‘Moon Knight #14’ Review

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Greg Smallwood | Published by Marvel Comics

Official Synopsis: WHAT A LONG, STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN…Marc’s past, present and future collide! An epic throwdown between MARC SPECTOR and KHONSHU! Who will survive, and what will be left of them?

Looking at Marvel for the last few years its odd that Moonknight has had a larger assortment of quality runs than some of the biggest characters. Perhaps editors give writers more freedom with a character like Moonknight, or maybe its the lack of pressure fans put on teams that are on bigger legacy characters like the X-Men or Spider-Man. Whatever the reason Jeff Lemire’s most recent run may go down as one of the best for the character.

For those that have been following along Lemire has gone head first into the broken psyche of Marc Spector. Giving us a story that demonstrates both the insanity and legacy of the character. I would be lying if I said I fully understood everything that was happening in each issue, but the lack of complete comprehension did not diminish my enjoyment at all.

This final issue gives some answers although indirectly. Do not worry it is not that he was dead the entire time. This is not Lost. Lemire leaves enough room open for interpretation which is the right choice. To try to tie everything up in a nice little bow would be a disservice to what this series has been about.

Greg Smallwood’s art is as gorgeous as always. Sometimes his panels are so breathtaking I find myself getting lost in them and overlooking much of the actual dialogue. Lemire puts a lot on his shoulders and he has no trouble coming through.

It is sad to see this book come to an end. Moonknight will go down as one of those great series that I will only recommend to certain people. With a more abstract storytelling approach some may not be able to get invested. For myself I found this to be a deeply emotional tale full of tragedy and triumph. Using multiple personalities can easily become a gimmick and in a way Lemire doubled down on that gimmick  to create something undeniable original. We may never see Marvel put out a book like this ever again.

****½  4.5/5