Reconstructing yourself – review of the comic book “Moon Knight”

One of the hallmarks of superheroes is having a secret identity. However, Moon Knight does not have one alter ego, at least three – mercenary Marc Spector, taxi driver Jake Lockley and rich man Steven Grant. At least that’s what the title character thinks. The employees of the psychiatric hospital where it is located have a different opinion.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

At the beginning of the album, Marc Spector learns that all of Moon Knight’s adventures so far have been merely the product of his sick mind and the effect of a dissociative personality disorder. Was he actually in an institution for the mentally ill and nervous since he was a child? Or is it another trick of hostile forces? Is Khonshu’s voice that he hears in his head real? If so, can he be trusted? The constantly changing reality around the protagonist and the relations of his companions who see divergent things do not make it easier to come to the truth.

The concept of showing heroes in costumes as mentally unstable people who perceive reality in a distorted way dates back to the 1980s and the beginning of the so-called Modern or Dark Era of Comics. One of the first and most recognizable superheroes of this type is the sociopath Rorschach of Moore’s Guardians, who hunts for conspiracy theories.. Moon Knight, as interpreted by Jeff Lemire, owes a lot to this iconic character. His Marc Spector is also morbidly attached to his mask, does not believe the doctors who diagnose him, and is convinced that he is the only one to see the truth about the machinations of the secret powers plotting against him and humanity. However (contrary to Rorschach’s concreted in his beliefs) Spector begins to question both what he sees and how he thinks. In this aspect, one can see the inspiration of the script writer with another comic by Alan Moore – Miracleman , in which the title superhero also has to face the information that his adventures so far were an illusion.

Through the eyes of the patient

I can easily imagine less skilled creators who would quickly “lay down” such a story with banal solutions (I don’t even have to imagine, because I watched Glass M. Night Shyamalan). However, not Jeff Lemire, who has scored Black Hammer and underwater welder – comic books, the subject of which also applies to the psychology of the characters and challenge their surrounding reality. The first part of the comic is particularly interesting, in which we observe Spector’s attempt to escape through his eyes, while not being sure which side of the story conflict is right. Then there is a sudden volt, and the story begins to jump more and more between the various incarnations of the protagonist who, like the Mime inPerfect Blue or the heroes of Inception – begins to lose track of who she really is and where she is.

The cartoonists emphasized the surrealism of the action with very drastic visual changes. The dirty drawings in the opening chapters are replaced by the sterile, clichéd setting of the average American superhero comic book, as the action focuses on playboy, millionaire, philanthropist and film producer Steven Grant. Strong light colors of advertisements and a large amount of blackness illustrate the night adventures of taxi driver Jake Lockley in a neo-noir climate. When we get to the science fiction adventure story, James Stokoe’s line of meticulous details brings to mind the works of Stan Sakai, Moebius and Katsuhiro Otomo. The mixing of styles matches the race of thoughts and the mess in the hero’s head, but by so clearly distinguishing his “incarnations”, the presented events lose a bit of subtlety. The effect, however, remains impressive.

Do you need to know Moon Knight to understand Moon Knight ?

Many people will probably wonder if Moon KnightJeff Lemire is a good album to get acquainted with this hero. Before reading this comic, I knew only a brief summary of his previous fate, and I believe that the story was completely understandable. Anyway, it is hard to find a better starting point than the moment when the protagonist questions the whole reality around him and tries to organize the chaos in his defective mind. Of course, people who know Moon Knight’s earlier adventures will read and appreciate references to older stories with him, but you can actually approach this comic without any preparation. Everything is clearly presented in the opening paragraph of the story and in later flashbacks and visions. Additionally, the Egmont edition includes one issue from 1980, which shows how much the title superhero has evolved. It’s a pity that in the Polish edition there was no room for some MPs or “behind the scenes” materials. The only bonus is the gallery of alternative covers.

Moon Knight is an example of a hero for whom there was no meaningful idea for many years and who was at best a slightly more esoteric version of Batman with personality disorders. However, a creative screenwriter who used the most interesting aspects of the characters and a team of artists who took care of an interesting visual setting were enough to create a decent comic book. I wish more superhero stories kept that level.