Marc Spector: Moon Knight #7
"House Hunting"
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Devmalya Pramanik
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover Artist: Paulo Siqueira and Rachelle Rosenberg
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In Marc Spector: Moon Knight #7, the titular hero and the new Midnight Sons battle a dragon. It’s as awesome as it sounds, and the result is the second most “metal” comic I’ve read this year (the first is still Operation: Iron Coffin #1).
Dragon Slayers
To rescue his disciples—his family—from the Mansion Ravenous, Moon Knight has formed a new team of Midnight Sons. Now he, Clea Strange, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Blade, and Daredevil must work together to fight past the dragon Ginnarr in order to reach the heart of the Mansion. But even if they can get past the dragon, what secret is Moon Knight and Clea keeping from the rest of the team, and how will they react when it's revealed?
Sudden But Inevitable Betrayal
That may seem like an extra-short recap of the issue. It really is just an "all-out-action" issue.
And it's awesome.
It's not every day you get to see a group of superheroes take on a dragon. When that group is a makeshift team like the Midnight Sons, where everyone has a unique visual look and skillset, it's automatically a good day.
Every member of the team gets a chance to shine here.
Moon Knight might take a bit of a backseat in terms of action, but he's the de facto team leader and the "man with the plan" so he's still calling plays on the fly--er, glide. He can't actually fly. If he could, he wouldn’t have needed a crescent-shaped plane in the old days.
Ghost Rider uses his Hellcharger to literally drive through the doors of the Mansion Ravenous, and the car makes an effective battering ram, too. And his chains aren’t too shabby for trying to hold back a dragon’s arms.
Blade apparently keeps a chainsaw in his long leather duster (of course he does) and looks pretty cool wielding it like a sword. But then again, he’s Blade, everything he does looks cool.
Clea is magical support, which may not sound very glamorous but is very important when fighting dragons and living buildings.
And Daredevil… he gets the best bits of them all. He literally leaps towards the dragon’s mouth, and then gets a full-page spread of him moving around the beast as only he can. If I wasn’t already a huge Daredevil fan, this single page would have made me one.
As you can probably tell, this was an amazing action sequence. Everyone got a cool moment, and teamwork made the dream work.
Then at last, the team reaches the heart of the house, where the Mansion Ravenous itself—still wearing the skin of Achilles Fairchild—waits. Behind it, trapped in some sort of spell, is Moon Knight's family.
Now here is where the other shoe drops. Here is where Moon Knight reminds us all just what an utter bastard he can be. You see, it turns out there is something that Ghost Rider, Blade, and Daredevil all have in common. Something that makes perfect sense, now that I look back on the conversations had during their "recruitment pitches" last issue. I don't want to spoil it here, but let's just say that Moon Knight won't be getting any Christmas cards from his teammates after this is over (assuming they all survive, that is).
I read through this issue with a giant goofy smile on my face, stopping to pick my jaw up off the floor at a couple of points. I don't know what else to say about it other than to ask, if you aren't reading this book by now, how can I convince you? I'm not above bribery...
Without Fear
Every month, it gets harder to find new things to say about this creative team. I'm going to give it a shot, though.
Jed MacKay is having the time of his life writing this book, and it shows. I'd go so far as to say that he's one of the best writers this character has seen. This is certainly one of the best runs. You would think an all-action issue would get stale or boring by the end, but not here. MacKay does a terrific job giving each member of the team a focus, and they're fighting a dragon! How could that possibly be boring? Especially when he knows he's paired with such an incredible artist...
That artist, Devmalya Pramanik, really is incredible. Every new issue, I think he can't possibly top himself—and then he does. He's not afraid to go wild with the panel layouts, using plenty of unusual shapes instead of just normal squares. And when he gets a full-page spread, such as Daredevil's moment to shine... wow. Just wow. You can tell he's enjoying the chance to draw such a broad group of new characters. Blade's leather duster flows behind him like bat wings as he moves. Moon Knight's cape still takes on ridiculous proportions like something out of an anime or Todd McFarlane's Spawn, and somehow is always in a moon shape, no matter how he's moving. Ghost Rider and his car look just plain awesome. And Daredevil moves around the pages in a way that no other human could move, but Pramanik still takes the time to put actual detail into his costume. He could easily skimp on things like the fighter's tape wrapped around Daredevil's hands and wrists, but he doesn't. I hope he never leaves this book, but if he does, put him on a Daredevil book, Marvel.
Rachelle Rosenberg's colors are, as always, immaculate. Moon Knight never loses his moonlight glow, even when he's being a terrible friend and teammate. Ghost Rider and his Hellcharger have multiple flame and glowing chain effects, which stand out on the page. Daredevil's suit has the deep red tones that make him both blend into the shadows and stand out among them, which fits the dichotomy of his character perfectly. Blade just looks cool (as always, if you ask him). Clea and her magic effects look strange and otherworldly. And the dragon... dragons look cool no matter what, but she makes it look extra awesome. He's got this glow to him that reminds us, even in a world of superheroes, mutants, and monsters, he shouldn't exist.
Adventuring Party
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #7 features the Midnight Sons versus a dragon inside a living haunted house. If that doesn't sell you on the book, I don't know what will. This is one of the most consistent books, from any company, each and every month. It features a creative team working in perfect harmony, and a lead character that is as compelling as he is crazy. Plus, they're fighting a dragon!