What’s Inside:

Moon Knight engages in a daring chase, taking out two cars of warring gang members, while reminiscing about his past, his time with the West Coast Avengers, and his former allies Frenchie and Marlene.

He manages to topple the cars, resulting in devastating explosions, gravely injuring all involved. He explains to the reader that these sorts of criminals are under the radar of the other super heroes within the Marvel Universe, which leaves the job of stopping them up to him.

The reader is then brought to reality, and by issue’s end we see that Moon Knight has been reduced to a penniless, broken, unkempt mess in a wheelchair. He drinks alone in his empty mansion, spitting upon the statue of the god Khonshu which gave him his heroic identity. He begs Khonshu to let him be a hero again.

Writer: Charlie Huston

Artist: David Finch

Colorist: Frank D’Armata

Publisher: Marvel

Why I Kept This Issue:

I actually read this issue in trade format before I owned it. However, since the launch of the new Moon Knight series, I have been on a HUGE Moon Knight kick, snatching up as many back issues of the character that I can. My boyfriend gave me this issue as a gift recently.

This artwork. Oh, boy. There is a time and a place for David Finch, and believe me, this issue is it (probably not so much Wonder Woman, but whatevs). His artwork is unbelievably detailed, and those colors? I don’t know much about comic art, but I’m guessing that getting dark and brooding colors just right is difficult to do.

As for the writing, I have to say that this is one of my all-time favorite first issues of a series. Knowing nothing of Moon Knight, reading this issue leaves you wanting so much more. Having a glimpse of him in all his badass glory, with just touches of his classic and convoluted backstory thrown in, and then ending in a “where is he now” moment, seeing our badass hero fallen from grace…such good shit!

Moon Knight is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters, so stay tuned.

Attached Memory:

When I see this cover, I think of the day I named my dog. I read this issue in its trade form in October of 2009, reviewing it for work. I had ordered it for the library’s collection and wanted to see just what it was I was putting on our shelf.

Three days earlier, I had put my name on reservation for a little dog who was destined to become my bestest little buddy. I will reveal more memories of adopting my Poof Dog at a later date. My coworkers knew about the dog, because I couldn’t shut the fuck about it really. I was borrowing books about dog ownership and all kinds of stuff, reading up on his breed. I had five days to decide if I wanted to adopt him or not.

My coworkers asked me what I was planning on naming him. I told them I wasn’t sure. And while I was reading this Moon Knight story, a coworker came to the desk and said, “If he’s a little black dog, how about ‘Onyx’?”

And there it was. It was perfect. Simple and perfect. I didn’t even know the dog very thoroughly yet, but I knew that Onyx was his name. The shelter had given him the name Clark, but I knew that was not him. No, he was Onyx, and he will be Onyx forever.

Condition of My Copy: Moon Knight is white so the bad guys can see him coming, and Onyx is black, but both are perfect.