Filed under: Features | Tags: Alex Maleev, Bestof2011, Brian Michael Bendis, marvel, Moon Knight, Secret Avengers, Warren Ellis
In the style of Harry Hill, here is today’s “Comics-Anonymous-Highlights-of-the-year!”. We’re on the final straight now as we take a nose dive towards Christmas. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt this year, it’s that inspiration to read certain comics can from many places – not least when we’re away from the familiar. So today Linsay tells us about what she discovered on holiday this year.
Whilst on holiday in the USA this summer I found myself in desperate need of some comic book style distraction. After all, who doesn’t like reading comic books in the sunshine? It was week 4 of the DC Reboot and I had all my comics preordered and paid for back at Red Hot Comics in Glasgow. After meandering around the local comic book shops I picked up a whole bunch of new stuff, or at least, titles that were new to me. Sure, there was some rubbish but the gems I found more than made up for any offensive mediocrity.
Bendis & Maleev’s Moon Knight has started me off on an obsession over the character. I’m tracking down trades and issues as my wage cheques arrive and the reason this guy is so irressistable? He’s the dark part of every one of us. Those times you’ve been out of control angry, had to take a walk to avoid saying or doing something you’d regret or doing it anyway and hurting those you love. Moon Knight doesn’t always get it right. His story shows him trying to deal with that dark part and sometimes failing.
I’ve heard some criticism about how it portrays mental illness. To this I say get a life. Mental illness is never pretty and every experience is unique. To show a ‘superhero’ at the mercy of something which can bring any of us down to our lowest ebb is quite something. Oh, and the art is really quite something. I think the hardcover is just out and pretty cheap. If you’ve not been following the series I suggest you start. With Bendis now billed as leaving the Avengers he should have big plans for this book.
He’s also featured in Secret Avengers, a highly rated series of one shots currently written by Warren Ellis. You can read my review of issue #16 featuring moon knight here.
Linsay @softlyspokenlas
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Comics Anonymous 
I definitely recommend picking up Charlie Huston’s run with the character – dark, driven, reckless writing, pulp fiction at its finest.
Comment by Steve December 21, 2011 @ 4:00 pmYep, I’ve read it. Ridiculously brilliant.
Comment by Linsay @softlyspokenlas December 21, 2011 @ 5:44 pm