The Official Moon Knight Thread

[Nightwing]

From Tom Brevoort's blog:
Moon Knight, tell me about your future plans for him after Shadowland

Spoke at length to the writer who'll be doing something big with him in 2011 a week or so back. It's too soon to say more, but there are cool plans in place for Moon Knight.
"Something big"...I'm drawing blanks on that but it's got me excited. And I'm really wondering who this new writer is. Either VOTMK will be back or we're getting fresh #1 again. Though I think it'll be Vengeance. Still, I'm just glad they're still giving MK a chance!

[venom892]

It would be fantastic if we got at least a Moon Knight Mini by Brubaker!

[Saved]

Vengeance of the Moon Knight is officially cancelled - I just got my issue 10 from Marvel (subscriptions) and enclosed was a letter about issue 10 being the last issue. So if MK is coming back after Shadowland, it'll be a new title.

[venom892]

I really think Moon Knight is going to regulated to Secret Avengers and a Mini every now and then.I don't see marvel giving him another ongoing.

[Dread]

Yeah, VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT's sales were low enough to warrant cancellation. But Marvel is apparently trying to raise his profile with SECRET AVENGERS and SHADOWLAND. Whether that translates into sales for his next volume debut is unknown. Not even years on NEW AVENGERS/MIGHTY AVENGERS and being handled by Bendis & Maleev got SPIDER-WOMAN to last beyond six issues.

I continue to be amazed how must Marvel is pursuing Moon Knight since he was brought back to ongoing series in, what, 2004-2005? They really much see the potential in him. That, or they're hoping the "Marvel's Batman" criticism eventually translates into sales.

Since the SHADOWLAND mini is being written by the same guy who wrote VOTMK, they may as well be considered additional issues of that.

I wish Iron Fist was handled with this kind of dogged determination. :o

[Nightwing]

Atlast!

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5298/98shadowlandmoonknight3.jpg
SHADOWLAND: MOON KNIGHT #3 (of 3)
Written by GREGG HURWITZ
Pencils by BONG DAZO
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
As the gathered heroes continue their assault on Daredevil’s stronghold, Moon Knight is on a quest for the one artifact capable of defeating the Beast, the dark spirit currently controlling Daredevil. Standing in his way is the evil Shadow Knight, Khonshu’s new avatar and he’s determined to beat Moon Knight to the punch. But Moon Knight knows he cannot fail and he’s willing to do anything, even kill, to ensure Shadow Knight’s defeat. Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to superstar writer GREGG HURWITZ’s modern noir masterpiece!

32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
The solicit is in spoiler tags because it reveals a huge spoiler for Shadowland. So be warned!

[Nightwing]

This caught my eye when reading the Pint O' C.B. Fan Expo report: (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28104)
Numerous audience members were curious about the publication futures of a favorite character, such as Moon Knight (the creative team on an upcoming book will apparently be announced “by Canadian Thanksgiving”),

[Hound55]

Best news I've had all day!

[CaptainCraig]

So the rumor of VOTMK returning after the Shadowland mini are false?
Issue #10 was the last of that volume. ARGH!!!

[Nightwing]

So the rumor of VOTMK returning after the Shadowland mini are false?
Issue #10 was the last of that volume. ARGH!!!
Yep...Hell I never really payed attention to those "rumors" - once I saw the word hiatus mixed with this book I knew the end was near (:csad:), especially with how the book was selling. On the bright side, I'm glad they're still not giving up on MK and we'll be getting a new series and new team announced sooner or later.

Plus Shadowland: Moon Knight sold better than most of the other Shadowland tie-ins and I thought it was a good issue. For those who don't know:
Marlene's pregnant!

[Hound55]

Following on from Lone Wolf:

Well, considering how the issue ended, I think all we can really say is that at least she WAS pregnant, we won't really know until the next issue whether she still is.

[Nightwing]

From the new Cup O' Joe:

And finally, Curse_7781 (AKA Ricky G from Texas) chimed in wondering where a certain hero will end up after "Shadowland" when he asked "Any plans for Moon Knight comic series & character other than what's been presented in 'Shadowland' story-arc and 'Secret Avengers?' I was one of the folks that really dig the character and there is alot of story potential that is left with him without his series bring out right now (despite it being on-hold for the time being)...One of the few things that is leaving a big hole in the character is that Khonshu has chosen a new avatar, where does that leave the Marc Spector now as a hero?"

Brevoort: We've got huge, massive plans for Moon Knight, and you should be hearing about them in the next few weeks, likely around the time of the New York Comic Convention. So stay tuned! But Moon Knight will hardly be falling off the radar after "Shadowland" wraps up.
"Huge" and "massive" in the same sentence...Hope it lives up the hype. :D

[Dread]

Naturally, regardless of what happens in SHADOWLAND, Moon Knight is part of the Secret Avengers. That alone keeps him on the radar.

I do hope Marlene isn't about to be shoved into a fridge. :(

[Hound55]

Naturally, regardless of what happens in SHADOWLAND, Moon Knight is part of the Secret Avengers. That alone keeps him on the radar.

I do hope Marlene isn't about to be shoved into a fridge. :(
Intersting point, I figured since Shadow Knight is just being used by the Profile to draw MK out for Daredevil that it was more of a ploy to get his attention... hit him at his home. Not that he was still in the Mansion and not done with her yet.

[Dread]

Moon Knight is kind of like Daredevil - every time it seems they're on the up, that means the darkest stuff imaginable is about to happen. So right now the odds of Marlene making it for me are a coin toss. We'll see where Hurwitz takes it.

[Hound55]

Well Frenchie still lives there with his own military training, and we've seen Samuels rock the blunderbuss :woot: so we'll have to wait and see...

[Nightwing]

...Just caught up with this. Moon Knight as a Hero for Hire...MK in two team books?! That, along with a new series on the way. This MK fan couldn't be happier. I wonder how it'll play out though.

[Nightwing]

NYCC LIVE: Cup O' Joe (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28797)
Then they revealed that Bendis and Alex Maleev would work on a new "Moon Knight" series. The writer called it a "reinterpretation of the character" they came up with after being challenged by Quesada. "We came up with a hook for this that you've never seen before." Fans of the Icon series "Scarlet" by the pair will not stop publishing. They team will do both. Quesada compared the book to their run on "Daredevil" as one that will redefine the character.
Wow.

[NDX]

Now, I don't know if I like that. I was enjoying the direction Moon Knight was currently going in.

[Dread]

Ironically, had this come out not long after Bendis' run on DAREDEVIL ended, I'd be more gung ho about it. Bendis' strengths as a writer are for solo heroes and/or stories rooted in urban crime, and Moon Knight, like Daredevil, offers both. In theory this series, unlike Avengers or a damn lot of Bendis' work, should cater to his strengths. On the downside, well, it IS Bendis, and he's written a damn lot of rubbish since his run on DD ended. I've been burned by him so many times I really shouldn't try it again.

Corporate wise, it makes a lot of sense, and it should sell well, or at least better than Moon Knight's last ongoing title.

That said, it isn't like I'll have far to go for Moon Knight action without Bendis & Maleev. He's in SECRET AVENGERS and should be in HEROES FOR HIRE, at least for the first arc given the cover of the first issue (the cast is supposed to rotate). If anything, he may be popping up more than Daredevil or a few other heroes.

[Hound55]

I'm fine with it, so long as Bendis doesn't go all "Bendis" with the dialogue...

I wasn't a huge fan of Hurwitz' run myself and the Ultimate version of Moon Knight was an interesting enough idea that was underused.

[Kevin]

Tell you the truth, I would read this.

[Dread]

I'm fine with it, so long as Bendis doesn't go all "Bendis" with the dialogue...

I wasn't a huge fan of Hurwitz' run myself and the Ultimate version of Moon Knight was an interesting enough idea that was underused.

That's right, I forgot about Bendis' Ultimate Moon Knight. That was a version that had no supernatural connection; he was just mad as a hatter. The 616 Moon Knight has had enough intervention and interaction with Khonshu that it would be pretty daft to simply want to go back to the "is he really talking to a god or is he simply mad" angle. It is possible that a writer could go with, "he's mad BECAUSE he talks to a real god", but aside for hints here and there, I've never really seen that explored. The problem is Bendis has never met any piece of continuity that he couldn't ignore, abandon, or dismantle at a whim if he wanted to, even the continuity built up by writers he in theory is closer to, like Mark Millar, or even contradicting some of his own.

I always think many writers approach Moon Knight from a wrong angle. They get hung up on the multiple personality thing and latch onto the loony toon angle. While it is a key detail, I always saw Moon Knight as a pulp type hero with that supernatural connection; at this point it seems obvious that an Egyptian god does really empower and aid him, or even manipulates and torments him. In a universe where gods like Thor and Hercules are still fighting crime, that's hardly unusual. It also isn't unusual that the mere pressure of that sort of thing could drive a guy mad, as Specter (or now Lockley) has been. After all, there's always been a saying that went along the lines of, "If you talk to god, you're a priest, but if god talks back, you're a mad man". Even Dan Slott, though, misses the era when that was more ambiguous for Moon Knight; the thing is, I don't think Slot would as actively just retcon everything to make it so again. Bendis would do it over lunch. And if you want a pulp hero who has been bogged down by one retcon after the next, look at poor Ghost Rider.

Moon Knight's always been a character who's been on the outskirts, a long time B or C lister. I'm not sure he'll ever move up but maybe that's not the place for him anyway. But, this is a character who first appeared to fight a werewolf. Denying the supernatural angle is a bit foolish to me. Gregg Hurwitz, at least, hasn't, which is fine. Actually, since 2006, the past few writers have not only depicted Khonshu, but made him act a bit more cruel than he used to be. I don't recall too many times when the god would all but rant at Specter to butcher people in his name and pain the town red before the Huston run; Khonshu would usually just torment Marc when he'd quit or whatever. I do like the angle of it being a struggle, though.

[chiefchirpa]

I think Bendis is going to add the Jewish factor a bit on MK story.

[Drz]

Ironically, had this come out not long after Bendis' run on DAREDEVIL ended, I'd be more gung ho about it. Bendis' strengths as a writer are for solo heroes and/or stories rooted in urban crime, and Moon Knight, like Daredevil, offers both. In theory this series, unlike Avengers or a damn lot of Bendis' work, should cater to his strengths. On the downside, well, it IS Bendis, and he's written a damn lot of rubbish since his run on DD ended. I've been burned by him so many times I really shouldn't try it again.


Well theres a good saying about Bendis: "Anything he does wrong, he does right in Ultimate Marvel". Ultimate Spider-Man has been outstanding story telling and his Ultimate Marvel event has been pretty good, albeit started off slow.

So yeah i have my best hopes on Moon Knight.

[Nightwing]

Now, I don't know if I like that. I was enjoying the direction Moon Knight was currently going in.
Yeah, I'm pretty mixed. On one hand I would've loved the current take on the character to stick as I liked where Hurwitz was taking MK. While on the other hand I loved Bendis' run on DD. Like, it's one of my favorite's in my collection. So I'm really intrigued. I think Dread summed it up perfectly. Bendis + solo street heroes = good storytelling.
So yeah i have my best hopes on Moon Knight.
:up:

[Nightwing]

IGN (http://comics.ign.com/articles/112/1126950p1.html)
Bendis and Maleev's Secret Knight
An unexpected announcement calls back memories of Daredevil.

October 9, 2010
by Richard George LATEST IMAGES

Somehow we still don't have a Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev Nick Fury ongoing, but that's okay. Today, at the Cup O' Joe panel, Bendis announced he and Maleev were teaming on another project in addition to their creator-owned Scarlet series. That project? A relaunch and "rebirth" of Moon Knight.

No details were really provided, but we know Knight is intended to launch early on in 2011. Bendis noted he and Maleev had been working on the series for a while. It will be interesting to see if both Moon Knight and Scarlet will remain on target once 2011 rolls around.

Apparently the team accepted the assignment after Quesada challenged them to find a new take on the character. Bendis noted he and Maleev had to think a while, but believe they have found the proper approach. Quesada noted that he believes this work will be compared to the Bendis/Maleev work on Daredevil nearly a decade ago.

Needless to say, we're excited. One of the most acclaimed creative teams of the past decade working on a second ongoing series? Yes, please.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5083/bendisandmaleevssecretk.jpg
Oh, we back in business.[/Alec Hardison]

[Drz]

DAT ART!

I also seriously hope this can be gateway for Moon Knight tv series.

[Hound55]

Well, looks like that BIG NEWS on the exciting new directions for the character has just been announced.

And the more I think about it the more comfortable I am with it.

Bendis-dialogue is about all the downside I can think of for it, but to me the reward justifies the risk.

[Drz]

I also hope this might spark them into making bigger collections of previous Moon Knight stories, such as the ones drawn by David Finch into an ultimate collection(s).

[Nightwing]

DAT ART!
It also looks like MK might be ditching the armored suit. I get a Sienkiewicz vibe when looking at that promo art. :woot:
I also seriously hope this can be gateway for Moon Knight tv series.
Man, I remember when we were on the brink of getting a show years ago. But now that I look at it, I'm glad it was held off. Hopefully now with this new push he's getting we'll finally have the luxury of seeing the Lunar Legionnaire on the small screen. I think it'd have potential. :awesome:

[Hound55]

One concern I do have is that this might be Joey Q's idea of "giving the character his shot" however, and that if Bendis can't shift MK at a level that HE considers to be good enough they might just go back to shelving the character.

Personally, I'd have more faith in Slott for a MK series, but I'm not complaining too much with this news, because it's a great opportunity for the character. Probably the best opportunity since Huston was given his run to bring the character back.

[TheCorpulent1]

Eh, MK's a street-level character and Bendis/Maleev's Daredevil is still in people's minds as, like, the pinnacle of that kind of comic or whatever. I'm sure it'll sell pretty well. A whole lot better than Moon Knight under anyone else would sell, at the very least. :up:

[Nightwing]

I would've been fine with Slott as well. He really has a passion for the character as a whole. Hell, he was the only one to pick MK as his favorite character in a creative meeting!...Still, I won't think too much on what could've been. This is a great time for MK and his fans.

Also, got this off another board:
I just heard Bendis on Newsarama.com live @ 12:45 and he stated he loves the multiple personality aspect of the character and he is not ignoring the past history of the character. He also stated that it won't be out for a while, I heard sometime in the first quarter of next year, so I would guess March/April. He was said "I will stay on the title as long as they will have me.

[Hound55]

Eh, MK's a street-level character and Bendis/Maleev's Daredevil is still in people's minds as, like, the pinnacle of that kind of comic or whatever. I'm sure it'll sell pretty well. A whole lot better than Moon Knight under anyone else would sell, at the very least. :up:
I'm not doubting this at all... That's what's worrying me.

That Joey Q may have some idea of "How many units Moon Knight should be selling", he threw his big horse at the character and still only managed to sell X amount of issues.

Moon Knight isn't Daredevil and doesn't have the history in terms of writers for it. I love Moensch/Sienkiewicz, but those names don't have the public image of a Frank Miller. They're undersung quality professionals who are critically acclaimed by those in the know.

I guess what I'm saying is that a Bendis Moon Knight series isn't starting from the same point as a Bendis Daredevil series. He'snot as familiar a character with most.

You can tell Bendis has a passion for the character though and the multiple personality aspect of the character piquing his curiosity comes as little surprise when you consider his version of Ultimate Moon Knight.

[TheCorpulent1]

Fair enough. People really seem to love Bendis, though, so I still think it'll be fine. Although, granted, I won't be buying it personally because I don't care one way or another about Moon Knight and I actively dislike Bendis' writing, but I've learned time and time again that my tastes are in the minority.

[venom892]

Well I would have rather had Slott write it as Slott has wanted a crack at Moon Knight for a long time and has a pretty good grasp on the character and his continuity since he's read every issue but I guess he's too busy with ASM.I'll read this since it's Moon Knight but I've avoided Bendis since 2004.The last issue I read of his was New Avengers vol.1 #1 and after that I've been happy avoiding everything he writes.But I love Moon Knight so I'll give this a try.

[TheCorpulent1]

If it's any consolation, Moon Knight plays way more to Bendis' strengths than the Avengers.

[NDX]

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5083/bendisandmaleevssecretk.jpg

Well, at least the art is going to look good (which I expected, although I don't know how long I'd be able to tolerate it, it got old fast for me reading DD and even when SW ended I was happy to see the art go).

[venom892]

If it's any consolation, Moon Knight plays way more to Bendis' strengths than the Avengers.Well I did quite enjoy Daredevil.So yea I'm hoping it can be that Bendis not Avengers Bendis.

[Dread]

What concerns me about the NYCC news is the mention of this being a "rebirth" of the character and on the implications that he needs a new angle. He's had a few of those already. What he needs is:

- An acceptance of the pulp supernatural aspects to his origin, not delving further into making him an Arkham Asylum reject
- New villains
- New villains that are DECENT

Part of me wonders, then, that if Marvel intended to relaunch MOON KNIGHT with their former hit DAREDEVIL team of Bendis & Maleev, that it would have made more sense to have given him the title of "MAN WITHOUT FEAR" to aid in that promotion instead of just dumping it onto Black Panther. Left hand, do you know what the right is doing?

I've said a few times that this, like DAREDEVIL, should cater to Bendis' strengths. Unfortunately, his weaknesses remain his horrific decompression, his insanely annoying dialogue -

His dialogue?
Yes.
His?
Yes.
Dialogue?
Yes.
His insanely annoying dialogue.
Whose?

And on it goes for at least 18 out of 22 pages. That's been true of virtually all his work, it simply has gotten worse with time. The only advantage of when Bendis has a co-writer is that this tic is usually toned down. Bendis' third major con is a disregard for any continuity that bars his way; not only will he do whatever he wants, he won't even give a good reason for what has happened. If he wants to establish that Dr. Strange is a serial rapist, he will, with no explanation, and treat is as a natural progression. And expect all other writers in Marvel to tow the line. Which they will. Any writer who disagrees usually ends up exclusive at DC, and no one wants that.

I'm torn on this. I've been so burned by no end of lackluster or just plain awful stories by Bendis The Horrendous, who is THE most overrated yet influential writer in comic books right now (Geoff Johns is probably higher up on DC's food chain, but in his defense, his "good to ****" ratio is probably better), that I've personally vowed to never given any of his books a try unless it is the line wide crossover mini and thus I am obligated, such as SIEGE. This is a vow that has done nothing but save me money and allow me to enjoy better comics - as in, nothing but good. I can't therefore buy his MOON KNIGHT and expect it to be any better or be surprised if it isn't. I mean, after about 40 issues of NEW AVENGERS, and over 100 of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, if I can't stand him by now, I never will. And it isn't like Moon Knight will be hard to find elsewhere; he'll be in SECRET AVENGERS and in theory, HEROES FOR HIRE. The series should up the character's profile, though, which is a positive. On the other hand, Bendis & Maleev couldn't get SPIDER-WOMAN to sell well, or at least to Joe Q's expectations.

[Hound55]

Bendis' dialogue works ok for me in the High School world of Ultimate Spider-Man... But I don't want to see that s*** in Avengers or Moon Knight.

Which it will in all likelihood at some point... just a question of how much.

I can see it now:

"So who are you now? Grant? Spector? Lockley?"
"Spector."
"Spector?"
"Spector."
"Spector."

Until I go insane and develop my own dissociative personality disorder... with all of my personalities wanting to spike Bendis' bald head on a rock.

That said I still remain optimistic that his run will at least intrigue me more than Hurwitz' run, even if Bendis has a different idea of what the character should be than I do.

[venom892]

Quesada must really like the character as this is the third attempt to make Moon Knight sell.I just hope MK doesn't get shelved because it doesn't sell well.But then again people seem to flock to almost everything Bendis does.

[TheCorpulent1]

Bendis' dialogue works ok for me in the High School world of Ultimate Spider-Man... But I don't want to see that s*** in Avengers or Moon Knight.

Which it will in all likelihood at some point... just a question of how much.

I can see it now:

"So who are you now? Grant? Spector? Lockley?"
"Spector."
"Spector?"
"Spector."
"Spector."

Until I go insane and develop my own dissociative personality disorder... with all of my personalities wanting to spike Bendis' bald head on a rock.

That said I still remain optimistic that his run will at least intrigue me more than Hurwitz' run, even if Bendis has a different idea of what the character should be than I do.
Regardless of how horrible Bendis may be for the actual character, I would think any Moon Knight fan would be happy about this move overall. Love him or hate him, Bendis definitely breathed new sales life into the Avengers (and believe me, as a classic Avengers fan, I really, really hate Bendis' work on the franchise), to the point that they're now effectively the anchor of the whole Marvel universe again. Even if Bendis is bad for characters, he's great for franchises. Even if sales don't dramatically improve on Moon Knight's series, at least his profile will certainly rise.

[Drz]

Do you think Corp that Bendis writing Moon Knight might enable Marvel to put out some "Ultimate collections" out of Huston's run or Doug Moench's.

[TheCorpulent1]

Probably likelier if a Moon Knight movie ever gets made, but increased sales do sometimes spur the Marvel suits to issue more collections of older material.

[Dread]

I mentioned that Bendis on MOON KNIGHT should in theory boost the character's sales and recognition, at least beyond his appearances in SECRET AVENGERS (which is a Top 10 seller). On the other hand, Bendis & Maleev could not turn SPIDER-WOMAN into a hit seller. It's sales weren't horrid, but when it was "put on hiatus", it was selling below the Top 70, which is a disappointment for any Bendis book that isn't POWERS. Hell, that was the second SPIDER-WOMAN series that Bendis wrote that didn't catch on. Even he doesn't have a flawless magic touch for sales. Much as Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch couldn't boost FANTASTIC FOUR for long; even NEMESIS outsold some of Millar's last issues on FF, and that's an ICON book.

[Drz]

Maybe Bendis and Maleev have better luck with something the public considers as "Batman". instead of a Female woman, tho i think Scarlet is doing pretty well. It's the number #1 creator owned series when Mark Millar isn't having an Icon book out. >:3

[TheCorpulent1]

I mentioned that Bendis on MOON KNIGHT should in theory boost the character's sales and recognition, at least beyond his appearances in SECRET AVENGERS (which is a Top 10 seller). On the other hand, Bendis & Maleev could not turn SPIDER-WOMAN into a hit seller. It's sales weren't horrid, but when it was "put on hiatus", it was selling below the Top 70, which is a disappointment for any Bendis book that isn't POWERS. Hell, that was the second SPIDER-WOMAN series that Bendis wrote that didn't catch on. Even he doesn't have a flawless magic touch for sales. Much as Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch couldn't boost FANTASTIC FOUR for long; even NEMESIS outsold some of Millar's last issues on FF, and that's an ICON book.
Oh yeah, I always forget about Spider-Woman. The character so s***ty, even Bendis couldn't convince the masses to read about her. :)

[Dread]

Maybe Bendis and Maleev have better luck with something the public considers as "Batman". instead of a Female woman, tho i think Scarlet is doing pretty well. It's the number #1 creator owned series when Mark Millar isn't having an Icon book out. >:3

SCARLET is doing better than SPIDER-WOMAN, but it isn't lighting the sales charts afire like Bendis on Avenger stuff.

I imagine the notion of Moon Knight being "Marvel's Batman", whether fans of his like that or not, may be why Joe Q has been insistent on keeping him in print these last four years. After all, he isn't licensed out to anyone, and "THE DARK KNIGHT" made a billion dollars. Methinks if there was one or two arcs of his title that sold well, that would be bundled as a draft for a script and peddled off to some director. And to be honest, Marvel Comics being a bit of an intelligence property for ideas isn't a bad thing as far as Disney is concerned. I am convinced that may be why YOUNG ALLIES hasn't been canceled. Disney may want Marvel to take a chance on amping characters that aren't licensed out to Fox, Sony, Lion's Gate, or Paramount.

Oh yeah, I always forget about Spider-Woman. The character so s***ty, even Bendis couldn't convince the masses to read about her. :)

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.

[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]

https://mail.google.com/mail/?attid=0.0.1&disp=emb&view=att&th=12bce10fd6173b51

MOON KNIGHT, BABY!

[Nightwing]

It's not showing up. :csad:

[Hound55]

Damn...

[Nightwing]

What is it?

[Hound55]

Went and hosted it myself...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/Houndawg55/MoonKnightBaby.jpg

[TheCorpulent1]

My first thought was "ROCKY!"

[Vartha]

My first thought was "ROCKY!"

:pal: hahahaha

[Nightwing]

Went and hosted it myself...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/Houndawg55/MoonKnightBaby.jpg
Haha. :lmao:

[Nightwing]

Shadowland: Moon Knight #3 preview! (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=6758&disp=table)

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8347/prv6758pg4.jpg

[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...

[Dread]

I'm cynical and a bit jaded, at best, about Bendis. Someone has to be an optimist. :up:

You're right, logically speaking. MOON KNIGHT is a character that Marvel have kept in print a while, and to be fair, about 15k-19k seem to stick around every time he is relaunched these days. That's hardly a high number, but they'll need all of them IN ADDITION to newer fans if this launch will be as successful as possible. Therefore, it would be wise to not too anything too extreme, at least in the start.

On the other hand, Marvel have given several other writers a shot and they "played things safe", especially Hurwitz to a degree, and it didn't help. Bendis is their #1 writer. There isn't much they don't let him do. Moon Knight is still a C-List franchise and I get a sense so long as the costume and name remains, Bendis can do whatever he wants. And lately, that hasn't been his best. I do get a sense that Marvel is somewhat aware that Bendis has hit a rut with some of his work, which is why he is getting a hand at this, and his "kiddie" comic. In theory MOON KNIGHT plays to his strengths. My issue is that I haven't seen his strengths in a very long time, and I've been burned by Bendis before.

[Matt Mortem]

Any idea how much re-invention Moon Knight is gonna face? I love Moon Knight and I'd hate to see his character get screwed up

[Drz]

Warren Ellis' commented on Brian's MK this way: http://twitter.com/warrenellis/status/27957059242

Damn. I'm gonna have to write another comic for Marvel now, just to try and out-crazy @BRIANMBENDIS (http://twitter.com/BRIANMBENDIS) 's MOON KNIGHT.

Then i heard (keyword: heard) that back when Finch and Huston's Moon Knight launchy started, alot of Marvel writers we're interviewed how "they would handle" the character. Bendis talked about how the sole 13 first issues would be simply about all the crazy split personalities and THEN about Moon Knight itself.

[Dread]

Interesting. And a little disturbing, since Ellis can often go a bit mad himself.

To be fair, Finch and Huston's Moon Knight was back in 2006. That was back when CIVIL WAR was just being started and plans for SECRET INVASION were in the cradle. Had Bendis done MOON KNIGHT then, it simply would have tied into his Skrull crap. It is possible whatever "draft" he had for the franchise has been edited since.

That said, I do see that is where the character is going. Most writers focus not on his supernatural pulp roots but on his crazy he is. Gregg Hurwitz's run focused on Moon Knight trying to get past that and be a better hero, albeit by having his cabbie personality of Jake Lockley in control, not Marc Specter. But after 13 issues of material, it ends with Marc back in control, which I saw as a deck clearing exercise to make way for whatever Bendis is doing. Have to make sure the toys are exactly as they were when the big kid comes over. Can't expect him to adapt to anything he doesn't want to.

Mental instability has always been part of the Moon Knight character. Some would argue that without it, he can become very mundane. I simply feel that some writers can take that to too far a degree and make him seem not far removed from Cletus Kassidy. Just as a "stable" Moon Knight may appear mundane, so can a perpetually dark, crazy, brooding Moon Knight can also become predictable - the difference is that often comes off as more pretentious ("it's dark so it HAS to be good"). Many writers, Bendis at times included, assume misery is the same as character development.

The two elements to me don't have to be mutually exclusive. The idea that an Egyptian god really exists, really has resurrected someone more than once, and constantly "speaks" to him, even outright possesses his body at times, is MORE than enough to drive someone mad. There's that old saying that goes something like, "If you talk to god, you're a preacher; if god talks back, you're insane." Unfortunately, many writers sometimes envision Marc as "the Son Of Sam" in a cloak rather than someone driven to mental trauma from the pressure of having a god (and not even the god he was raised to believe in as a Jew, but the god from a pantheon that actually enslaved the Jews, technically) talk to, influence, and occasionally possess him.

To be fair to Bendis, he has attempted to get into more magical stuff in his NEW AVENGERS stories since DISASSEMBLED, when he claimed Chaos Magic didn't exist. In his debit, they've usually proven to show that Bendis simply does not understand how magic and the supernatural work in Marvel, and if he does, he doesn't care. In NEW AVENGERS, he has had Aggomotto seek the Eye Of Aggomotto for power, which is ludicrous because in every prior story, the Eye is simply one of several artifacts that Aggomotto empowers, not that he needs himself. It is akin to Jesus Christ seeking a cross to use against vampires. It's an obvious, blatant mistake. Will anyone treat it as such? No. Bendis is The Numbah One Guy. OTHER writers will have to work around it, fix it, whatever. Bendis is like that star football player on a high school or college team. It doesn't matter what he messes up in class, or even if he does bad things off the field. He's the one who wins those games, so the rest of the school establishment do whatever they can to mop up after. Never is the player confronted, and nothing changes. But in the end, even the player is not aided, because he is trapped in a false bubble of security.

And that is where Bendis is as a writer. Because an editor, since about 2005-2006, has never told him "NO", has never read a draft and went, "Y'know, you made an error here, and there's a bit of a plot hole there, and you have two characters who do nothing but grunt, I think you should rewrite this because I know you can do better, and our fans and universe deserve your best, not your copy & paste dialogue that you clearly wrote while watching 'GLEE' in your boxers" in years. He gets, "this is brilliant, Mr. Bendis sir" before he even loads up Microsoft Word. He thus believes he doesn't need to evolve anymore, and he really, honestly, needed to do so as a writer about six years ago. He hasn't had to, and he probably never will. No one, especially an adult, changes or improves unless they HAVE to. It's just human nature.

One day when Bendis is much older, he may write something and someone who doesn't work for Marvel or still remembers those far gone days of goodness will look at his draft and go, "What you've just written is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this shop is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." And Bendis won't even know how he got to that point. He'll have become John Bryne or Chris Claremont, someone who was coddled and yes-man'd so much that they're in retirement age and still stuck in spin cycle, repeating themselves and their most predictable cliches. And yes, that is totally a "BILLY MADISON" reference.

Now, it is very possible that Bendis could get it all right for MOON KNIGHT. That he wants to work with the Khonshu stuff while taking the multiple personality angle to a new, interesting level. It will sell well and actually deserve to do so for quality. It's all possible. If anything, it's more possible than his Avengers work suddenly improving. But I have a hard time telling myself it is likely. Corporately, though, Bendis/Maleev on MOON KNIGHT is a good move. It WILL get attention and if THEY can't make it sell, whether it's good, bad, or average, NO ONE at Marvel may be able to.

[Matt Mortem]

I agree with everything you said about Moon Knight. Bendis needs to continue with or acknowledge and work with the Khonshu stuff too. Moon Knight is a split personality, but I always felt like he was actually conversing with the god Khonshu. I didn't like that he was just bonkers and talking to himself. Without Khonshu, Moon Knight is just another caped vigilante with a few problems. Khonshu and the Egyptian stuff made him stand out and I liked that. As long as he's got his different persona and has Khonshu, I'll be happy.

[Hound55]

All that hunting for the crescent macguffin for nothing... :csad:

Ah well, I still have H4H and Secret Avengers to tide me over until Bendis' run starts next year...

[Nightwing]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29833

This is in response to someone asking if we'd ever see a Wolverine/MK team-up:

Brevoort: I can guarantee you that you’ll see a Moon Knight/Wolverine team-up in an early issue of Moon Knight’s new series, pharaoh – but in a very unique, very different way.
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9250/hurm.jpg

[Matt Mortem]

Wovlie and Moon Knight? Interesting.....

[Drz]

Anyone got any clue why Bendis would write Moon Knight meeting up with Wolverine? Do they have any past history together?

[Matt Mortem]

There's no past history so far as I know, but it's still an interesting meet regardless

[kguillou]

It'll prolly be something like this:

Wolverine: Sorry bub, *snikt* but i'm gona havta bring you in.
MK: Oh? And why's that?
Wolverine: Cuz your a psychopathic, murdering vigilante.
MK: Uh...aren't you a murderer too?
Wolverine: Yeah....but i'm an avenger.
MK: Wait what? Thats not fai...
Wolverine: DIE BUB!

[Matt Mortem]

MK was an Avenger too.

[Nightwing]

Finally a little something...

http://sketchcardsaloon.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/mystery-spoiler-for-moon-knight-by-alex-maleev/
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4774/alexmaleev.jpg

That is a drawing that was just released by Alex Maleev. It seems to show some sort of morphing Moon Knight. Wolverine’s claws, Spider-Man’s web shooters, Captain America’s shield, and a disappearing leg.

Could it be a secret spoiler for things to come? Only time will tell.

[Drz]

Moon Knight: Identity Crisis. :p

[Nightwing]

:lmao:

[Drz]

No really, jokes aside we know Moon Mnight and Wolverine are conforting in a very unique way. Captain America's shield and Spider-Man's arm are there too, now we know Moon Knight has talked with them before, so what we might see is Moon Knight creating fictional conversations between other heroes and whatnot.

[venom892]

I really hope Bendis doesn't revamp Moon Knight's powers.

[Matt Mortem]

Not sure what to think :dry:

[Dread]

The sketch could be for a cover, and lord knows most of them have little to do with the content within. Most of the time they're stock pin-up poses intended for posters, which haven't been used for posters in a mere 7 years. The length of time editors consider "recent".

It could also be for some trippy dream sequence or so on.

The biggest thing I am worried about is that Bendis retcons that Specter is really crazy and Khonshu never, ever, EVER existed. It would be a cluster**** to no end of prior stories, but that's how Bendis rolls. He tried to make Beyonder a mutant Inhuman, after all. That's a bad angle to me. I say play more with the supernatural pulp elements to the "fist of Khonshu" angle - maybe play with the idea of other Egyptian gods having mortal servants. The very idea that one is working for an ancient god is more than enough to keep Marc emotionally unstable, especially as Khonshu has sought to bring out the worst in him lately.

[CaptainCraig]

Isn't the Bendis book going to be overdue? The original press release said his new Moon Knight book would be out the first part of 2011. The April solicits don't have a MK book. My definition of "first part of 2011" would be any of the three months making up the first quarter of the year(Jan,Feb,March).

[kguillou]

It sounds like maleev hasn't even started yet...

[Matt Mortem]

I hope Bendis doesn't retcon and do-away with Khonshu by making him a figment of Spectors mind. I like that MK has the supernatural element to him. I like that Egyptian God bit. Having him just be a crazed vigilante would turn him into a Punisher/Batman hybrid. IMO, the Khonshu stuff is what sets him apart.

[Dread]

I hope Bendis doesn't retcon and do-away with Khonshu by making him a figment of Spectors mind. I like that MK has the supernatural element to him. I like that Egyptian God bit. Having him just be a crazed vigilante would turn him into a Punisher/Batman hybrid. IMO, the Khonshu stuff is what sets him apart.

Agreed. Yet many writers seem to disagree and prefer the Punisher/Batman/Daredevil hybrid stuff that I don't think properly sets him apart as being a pulp hero.

[Thread Manager]

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