The Official Moon Knight Thread

[TheCorpulent1]

I've never liked Jessica Drew, so it's a nice bit of validation for me.

 

[NDX]

I don't think she's that bad, but she's an indicator that not even Bendis can make a C-Lister sell if not everything is aligned right.

Some series are just bad, and that was a bad series.

 

[Dread]

Some series are just bad, and that was a bad series.

If quality alone mattered, Bendis' Avengers titles would not be top sellers. You almost never hear anyone talk about how "good" they are. No. You hear how "important" they are. To a degree, that matters the most for a book's sales these days. The franchise and the creative team are big factors too, but retailers and fans feeling a title is "important" usually is that extra oomph. I mean, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN has tailed off lately, and why? It isn't very important anymore.

That's the hurdle with Moon Knight; you could have Barack Obama write it, but if it wasn't seen as important, sales are only going to go up so much. Still, it will likely boost them. Given how Bendis links all his books, it is odd that he'll be writing Moon Knight solo yet Brubaker will write him in an Avengers book. Granted, Brubaker has mastered Bendis' art of having most of his cast aside for 1-3 characters do nothing but fight in the background and get in a few functionary lines. Think about it; Iron Fist has been part of Bendis' line up for about 3-4 years, and only NOW is he doing ANYTHING even remotely relevant.

 

[Hound55]

If quality alone mattered, Bendis' Avengers titles would not be top sellers. You almost never hear anyone talk about how "good" they are. No. You hear how "important" they are. To a degree, that matters the most for a book's sales these days. The franchise and the creative team are big factors too, but retailers and fans feeling a title is "important" usually is that extra oomph. I mean, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN has tailed off lately, and why? It isn't very important anymore.

That's the hurdle with Moon Knight; you could have Barack Obama write it, but if it wasn't seen as important, sales are only going to go up so much. Still, it will likely boost them. Given how Bendis links all his books, it is odd that he'll be writing Moon Knight solo yet Brubaker will write him in an Avengers book. Granted, Brubaker has mastered Bendis' art of having most of his cast aside for 1-3 characters do nothing but fight in the background and get in a few functionary lines. Think about it; Iron Fist has been part of Bendis' line up for about 3-4 years, and only NOW is he doing ANYTHING even remotely relevant.

Co-sign.

 

[Hound55]

MOON KNIGHT, BABY!

 

[Nightwing 52]

It's not showing up.

 

[Hound55]

Damn...

 

[Nightwing 52]

What is it?

 

[Hound55]

Went and hosted it myself...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

My first thought was "ROCKY!"

 

[Vartha]

My first thought was "ROCKY!"

hahahaha

 

[Nightwing 52]

Went and hosted it myself...

Haha.

 

[Nightwing 52]

Shadowland: Moon Knight #3 preview!

 

[venom892]

You know why I like the ideas presented in the mini it feels like it's going at breakneck speed and Hurwitz isn't really exploring the ideas he's presenting.I think it would have benefited from an extra issue or two.

 

[Dread]

To be honest, this story probably should have been the second arc of VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT. Instead Hurwitz went on a merry go round of random adventures guest starring other random characters (Deadpool, Spider-Man, and the Secret Avengers), and while they were all enjoyable reads, and the last issue did sell well enough to warrant a reprint and was nice and timely, it gave the impression that there were no ideas left. It could have been an editorial decision, to save this story for the SHADOWLAND 3 part mini, for...some reason. Unless Moon Knight really does find that Maguffin and stabs DD with it in SHADOWLAND #5, I don't see this really being too vital to the event itself. I just read it as VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #11-13.

Having Randall come back isn't a bad idea. I'm less sold on giving him random eye-beam powers. But it underscores the reality that Moon Knight is so desperate for villains that the few he had have to always be resurrected.

In terms of sales, SHADOWLAND: MOON KNIGHT has been selling better than the last few issues of VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT did, which is always positive. In fact it may be the best selling SL side mini besides DAREDEVIL.

 

[Hound55]

Having Randall come back isn't a bad idea. I'm less sold on giving him random eye-beam powers. But it underscores the reality that Moon Knight is so desperate for villains that the few he had have to always be resurrected.

This really warrants repeating.

 

[Harlekin]

To be honest, this story probably should have been the second arc of VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT. Instead Hurwitz went on a merry go round of random adventures guest starring other random characters (Deadpool, Spider-Man, and the Secret Avengers), and while they were all enjoyable reads, and the last issue did sell well enough to warrant a reprint and was nice and timely, it gave the impression that there were no ideas left. It could have been an editorial decision, to save this story for the SHADOWLAND 3 part mini, for...some reason. Unless Moon Knight really does find that Maguffin and stabs DD with it in SHADOWLAND #5, I don't see this really being too vital to the event itself. I just read it as VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #11-13.

While I definitely agree that this should've just been included in the regular title, I do think the Spider-Man, Deadpool and Secret Avengers issues were editorially mandated. I'm pretty sure sales, while they might be relatively okay for a Moon Knight book, were lagging and as you noted, the Secret Avengers issue gave the title an extra boost. Too bad it was the last issue.

 

[Dread]

This really warrants repeating.

To expand, many franchises have struggled to create new villains since at least the end of the 90's. But Moon Knight's dilemma was his rogue's gallery wasn't as deep as, say, Spider-Man or Batman. I mean, it is nice to see Bushman or Midnight or Shadow Knight come back from the dead every run, but I do think at some point someone has to try to create some new ones. At the very least, Bendis and Maleev have the star power that they could make it stick.

While I definitely agree that this should've just been included in the regular title, I do think the Spider-Man, Deadpool and Secret Avengers issues were editorially mandated. I'm pretty sure sales, while they might be relatively okay for a Moon Knight book, were lagging and as you noted, the Secret Avengers issue gave the title an extra boost. Too bad it was the last issue.

Yes, it was likely mandated by editorial. MOON KNIGHT in 2006 was selling over 67k during the middle of Husten's opening run, which is amazing compared to sales for many comics now. Two years later, though, sales had fallen to less than half that. VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1 debuted at over 35k, which was a boost from where the prior volume ended. However, as with many Marvel tactics in '09, it was a trick that had been over utilized and thus had less effect. By issue six, sales were barely at 19k. There was a slight spike of some 1500+ copies for the Deadpool two parter, only for sales to dive to 18k for the Spidey issue. Sales went back up to above 19k for the 10th issue, which had the Secret Avengers (and was reprinted), but even that wasn't above where VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #5 sold.

SHADOWLAND: MOON KNIGHT #1 sold over 28k, while issue two in Sept. sold over 20,300 copies - that's a dive, but still above where VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT finished, for an extra dollar in cover price.

Marvel has actually seemed to always attempt to keep Moon Knight in print since 2006; they've been as tenacious about him as they've been with Black Panther. Even though I am far from enamored of Bendis' writing anymore, if he can't launch a Moon Knight series and have it remain selling decently 6 months later, no one may be able to.

 

[Hound55]

The only guy I'd think would be worth giving a shot if Bendis didn't work is Slott, personally.

 

[chiefchirpa]

Moon Knight need a major mastermind villain to elevate him to a higher status. Why not a depowered Seth? Or some warlord avatar of Anubis? I think Marvel needs to connect back MK with Africa & Egyptian Mythology.

Also, the New York street pulp is more Daredevil's or Heroes for Hire territory, MK should be about international crime underworld starting from African blood diamond/gun trafficking to South American drug problem. It's good to see if Spector's international merc background becoming useful in situations.

 

[Dread]

The only guy I'd think would be worth giving a shot if Bendis didn't work is Slott, personally.

While Dan Slott specifically said he "didn't like" that Khonshu's existence has been more of an outright thing than it used to be, which always gets me nervous when writers discuss the character, I'd be more willing to try his MK book than Bendis'. The latter, though, is a bigger profile writer and it should sell better under him.

Moon Knight need a major mastermind villain to elevate him to a higher status. Why not a depowered Seth? Or some warlord avatar of Anubis? I think Marvel needs to connect back MK with Africa & Egyptian Mythology.

Also, the New York street pulp is more Daredevil's or Heroes for Hire territory, MK should be about international crime underworld starting from African blood diamond/gun trafficking to South American drug problem. It's good to see if Spector's international merc background becoming useful in situations.

Why depower Seth? He could always be a mastermind behind stuff, and it isn't like Moon Knight doesn't have allies anymore. If anything, that might make an interesting Secret Avengers tale.

If Marvel was REALLY serious about Moon Knight being a "NY street pulp" character, he would have taken over the MAN WITHOUT FEAR mantle, rather than wrapping it around Black Panther (who hasn't been operating on the streets for years). Given how that would have only added buzz to a Bendis/Maleev run, it is perhaps a bit of editorial mismanagement that they didn't go that route

Still, those aren't bad suggestions. The elements to Moon Knight's world need to be embellished and played with, not always fretted about while he does DD Lite stories.

 

[chiefchirpa]

A temporarily decreased power Seth is better than no Seth at all. MK has to represent the practically ignored ancient egyptian myth, like Thor to the Nordic mythology and Herc to the ancient greek myth.

 

[aussie_dog]

The supernatural needs to be a bit more prominent in the book also the out & out freakish like one of novelist John Connolly's great villains Elias Pudd. All the stuff he's come up against has been slightly mundane, the usual gangsters and street fodder and its getting to be more of the usual when MK should be about both mundane the unusual and the freakish.

 

[Dread]

From this week's "T&A" with Tom Brevoort and Axel Alonso: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29274

Alonso: You live with these characters in your head 24/7. Take Moon Knight, for instance. You just know there's a commercial hook and/or creative team that could make that character an essential piece of the Marvel Universe – boom – someone like Bendis will give you his high concept, and that's it.

CBR: I was going to ask about this the other week, about the new "Moon Knight" series. Axel, will you be editing that one as you have the past few series with the character?

Alonso: Uh-uh. "Bye-bye, Moon Knight!" [Laughter] I love what Brian's going to do with the book.

Brevoort: I'm actually editing "Moon Knight" with Brian and Alex.

CBR: With that book still a bit off in the schedule, have you guys been trying to keep an extra tight lid on it to not get ahead of yourselves?

Brevoort: Yeah. Without talking about any of the specifics of "Moon Knight," the obvious analogy to draw is with a book I was an enormous fan of: Brian and Alex's "Daredevil." I think that was a superlative run. Obviously, Moon Knight is not the same character as Daredevil. He's going to be in a completely different place doing completely different things. He's got a different outlook on the world and his own demons that are different than the ones that drive Matt Murdock. But my hope and the hope of everyone here is to tap a little bit into the spirit and energy and anarchy that made their "Daredevil" run so exciting and enthralling on a month-to-month basis. We'll be able to tell you a little more about the specifics as we get closer, but I'm excited just to play with these guys and this character.

Nothing specific, but figured it was worth posting.

Note that being in Ed Brubaker's SECRET AVENGERS isn't enough to make Moon Knight "essential". You're nobody until Bendis writes you. I mean we fans sort of know he's the "numbah one ggguuuyyy" at Marvel, but this sort of confirms the editors are more than aware, and when they pretend otherwise, it's hokum.

Dread's Bendis-Knight Odds:

Odds Moon Knight will just be a crazy metahuman and Khonshu will be retconned out - 2:1
Odds Moon Knight's secret identity will be leaked to the media - 3:1
Odds many issues will involve monologues to walls - Even
Odds Moon Knight will face a villain every issue - 800 Trillion :1
Odds of at least one Moon Knight sex scene with Juvenile Dialogue - 3:1

Seriously, though, it will at least bring attention to the character. And it shows that Marvel haven't given up on him. If Bendis/Maleev can't make him a Top 25 seller, no one can.

 

[Hound55]

Personally, I think the last option in your odds is more likely than the first two...

May just be wishful thinking, but I figure Bendis has had his opportunity to make THAT version of Moon Knight in his Ultimate run, and while it's an interesting take on its own terms I think it would isolate a lot of the character's small cult fanbase while the character himself doesn't have a high enough profile to match it with new fans just because Bendis is writing it...