pre-existing knowledge of the character and his world, Lemire finds room in order for us to engage with these characters during the book’s few moments of levity.
With a greater focus on mental illness, Lemire’s approach to the subject matter changes throughout each of the three arcs, all of which builds into a complex character study over the course of fourteen issues. The first arc is your typical escape plan from an asylum that leads to a great conspiracy, mixing psychological drama and Egyptian-themed horror like mummies. Greg Smallwood combines these two specific genres with ease with an inventive use of panels that shrink to symbolise Spector’s status, as well as an art-style that is highly stylized and verges on abstraction, similar to the work of Bill Sienkiewicz.
By the time you reach the second arc, things certainly get crazy as after discovering who the real villain is, he escapes his prison and plunges into living three separate lives at the same time, referencing the multiple personalities of before, each of which drawn by three distinct artists. In one life (drawn by Wilfredo Torres & Michael Garland), he is Steven Grant, producing Marvel's next box-office smash: Moon Knight: The Movie. In another life (drawn by Francesco Francavilla), he is cab driver Jake Lockley, who is under arrest for murder. And finally, fighting in a galactic war against space werewolves (drawn by James Stokoe), he is the space pilot, the Moon Knight.
Okay, Moon Knight in space is certainly a stretch, something Marc Spector acknowledges. That said, with Lemire jumping the narrative from one version to the next, you get these distinct styles shine from Stokoe’s detailed high-tech futurism to Francavilla’s pulp New York illustrations and finally Torres & Garland’s conventional art, with numerous occasions of the art-styles being shown on the same page.
As we approach the final arc, where the final confrontation approaches, whilst we get flashbacks to Spector’s childhood showing the early stages of DID, leading up to being resurrected by Khonshu. Lemire can get heavy-handed with the Egyptian mythology, although Smallwood draws these sequences with such haunted beauty, but what works best about the climax is Spector comes to terms with his condition and just accepts it, knowing there is no cure for it. By the end of this run, which perhaps went longer than it should have, Lemire brought a sense of final acceptance to the character that I don’t feel like we needed more from Moon Knight. That may sound harsh towards the subsequent creators who worked on the title, but Lemire and Smallwood did something really great here.
November 22, 2022
A bit hard to follow but like…on purpose. I love the way that different art styles were used to show the different alters!
May 1, 2022
I enjoyed this on two levels. The first being that this was a much better experience of Moon Knight than I've previously encountered and secondly, it's a great companion read to the Disney+ show.
This is a real off-the-wall mind-bending adventure that has its focus on lots and lots of subplot. This undoubtedly creates a wonderfully surreal and fractured atmosphere, but it does come at the cost of an overarching plot.
For those who have never read Moon Knight, the supporting characters will largely remain unknown to you here. However, if you're looking to get to know Marc Spector this is a relatively good place to start.
The art here is fantastic with varied styles further adding more layers to the fractured atmosphere.
Overall, this was a worthy read. I'm no Moon Knight expert, but this was very enjoyable - largely due to the use of the fractured reality theme and the clever writing and illustrations used to create it.
_________________
My Score: 8/10
Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
_________________
This is a real off-the-wall mind-bending adventure that has its focus on lots and lots of subplot. This undoubtedly creates a wonderfully surreal and fractured atmosphere, but it does come at the cost of an overarching plot.
For those who have never read Moon Knight, the supporting characters will largely remain unknown to you here. However, if you're looking to get to know Marc Spector this is a relatively good place to start.
The art here is fantastic with varied styles further adding more layers to the fractured atmosphere.
Overall, this was a worthy read. I'm no Moon Knight expert, but this was very enjoyable - largely due to the use of the fractured reality theme and the clever writing and illustrations used to create it.
_________________
My Score: 8/10
Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
_________________
August 12, 2023
Moon Knight was a series I came across that felt a bit disjointed with various ideas and directions to go. Then came the TV show which was one of the better Marvel efforts of these last years.
This comic, apparently is the complete collection of stories told by the creative team of Lemire, Smallwood and Bellaire and it walks a similar path as the tv-show where were see the various shards of Moon Knight his psyche. And is on occasion a tough read because it is so dreamlike and shows the various parts of Moon Knights psyche. In the end you accept the various versions of Moon Knight as they should namely one superhero.
A very pretentious comic, certainly different than the average “superhero “ and interesting as well. The art is excellent and so is the story.
Certainly a must read for people who like something different in their comics.
This comic, apparently is the complete collection of stories told by the creative team of Lemire, Smallwood and Bellaire and it walks a similar path as the tv-show where were see the various shards of Moon Knight his psyche. And is on occasion a tough read because it is so dreamlike and shows the various parts of Moon Knights psyche. In the end you accept the various versions of Moon Knight as they should namely one superhero.
A very pretentious comic, certainly different than the average “superhero “ and interesting as well. The art is excellent and so is the story.
Certainly a must read for people who like something different in their comics.
April 3, 2022
Crazy, trippy storyline about Moon Knight coming to terms with all his alter egos. One of Marvel’s most fascinating characters.
April 12, 2022
four stars! *:･ﾟ✧ i’m ngl this was hella confusing at times but i had such a blast reading this! i’m so interested in this character and i’m excited to see what the other runs consist of. i really liked how this volume ended with marc making peace with his mental illness! i thought that was a really great addition, especially bc marvel doesn’t necessarily have the best track record w their characters having mental illnesses 😤 this made me love the character even more and i’m so stoked to read more!
April 30, 2025
4.5
Woah.
Once again I think about that Daytripper review that I mentioned in one of my own reviews however long ago - the one about what comics push the limits of the medium while only being able to thrive in the medium, the ones that truly shake you and excite you - and in this way I am awestruck by Jeff Lemire's Moon Knight.
It's certainly a weird place to start off my comics journey with this character. It covers some origin stuff, which is helpful, but it is very directly a run that deserves years of rich Moon Knight history as build-up. I am most certainly going to do a full read through and then come back to this. Still, it's perfectly comprehensible (as much as Jeff Lemire always is, at least) and deeply emotinal.
It's just these themes of being broken but of acceptance with surrealism and a superhero flair. This is everything that made DC Vertigo so amazing. Complicated, trippy stories that address real-world problems and contain mature themes while still being fully, undeniably about DC superheroes. Jeff Lemire's Moon Knight represents everything that differentiates Black Label from Vertigo. (EDIT: Yes, I know Moon Knight is Marvel, but it reminds me of the difference between the two labels and the fact that it's such a modern comic anyways is special.) I'm so glad a talent like Lemire is working in comics.
Plus, that bangin' artwork from Greg Smallwood! He never disappoints. It's so perfect for this run and every single panel is truly special. Those gorgeous galaxy panels; mwah!
Despite all these compliments, I can't help but feel like the middle section is structured so strangely. It feels like it was designed for an undivided trade, since I can't even imagine buying 3 separate issues of the same confusing thing. But even so, the trade makes a full stop every time an issue ends. The storytelling is still excellent, but the way the trade (which is otherwise flawless and lovely) is structured kills my enthusiasm for a good bit. I think that's my only gripe.
It's clever, it's layered, it's a beautiful progression for Marc's character, and it's just good comics. I'm glad this exists.
Woah.
Once again I think about that Daytripper review that I mentioned in one of my own reviews however long ago - the one about what comics push the limits of the medium while only being able to thrive in the medium, the ones that truly shake you and excite you - and in this way I am awestruck by Jeff Lemire's Moon Knight.
It's certainly a weird place to start off my comics journey with this character. It covers some origin stuff, which is helpful, but it is very directly a run that deserves years of rich Moon Knight history as build-up. I am most certainly going to do a full read through and then come back to this. Still, it's perfectly comprehensible (as much as Jeff Lemire always is, at least) and deeply emotinal.
It's just these themes of being broken but of acceptance with surrealism and a superhero flair. This is everything that made DC Vertigo so amazing. Complicated, trippy stories that address real-world problems and contain mature themes while still being fully, undeniably about DC superheroes. Jeff Lemire's Moon Knight represents everything that differentiates Black Label from Vertigo. (EDIT: Yes, I know Moon Knight is Marvel, but it reminds me of the difference between the two labels and the fact that it's such a modern comic anyways is special.) I'm so glad a talent like Lemire is working in comics.
Plus, that bangin' artwork from Greg Smallwood! He never disappoints. It's so perfect for this run and every single panel is truly special. Those gorgeous galaxy panels; mwah!
Despite all these compliments, I can't help but feel like the middle section is structured so strangely. It feels like it was designed for an undivided trade, since I can't even imagine buying 3 separate issues of the same confusing thing. But even so, the trade makes a full stop every time an issue ends. The storytelling is still excellent, but the way the trade (which is otherwise flawless and lovely) is structured kills my enthusiasm for a good bit. I think that's my only gripe.
It's clever, it's layered, it's a beautiful progression for Marc's character, and it's just good comics. I'm glad this exists.
January 1, 2019
Probably one of the best comic books I have ever read
June 1, 2024
After watching the Moon Knight series on Disney +, I decided to check out this run of the character, and LeMire and Smallwood have crafted a fantastic introduction!
Smallwood’s dark-yet-dreamy art is GORGEOUS in every issue, and drew me in immediately. The narrative feels fresh among many cookie-cutter superhero storylines, as it provides a compelling glimpse into Marc/Steven/Jake’s dissociative identity disorder. It’s emotional, gripping, delirious, and fantastical in all the right ways.
This was my first taste of Moon Knight lore, and it got me hooked on the character. Long-time fans may have other suggestions, but I’d say this is a great place to start if you’re looking to get into Moon Knight!
Smallwood’s dark-yet-dreamy art is GORGEOUS in every issue, and drew me in immediately. The narrative feels fresh among many cookie-cutter superhero storylines, as it provides a compelling glimpse into Marc/Steven/Jake’s dissociative identity disorder. It’s emotional, gripping, delirious, and fantastical in all the right ways.
This was my first taste of Moon Knight lore, and it got me hooked on the character. Long-time fans may have other suggestions, but I’d say this is a great place to start if you’re looking to get into Moon Knight!
August 11, 2024
after watching the show moon knight and then rewatching it another 6 or so times I decided I was interested in taking a look into the characters of marc spector, steven grant and jake lockley and let me tell you lemire’s 2016 run was exactly what needed to be read!! the beautifully confusing story of marc coming to terms with himself and his alters is actually so well done and explored perfectly. the complete collection not only gives you a deep dive into marc’s character from the moment you begin to read, but also introduces (or at least me) to new and equally as fascinating characters who are apart of his life.
and the ART. THE ARTT (which happened to be the reason I thought to read this moon knight run in the first place. I had seen a couple of panels). the art styles throughout each issue will literally keep you from moving to the next page for like 10 minutes at time because it is that good. having there be sudden shifts between art styles depending on who was being focused on was such an amazing decision to make. actually genius. the talent put into this is incredible and compliments everything.
definitely a must read if you don’t know Moon Knight well, and especially if you’ve watched the Disney+ show as I think a lot of inspiration was taken from this run!!! can guarantee that these issues will increase whatever interest you may have in Moon Knight in the comics or elsewhere in the mcu. one of the best marvel comics I’ve read so far and best purchase I’ve recently made I reckon . I’m gonna need like a good week or so to properly absorb this story. new favourite marvel hero. 5 stars |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|
and the ART. THE ARTT (which happened to be the reason I thought to read this moon knight run in the first place. I had seen a couple of panels). the art styles throughout each issue will literally keep you from moving to the next page for like 10 minutes at time because it is that good. having there be sudden shifts between art styles depending on who was being focused on was such an amazing decision to make. actually genius. the talent put into this is incredible and compliments everything.
definitely a must read if you don’t know Moon Knight well, and especially if you’ve watched the Disney+ show as I think a lot of inspiration was taken from this run!!! can guarantee that these issues will increase whatever interest you may have in Moon Knight in the comics or elsewhere in the mcu. one of the best marvel comics I’ve read so far and best purchase I’ve recently made I reckon . I’m gonna need like a good week or so to properly absorb this story. new favourite marvel hero. 5 stars |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|
February 21, 2022
Moon Knight collects issues 1-14 of the Marvel Comics series written by Jeff Lemire and art by Greg Smallwood.
Marc Spector awakens to find himself in a mental asylum to learn he has been a patient receiving treatment since he was 12 and that all his memories of being Moon Knight were just a figment of his imagination. Now Marc is fighting for who he truly is and his place in the world.
I love Jeff Lemire's creator owned work but I have disappointed with every superhero book I have read by him. This book feels like Tom King's recent DC books (Mister Miracle, Rorschach, and Strange Adventures), but doesn't have the same meaningful stories to tell or emotional impact. I think the hook for the book was good, it just wasn't executed well. I found myself quickly getting bored every time I picked it up and found the pacing very messy. The art was pretty good throughout, but not enough to save it unfortunately.
Marc Spector awakens to find himself in a mental asylum to learn he has been a patient receiving treatment since he was 12 and that all his memories of being Moon Knight were just a figment of his imagination. Now Marc is fighting for who he truly is and his place in the world.
I love Jeff Lemire's creator owned work but I have disappointed with every superhero book I have read by him. This book feels like Tom King's recent DC books (Mister Miracle, Rorschach, and Strange Adventures), but doesn't have the same meaningful stories to tell or emotional impact. I think the hook for the book was good, it just wasn't executed well. I found myself quickly getting bored every time I picked it up and found the pacing very messy. The art was pretty good throughout, but not enough to save it unfortunately.
April 24, 2022
Jeff Lemire's 2016-17 run on Moon Knight is a fantastic foray into the mental illness that Marc Spector has been struggling with since childhood. A kaleidoscope of images by five different artists illustrates the cascading storylines that frenetically jump back and forth among the protagonist’s separate identities from childhood into the distant future, giving shape to the mental trauma Spector is trying to navigate. Spector’s schizophrenia/dissociative identity disorder has landed him in a mental hospital here. Or maybe it hasn’t. Neither Spector nor the reader can ever be quite sure at any point in the volume whether what is happening on the page is actually occurring or only another layer of hallucination in Spector's troubled mind. For me, who has recently been doing a deep dive into Moon Knight, this has been a fascinating reading experience and maybe the best MK I've read so far.
As Spector's mind takes this tortuous trip through time and space, fans of Moon Knight from way way back will be treated to a number of figures and scenes from some of the earliest MK comics resurfacing here as Spector’s mind swings from place to place. You’ll see Midnight Man and Bushman and Man with the Goofy Vacuum Tubes Stuck in His Head. One special treat is a spastic space-tastic futuristic extended hallucination featuring the return of Lupinar and his werewolf forces on the moon. And more recent fans of MK's Disney Plus series will be interested to discover what a debt of inspiration last week's Episode 4 owes to Lemire here. In particular I appreciated seeing some of Spector's childhood in Chicago where his illness first began overwhelming his young mind, long before his first appearance in Werewolf by Night or his life-changing encounter in the desert with Khonshu.
As Spector's mind takes this tortuous trip through time and space, fans of Moon Knight from way way back will be treated to a number of figures and scenes from some of the earliest MK comics resurfacing here as Spector’s mind swings from place to place. You’ll see Midnight Man and Bushman and Man with the Goofy Vacuum Tubes Stuck in His Head. One special treat is a spastic space-tastic futuristic extended hallucination featuring the return of Lupinar and his werewolf forces on the moon. And more recent fans of MK's Disney Plus series will be interested to discover what a debt of inspiration last week's Episode 4 owes to Lemire here. In particular I appreciated seeing some of Spector's childhood in Chicago where his illness first began overwhelming his young mind, long before his first appearance in Werewolf by Night or his life-changing encounter in the desert with Khonshu.
May 25, 2024
4.5⭐
I became a fan instantly when I watched the first season of Moon Knight 2 years ago.
And after reading this my love towards this troubled super hero multiplied
To be honest, it was quite confusing at times but the artwork and the plot was worth every minute spent on it.
I love you Mark
I love you Steven
I love you Jake
I love you Moon Knight
I never thought I would enjoy Comics/ Graphic novels, but moving forward I will be reading more of them.
I became a fan instantly when I watched the first season of Moon Knight 2 years ago.
And after reading this my love towards this troubled super hero multiplied
To be honest, it was quite confusing at times but the artwork and the plot was worth every minute spent on it.
I love you Mark
I love you Steven
I love you Jake
I love you Moon Knight
I never thought I would enjoy Comics/ Graphic novels, but moving forward I will be reading more of them.
August 18, 2025
Puede que sea de los mejores cómics que he leído, aunque entendería por que podría no gustarle a muchos fans de Moon Knight. Pero las calificaciones son personales y yo no soy ningún crítico.
Para empezar, el estilo de Smallwood me parece el más acertado para el contenido. Puede pasar de ser estilistico en los trajes, mezclandose con el fondo, a representar ropa militar de forma que tampoco parece caricaturesca. Es un punto intermedio entre realismo y estilismo que, como artista, aprecio mucho. Me resulta muy interesante y agradable a la vista el toque de cera en el lineart y las sombras, aunque también hay que decir que parte del gusto está en que no hay sombras duras como en muchos otros estilos de comic.
En cuanto a la escritura de Lemire, creo que es el mejor acercamiento al carácter y la psicología de Moon Knight y sus personalidades. Por supuesto, no es porque sea una representación muy fiel del TID, sino porque al menos, al contrario que los autores anteriores, sí hace un esfuerzo por intentar acercarse a uno de los aspectos más interesantes del personaje. Puedo esperar que muchos se quejen de la confusión, de no saber qué es real, pero personalmente diría que es uno de los aspectos más interesantes de la obra. No es raro ni nuevo dudar de si Khonshu es real y otra fabricación de Marc, pero lo importante no es solo planear la duda y confusión, sino cerrar y concluir. Algunos lo hacen dando una solución fija a qué es la realidad dentro de la obra (Khonshu es real o no es real), en este caso la conclusión es . Tampoco puedo decir que sea mi conclusión preferida, pero es original, y eso lo hace en mi opinión mucho mejor.
En cuanto a lo negativo, o lo que no me ha gustado, puedo decir que todo tiene su doble filo: el estilo, aunque original, a ratos puede parecer fuera de lugar. Con el tiempo he aprendido que no es tanto gusto por la anatomía, sino saber estilizar la anatomía para hacerla agradable. Smallwood es realista, carece de esa modificación en la anatomía que normalmente hace una obra más vistosa y agradable. Esto ni siquiera es personal, personalmente prefiero algo más anatomicamente correcto, pero es algo que espero que hayan tenido en cuenta al escoger a Smallwood para la obra. Prefiero mil veces esta pequeña crítica en arte para cómic, si a cambio se puede conseguir los diseños de página y combinación con el fondo, o información visual (los rallones para señalar lo sobrenatural de Khonshu, por ejemplo).
En cuanto a Lemire, he de decir que la decisión de hacer a los dioses parte de un "otherworld" o como sea que lo llamaran... Podría ser suficiente como para bajarle una estrella, pero voy a justificarlo con que no es una obra individual, sino que debe casar con el resto de Marvel. Si tienes varios dioses (Thor, por decir uno), es normal que no puedan dejar que todos sean dioses a la vez. No sería culpa de Lemire tener que trabajar alrededor de esto. No deja de ser como una espina.
Dicho todo esto, es muy posible que este comic entre en mi top 5 o incluso 3 cómics. Quizás no de forma permanente, pero va a ser complicado superarlo.
Tal como esperaba, no ha decepcionado en absoluto, y me alegra que los creadores de la serie tomaran este cómic como referencia antes de, por ejemplo, la run de Huston. Aunque he empezado la run de Bemis, y es obvio que han tomado gran inspiración en esa run también, sobre todo con .
Para empezar, el estilo de Smallwood me parece el más acertado para el contenido. Puede pasar de ser estilistico en los trajes, mezclandose con el fondo, a representar ropa militar de forma que tampoco parece caricaturesca. Es un punto intermedio entre realismo y estilismo que, como artista, aprecio mucho. Me resulta muy interesante y agradable a la vista el toque de cera en el lineart y las sombras, aunque también hay que decir que parte del gusto está en que no hay sombras duras como en muchos otros estilos de comic.
En cuanto a la escritura de Lemire, creo que es el mejor acercamiento al carácter y la psicología de Moon Knight y sus personalidades. Por supuesto, no es porque sea una representación muy fiel del TID, sino porque al menos, al contrario que los autores anteriores, sí hace un esfuerzo por intentar acercarse a uno de los aspectos más interesantes del personaje. Puedo esperar que muchos se quejen de la confusión, de no saber qué es real, pero personalmente diría que es uno de los aspectos más interesantes de la obra. No es raro ni nuevo dudar de si Khonshu es real y otra fabricación de Marc, pero lo importante no es solo planear la duda y confusión, sino cerrar y concluir. Algunos lo hacen dando una solución fija a qué es la realidad dentro de la obra (Khonshu es real o no es real), en este caso la conclusión es . Tampoco puedo decir que sea mi conclusión preferida, pero es original, y eso lo hace en mi opinión mucho mejor.
En cuanto a lo negativo, o lo que no me ha gustado, puedo decir que todo tiene su doble filo: el estilo, aunque original, a ratos puede parecer fuera de lugar. Con el tiempo he aprendido que no es tanto gusto por la anatomía, sino saber estilizar la anatomía para hacerla agradable. Smallwood es realista, carece de esa modificación en la anatomía que normalmente hace una obra más vistosa y agradable. Esto ni siquiera es personal, personalmente prefiero algo más anatomicamente correcto, pero es algo que espero que hayan tenido en cuenta al escoger a Smallwood para la obra. Prefiero mil veces esta pequeña crítica en arte para cómic, si a cambio se puede conseguir los diseños de página y combinación con el fondo, o información visual (los rallones para señalar lo sobrenatural de Khonshu, por ejemplo).
En cuanto a Lemire, he de decir que la decisión de hacer a los dioses parte de un "otherworld" o como sea que lo llamaran... Podría ser suficiente como para bajarle una estrella, pero voy a justificarlo con que no es una obra individual, sino que debe casar con el resto de Marvel. Si tienes varios dioses (Thor, por decir uno), es normal que no puedan dejar que todos sean dioses a la vez. No sería culpa de Lemire tener que trabajar alrededor de esto. No deja de ser como una espina.
Dicho todo esto, es muy posible que este comic entre en mi top 5 o incluso 3 cómics. Quizás no de forma permanente, pero va a ser complicado superarlo.
Tal como esperaba, no ha decepcionado en absoluto, y me alegra que los creadores de la serie tomaran este cómic como referencia antes de, por ejemplo, la run de Huston. Aunque he empezado la run de Bemis, y es obvio que han tomado gran inspiración en esa run también, sobre todo con .
March 17, 2020
14 issues of therapy for the man known as Moon Knight. Not my favorite run for this character, as that would be Ellis's, but perhaps the most relevant and deeply thought out. The vigilante superhero as scism personality, literally. Walk in the shoes of Marc Spector and across the surface of his mind as he confronts and makes peace with his DID. Poignant, and the art is great and used to good effect.
November 23, 2021
4 stars
i can accept him for who he is
i can accept him for who he is
November 15, 2018
”He’s a Paranoid Schizophrenic”
Well goddamn. From what I remember the only Jeff Lemire books I’ve read recently was The Teen Titans Earth One series. Which was y’know okay. Nothing special. This Moon Knight comic is truly special. My new favourite Moon Knight comic. Even if this isn’t what I’d recommend if someone wants to jump into Moon Knight. I’ll cover that in DETAIL after my thoughts on the book.
Having taken a long journey with these characters for 2 months now everything I’ve read has come to a head now. This is truly one of the best books I’ve read recently and one of the best of the year. Marc Spector is far and away the most complex character I’ve ever read about. And you could argue that it’s because he’s fucking crazy, but I feel it's because he has such an evolution from issue 1 to Huston’s run to Ellis’s run to now. And this book stays true to his seemingly endless character traits, morals, and significant points in his history. He is just as compelling of a lead as he was in Huston’s run. He is a lot nicer though. Seeing as this entire book is just a schizophrenic explosion in Spector’s mind, it will analyze him and his past in the best ways and tie ALL OF IT into his relationship with Khonshu. I mean Jesus it’s absolutely incredible how Lemire did this. I’ve said it about a million times that Marc and Khonshu make up one of the best duos in Marvel’s history. And my god it all pays off here. Khonshu was always an absolute dick of a god and he still is here. But just on a side note, I can’t really name a time Marc Spector did something right for Khonshu. This book is fucking trippy and sometimes borders on complete nonsense but never crosses the line. There is only one or two minute things that I still don’t understand. The comprehensiveness of the book is something I was afraid of, but having read it I can safely say that Moon Knight readers will understand fine. Another thing I find crazy is that you would be hard pressed to find another character that you could apply this plot to. Because I’m saying you probably can’t. This book isn’t a formula. It’s like when everybody was saying that Spider-Man Reign was gonna be like The Dark Knight Returns but for Spider-Man. And it did not go that way AT ALL. The reason this book is awesome is because these events are happening to the character of Marc Spector. And ya if you haven’t figured it out already this book does not follow a formulaic type if storytelling either. The panels are shaped like fucking Pyramids for God’s sake! You can really feel the love and effort Lemire and the artists gave to this project.
When I was about a little over halfway through the book I said to myself, usually I’d have found at least 3 things I didn’t like about the book but nah. There was zero problems at that point. Something this book does is immerse the reader in beautiful cinematic moments that flow so well you can probably spend a half a second on each non dialogue panel and still get the same impact. There are 2 standout cinematic moments. The first one involves a spaceship and a cab, AND the best has to do with Marc Spector “falling from a large distance”. I know how stupid that sounded but I just want to talk about this book without giving away too many spoilers. This book could be a storyboard for a movie with some really great cinematography. What Jeff Lemire does with these multiple personalities is something that just hasn’t been done before in Moon Knight. Because of this the book provides some mind-blowing moments that just made my “OOH DAMN!” meter go crazy. Really pay attention to the characters Billy and Bobby. Because when the past gets blended with the present there is a oh shit moment hidden but not reeally hidden in the section. Don’t I sound like I’m insane right now? Well that’s what the entire book is gonna feel like. Comprehensive but bat shit insane. The book goes as far as to beg the question “was there even a Moon Knight at all?” And you could actually consider that possibility. There is enough evidence for it. Speaking of the past this book also manages to squeeze in a section about Marc Spector’s past as a kid leading up to his present state. Yes that does mean the book partially re-does issue 1 from the 1970s. And to be completely honest, the parts of the issue the book does re-do, it does better. That make sense? No? Good moving on. While exploring the book also retcons something about Marc Spector’s relation with Khonshu. And to be honest it’s aight. It doesn’t really matter to me if this is now canon or not. Man Khonshu has gone through a lot of forms. The statue, a straight up talking moon, a faceless Bushman, and now the bird skull dude. I wished that it would stay the same for all of them but that's just a little nitpick. The faceless bushman was definitely the most dick of the bunch.
Now of course even though I think this is an incredible feat in Moon Knight’s history, I still have some problems that bugged me. They are all really just opinion based however. ONE: A certain decision is made with Spector’s personalities. And I LOVED IT. It was sooooo good and soooo well done BUT then it’s undone in the next section of the book. And with the “thing” that happened having so much finality and closure to undo that just doesn’t make sense to me.TWO: The dialogue doesn’t exactly have enough bite to it. I’m gonna compare this book to Moon Knight The Bottom by Charlie Huston. There is a scene with Marc and Marlene arguing about Marc’s stupid behaviour. The dialogue just grips you because it’s so damn realistic and perfectly captured what an emotional banter would sound like. This book lacked a scene like that. I ain’t saying that the dialogue was written poorly but I can only think of one scene where the dialogue surpassed whatever action was going on. Remarkably though exposition is minimal. Most of what needs to be told to audience is found out through imagery or just what we figure out ourselves. THREE: This one isn’t REALLY a problem and in some way it is. I’ll elaborate. This follows the same road as the dialogue. Since Moon Knight The Bottom is more grounded in reality, the human aspect is very strong. That’s the one thing I always require in a comic. A strong human element to make the story more relatable and compelling. Now again don’t get me wrong this book is the definition of compelling but you know what I mean. NOW there is yet another way to interpret what I’m saying that makes my point a moot one. I do not have mental illness or any of the brain illnesses Marc Spector has. So I guess in terms of the mental illness Marc has it’s explored in the most human way possible. Maybe. That would be a maybe.
Aight here we go. This book IS SO BEAUTIFUL. Hands down one of the best looking books I’ve ever read and definitely my favourite looking Moon Knight book. Sorry David Finch. In particular Greg Smallwood. I don’t even know how to describe his masterful style. He has such a clean, vivid, and expressive style and it’s truly some of the best art I’ve seen in a comic book. I say that so often that it's probably losing meaning, but I can’t help it man. When I was looking at each of the panels I was thinking I couldn’t replicate this if you gave me a week to do it. I just I dunno man. His art is honestly up there with Clay Mann’s, Miller’s early stuff, David Lloyd, Steve Dillon’s ect. I want fuckin posters of the stuff that Smallwood drew here. In particular the Egyptian style New York setting. Amazing. Remember me talking about those crazy cinematic moments? Well the artists deserve the credit for capturing them so well. The is 5 different art styles that correspond to each character or pair of characters. Flashback/hallucinations, Marc Spector/Mr. Knight, Jake Lockley/Moon Knight, and Steven Grant, and the astronaut. Each style fits so frickin well man. ESPECIALLY Francavella’s noir lush style for Lockley/Moon Knight. I also really love the flashback/hallucination art by Smallwood. Everything is really scratchy and dreamlike. Which is exactly what they were going for I assume. If you are reading this book and are the kind of person who mainly focuses on story, please take a second to appreciate the fuck out of the art like I did. It is absolutely stunning and worth the price by it self.
I want to give this book an A+. I reeeeeeallly want to. But I don’t think this book quite reaches the status of a “Masterpiece”. It’s a brilliantly written character study with gorgeous lavish art but the problems I mentioned before are enough to knock it down. But either way of course if you haven’t noticed from the 1200 word review I just made, this is a strong recommend from me because that adds more to character of Moon Knight than any other book. It’s also just a blast. I enjoyed the shit out of it, and when I wasnt reading the book I wanted to. And if you are a Moon Knight fan and truly understand the character, you should have already read this.
Letter Grade: (A)
Reading requirements
Aight if you are thinking of diving into Jeff Lemire’s All New All Different Moon Knight run PLEASE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!!!!, read Moon Knight #1-2 by Doug Moech and Charlie Huston’s Moon Knight run from 2006. Not only will you get an understanding of Marc Spector’s insane character but everything and everybody around him will seem familiar because you have context. You also get to see Spector’s descent into madness from the very beginning and when he was actually on the streets fighting crime. It just makes sense and this book will be 10times better if you have context. It’s like somebody asking if they should start reading John Constantine Hellblazer with Dangerous Habits. Of course not! You need to know what happened in the past so that character relationships you read about aren’t just surface level first name basis interactions. You’ll know the complex histories between Marc, Gena, Crawley, Frenchie, and Marlene. Anyway just something to think about. I recommend you read only volumes 1 and 3 of The Marvel Now! Moon Knight. I wasn’t a big fan of any of the volumes but 1 and 3 are the best and disconnected from 2.
Well goddamn. From what I remember the only Jeff Lemire books I’ve read recently was The Teen Titans Earth One series. Which was y’know okay. Nothing special. This Moon Knight comic is truly special. My new favourite Moon Knight comic. Even if this isn’t what I’d recommend if someone wants to jump into Moon Knight. I’ll cover that in DETAIL after my thoughts on the book.
Having taken a long journey with these characters for 2 months now everything I’ve read has come to a head now. This is truly one of the best books I’ve read recently and one of the best of the year. Marc Spector is far and away the most complex character I’ve ever read about. And you could argue that it’s because he’s fucking crazy, but I feel it's because he has such an evolution from issue 1 to Huston’s run to Ellis’s run to now. And this book stays true to his seemingly endless character traits, morals, and significant points in his history. He is just as compelling of a lead as he was in Huston’s run. He is a lot nicer though. Seeing as this entire book is just a schizophrenic explosion in Spector’s mind, it will analyze him and his past in the best ways and tie ALL OF IT into his relationship with Khonshu. I mean Jesus it’s absolutely incredible how Lemire did this. I’ve said it about a million times that Marc and Khonshu make up one of the best duos in Marvel’s history. And my god it all pays off here. Khonshu was always an absolute dick of a god and he still is here. But just on a side note, I can’t really name a time Marc Spector did something right for Khonshu. This book is fucking trippy and sometimes borders on complete nonsense but never crosses the line. There is only one or two minute things that I still don’t understand. The comprehensiveness of the book is something I was afraid of, but having read it I can safely say that Moon Knight readers will understand fine. Another thing I find crazy is that you would be hard pressed to find another character that you could apply this plot to. Because I’m saying you probably can’t. This book isn’t a formula. It’s like when everybody was saying that Spider-Man Reign was gonna be like The Dark Knight Returns but for Spider-Man. And it did not go that way AT ALL. The reason this book is awesome is because these events are happening to the character of Marc Spector. And ya if you haven’t figured it out already this book does not follow a formulaic type if storytelling either. The panels are shaped like fucking Pyramids for God’s sake! You can really feel the love and effort Lemire and the artists gave to this project.
When I was about a little over halfway through the book I said to myself, usually I’d have found at least 3 things I didn’t like about the book but nah. There was zero problems at that point. Something this book does is immerse the reader in beautiful cinematic moments that flow so well you can probably spend a half a second on each non dialogue panel and still get the same impact. There are 2 standout cinematic moments. The first one involves a spaceship and a cab, AND the best has to do with Marc Spector “falling from a large distance”. I know how stupid that sounded but I just want to talk about this book without giving away too many spoilers. This book could be a storyboard for a movie with some really great cinematography. What Jeff Lemire does with these multiple personalities is something that just hasn’t been done before in Moon Knight. Because of this the book provides some mind-blowing moments that just made my “OOH DAMN!” meter go crazy. Really pay attention to the characters Billy and Bobby. Because when the past gets blended with the present there is a oh shit moment hidden but not reeally hidden in the section. Don’t I sound like I’m insane right now? Well that’s what the entire book is gonna feel like. Comprehensive but bat shit insane. The book goes as far as to beg the question “was there even a Moon Knight at all?” And you could actually consider that possibility. There is enough evidence for it. Speaking of the past this book also manages to squeeze in a section about Marc Spector’s past as a kid leading up to his present state. Yes that does mean the book partially re-does issue 1 from the 1970s. And to be completely honest, the parts of the issue the book does re-do, it does better. That make sense? No? Good moving on. While exploring the book also retcons something about Marc Spector’s relation with Khonshu. And to be honest it’s aight. It doesn’t really matter to me if this is now canon or not. Man Khonshu has gone through a lot of forms. The statue, a straight up talking moon, a faceless Bushman, and now the bird skull dude. I wished that it would stay the same for all of them but that's just a little nitpick. The faceless bushman was definitely the most dick of the bunch.
Now of course even though I think this is an incredible feat in Moon Knight’s history, I still have some problems that bugged me. They are all really just opinion based however. ONE: A certain decision is made with Spector’s personalities. And I LOVED IT. It was sooooo good and soooo well done BUT then it’s undone in the next section of the book. And with the “thing” that happened having so much finality and closure to undo that just doesn’t make sense to me.TWO: The dialogue doesn’t exactly have enough bite to it. I’m gonna compare this book to Moon Knight The Bottom by Charlie Huston. There is a scene with Marc and Marlene arguing about Marc’s stupid behaviour. The dialogue just grips you because it’s so damn realistic and perfectly captured what an emotional banter would sound like. This book lacked a scene like that. I ain’t saying that the dialogue was written poorly but I can only think of one scene where the dialogue surpassed whatever action was going on. Remarkably though exposition is minimal. Most of what needs to be told to audience is found out through imagery or just what we figure out ourselves. THREE: This one isn’t REALLY a problem and in some way it is. I’ll elaborate. This follows the same road as the dialogue. Since Moon Knight The Bottom is more grounded in reality, the human aspect is very strong. That’s the one thing I always require in a comic. A strong human element to make the story more relatable and compelling. Now again don’t get me wrong this book is the definition of compelling but you know what I mean. NOW there is yet another way to interpret what I’m saying that makes my point a moot one. I do not have mental illness or any of the brain illnesses Marc Spector has. So I guess in terms of the mental illness Marc has it’s explored in the most human way possible. Maybe. That would be a maybe.
Aight here we go. This book IS SO BEAUTIFUL. Hands down one of the best looking books I’ve ever read and definitely my favourite looking Moon Knight book. Sorry David Finch. In particular Greg Smallwood. I don’t even know how to describe his masterful style. He has such a clean, vivid, and expressive style and it’s truly some of the best art I’ve seen in a comic book. I say that so often that it's probably losing meaning, but I can’t help it man. When I was looking at each of the panels I was thinking I couldn’t replicate this if you gave me a week to do it. I just I dunno man. His art is honestly up there with Clay Mann’s, Miller’s early stuff, David Lloyd, Steve Dillon’s ect. I want fuckin posters of the stuff that Smallwood drew here. In particular the Egyptian style New York setting. Amazing. Remember me talking about those crazy cinematic moments? Well the artists deserve the credit for capturing them so well. The is 5 different art styles that correspond to each character or pair of characters. Flashback/hallucinations, Marc Spector/Mr. Knight, Jake Lockley/Moon Knight, and Steven Grant, and the astronaut. Each style fits so frickin well man. ESPECIALLY Francavella’s noir lush style for Lockley/Moon Knight. I also really love the flashback/hallucination art by Smallwood. Everything is really scratchy and dreamlike. Which is exactly what they were going for I assume. If you are reading this book and are the kind of person who mainly focuses on story, please take a second to appreciate the fuck out of the art like I did. It is absolutely stunning and worth the price by it self.
I want to give this book an A+. I reeeeeeallly want to. But I don’t think this book quite reaches the status of a “Masterpiece”. It’s a brilliantly written character study with gorgeous lavish art but the problems I mentioned before are enough to knock it down. But either way of course if you haven’t noticed from the 1200 word review I just made, this is a strong recommend from me because that adds more to character of Moon Knight than any other book. It’s also just a blast. I enjoyed the shit out of it, and when I wasnt reading the book I wanted to. And if you are a Moon Knight fan and truly understand the character, you should have already read this.
Letter Grade: (A)
Reading requirements
Aight if you are thinking of diving into Jeff Lemire’s All New All Different Moon Knight run PLEASE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!!!!, read Moon Knight #1-2 by Doug Moech and Charlie Huston’s Moon Knight run from 2006. Not only will you get an understanding of Marc Spector’s insane character but everything and everybody around him will seem familiar because you have context. You also get to see Spector’s descent into madness from the very beginning and when he was actually on the streets fighting crime. It just makes sense and this book will be 10times better if you have context. It’s like somebody asking if they should start reading John Constantine Hellblazer with Dangerous Habits. Of course not! You need to know what happened in the past so that character relationships you read about aren’t just surface level first name basis interactions. You’ll know the complex histories between Marc, Gena, Crawley, Frenchie, and Marlene. Anyway just something to think about. I recommend you read only volumes 1 and 3 of The Marvel Now! Moon Knight. I wasn’t a big fan of any of the volumes but 1 and 3 are the best and disconnected from 2.
May 26, 2022
I picked up Moon Knight last week as an out from a long TBR and reading slump but got hooked on the character soo much I ended up watching the TV show too. And boy, do I have a lot to say about this one...
What a frickin ride this was! Lemire and Smallwood dig their claws into what makes Marc tick and gives a post-modern take on his overdependent relationship with Khonshu, the Egyptian god of judgement. We, the reader along with Marc are made to contemplate on the morality of this relationship and the nature of reality itself to see figure how mentally broken Marc is. At times, it's acts as a mirror to stereotypical depictions of mental illness (DID in particular) in superhero (and mainstream) narratives, other times, it goes nuts with the implications and revels in enthusiastic escapism.
I'm low key mad at the TV show for adapting this storyline without any of the nuance or the sincerity. This one was a huge upgrade from the other Moon Knight comics I read- hell it felt more like an indie comic than a big superhero one and I'm glad for it. Also the use of different art styles to differentiate between Marc and his alters is just *chef's kiss*. Eager to check out more of Smallwood and Lemire's work after this. And looking forward to rereading this again soon.
What a frickin ride this was! Lemire and Smallwood dig their claws into what makes Marc tick and gives a post-modern take on his overdependent relationship with Khonshu, the Egyptian god of judgement. We, the reader along with Marc are made to contemplate on the morality of this relationship and the nature of reality itself to see figure how mentally broken Marc is. At times, it's acts as a mirror to stereotypical depictions of mental illness (DID in particular) in superhero (and mainstream) narratives, other times, it goes nuts with the implications and revels in enthusiastic escapism.
I'm low key mad at the TV show for adapting this storyline without any of the nuance or the sincerity. This one was a huge upgrade from the other Moon Knight comics I read- hell it felt more like an indie comic than a big superhero one and I'm glad for it. Also the use of different art styles to differentiate between Marc and his alters is just *chef's kiss*. Eager to check out more of Smallwood and Lemire's work after this. And looking forward to rereading this again soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2022
WOW! This run was incredible. The MCU Moon Knight show pales in comparison to this. Billy and Bobby were a funny comedic duo (but they were also a big threat to Marc. So, they weren't there just for comic relief). I also liked the fact that even Gods like Anubis had feelings, and the fact that he asked Marc to rescue his wife Anput, just adds to that. Now, I have to say that this comic handled Marc, Jake and Steven much better than the show. They made Marc more human here and we got to see his mental struggles. As for Steven, he wasn't treated as this joke of a character like the show (where they had Khonshu insult him all the time). And lastly, they didn't treat Jake as a 'villain' like the show did for some weird reason. The art was absolutely beautiful and the writing felt real and with certain gravitas. The ending was satisfying and I legit felt happy that they destroyed Khonshu and that they were free to live their lives. Oh, I also wanted to mention that despite them not having a lot of time to shine, the comic made me care a ton about Moon Knight's friends (Crawley, Jean-Paul etc.)
Overall, this was an amazing comic and I would highly suggest that you read it!
Overall, this was an amazing comic and I would highly suggest that you read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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