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October Marvel Previews |
MOON KNIGHT #20
Written by Mike Benson & Doug Moench
Art by Mike Deodato Jr., Don Perlin, and Howie Perlin.
Review by Ryan Stevens
The lunar-clad anti-hero known as Moon Knight first appeared in the pages of Werewolf By Night, in issue number 32 of that series. In this issue, featuring the aforementioned werewolf, things come full circle……sort of.
In the beginning of this issue, Marc Spector is living in the sewers, hiding from the law after pushing his old foe, Carson Knowles, off a rooftop last issue. Noting how he’s been forced to live like an animal, Marc has a flashback of an adventure he had in 1994, a previously untold tale involving Jack Russell, the Werewolf By Night. It seems that something is tearing through people in NYC, leaving behind severely mutilated bodies marked with claw and bite marks not made by man or any other conventional animal…
The plot by Mike Benson is a fairly straight-forward affair. We have some grisly murders seemingly perpetrated by werewolves, Jack Russell is involved, Moon Knight gets into it, etcetera. That’s not to say the story isn’t good. It’s just…average. Also, since the story is set 14 years in the past, there is very little suspense, because, obviously Moon Knight and all his supporting cast survived the story, seeing as they’re all still alive today. Also, Jack Russell’s role is fairly underused. He’s mainly there as a means of werewolf employment, and as a foe for Moon Knight to fight later. It really is a pity, I was hoping Jack would be used better than a deus ex machina and, later, as cannon fodder.
On the bright side, Mike Deodato jr. brings his A-game in this story, and his gritty style fits the issue to a bloody “T”. While werewolves are usually depicted as just humans with excess hair and claws, Deodato’s lycanthropes are towering monstrosities of hair, fangs, and claws. These behemoths are neither wolf nor man, but some twisted (and strangely beautiful) crossbreed, with the wolf-traits maximized to the umpteenth level. Deserving equal praise is Moon Knight’s character design, whose long , flowing cape and glowing eyes really transcend the printed page with amazing creepiness.
Rounding out this ultra-sized issue is a reprint of the two-parter that ran through Werewolf By Night #32 and 33, which contains the first appearance of Moon Knight. Now fans may feel the extra dollar fee (this issue costs $3.99) is a rip-off if all that extra dollar gets you is a pair of back issues. That is actually untrue. The average $2.99 comic has about 24 pages of story, excluding ads. This issue’s main story has 35 pages, excluding ads and back issues. That extra dollar really goes a long way.
Now, whether the story is worth the price tag……eh. It is a fairly fun done-in-one story, and Deodato’s art is phenomenal. Overall, Moon Knight #20 has an average plot, entirely palpable and mildly enjoyable, but it’s just missing…something. The story is uplifted by Deodato’s art, saving it from being frankly average and making it much more amusing. I mildly recommend this issue to fans of Moon Knight, Werewolf By Night, or Mike Deodato jr., and I promise the latter will not be disappointed. Everyone else…eh.
7 Werewolves out of 10
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