MOON KNIGHT: THE GUEST APPEARANCES

The MARVEL SPOTLIGHT stories were published in 1976. The HULK! magazine stories, which we’ll begin to cover next time, came out in 1978. But from 1977 – 1979, Moon Knight had a handful of appearances in other series, chronicled by writers other than his creator, Doug Moench. In a nutshell, these are those tales:

DEFENDERS #47 - 50
“NIGHT MOVES!” | “SINISTER SAVIOR!” | “RAMPAGE”
“SCORPIO MUST DIE!” | “A ROUND WITH THE RINGER!” (excerpt)
Writer: David Kraft | Penciler: Keith Giffen | Editor: Archie Goodwin

Co-Plot: Roger Slifer (#47) | Script: John Warner (#47)
Inks: Klaus Janson (#47 & 51), Dan Green (#48), Mike Royer (#49),
Keith Giffen w/Mike Royer, John Tartaglione, & Dave Cockrum (#50)
Letters: John Costanza (#47 & 50), Annette Kawecki (#48),
Irving Watanabe & Mike Royer (#49), Bruce Patterson (#51)
Colors: David Kraft (#48-49), Don Warfield (#50), Phil Rache (#51)

The Plot: Moon Knight becomes involved with the Defenders as they attempt to rescue their friend, Jack Norriss, from the clutches of the villainous Scorpio.

My Thoughts: I haven't read much by David Kraft, but I have at least read his run on the original SAVAGE SHE-HULK series. These issues read nothing like SHE-HULK, so I'm guessing that perhaps Kraft is emulating the style of previous DEFENDERS writers here (I've never read any of DEFENDERS outside of these five issues). The story is dark, the script is ponderous and the dialogue is occasionally unnatural. The characters, good and bad alike, all seem very disenfranchised with the world and even depressed and generally unhappy. This isn't typical Marvel "soap opera"-style angst -- it's the adventures of a bunch of mopey sad sacks. These are not fun comics, and I doubt I'll ever read them again.

(Also, what's with all the weird references to beer strewn throughout these issues?)

Artistically, Keith Giffen performs an acceptable Jack Kirby impression, but his work looks best when inked by Klaus Janson in a more traditional style. Also, Giffen seems to have misinterpreted Moon Knight’s ability to glide on his cape as the power of flight, showing him zooming around an enclosed room alongside Nighthawk several times.

PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #46

"DEADLY IS THE COBRA!"
Writer: Roger Stern | Penciler: Mike Zeck | Inker: Bruce Patterson
Letterer: Jim Novak | Colorist: Petra Goldberg | Editor: Denny O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Cobra escapes from Ryker's Island on a stormy night. The next day, Barney Bushkin of the Daily Globe assigns Peter Parker to get some photos of the villain in action. Uncertain how to track Cobra down, Peter simply changes to Spider-Man and swings across the city that night, and eventually comes across his quarry robbing a jewelry store. The web-slinger and the Cobra duel on the rooftops and Spider-Man emerges victorious. But no sooner does he turn the villain over to the authorities, than Cobra escapes into the night.

The Sub-Plots: This issue features a return to classic Spider-Man sub-plot form. Peter attempts to make amends with Deb Whitman following a failed date in the pages of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and they agree to dinner the next night at Wesner's Pub. Then, their group one teaching assistant short, Peter is given his own cubicle after sharing one with Steve Hopkins for some time. Soon after, another T.A., Marcy Kane, shows up for work with her hair inexplicably tied up in a scarf, piquing the curiosity of Peter, Steve, and fellow T.A. Phil Chang.

Also, Peter briefly reflects that Barney Bushkin is, in a way, worse than Jonah Jameson as an editor -- and notes that the Daily Globe is a much less reputable newspaper than the Daily Bugle. Both these thoughts are presumably meant as set-up for Peter's impending return to the Bugle in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #43

"PRETTY POISON"
Writer: Roger Stern | Penciler: Mike Zeck | Inker: Steve Mitchell
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Bob Sharen | Editor: Dennis O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Empire State University science lab is robbed of some common chemicals by a group of masked men. Graduate student Peter Parker tags one of them with a Spider-Tracer, then, after giving his statement to the police, changes into Spider-Man canvasses the city in search of his tracking device. He eventually zeroes in on the men -- along with their leader, a woman named Belladonna -- invading the office of fashion magnate Roderick Kingsley. Spider-Man saves Kingsley from the villains, but thanks to Belladonna's sense-dulling gases, the group escapes.

Peter does some research on Kingsley, learns that he has a fashion show coming up a day later, and covers the show under the guise of his night job as a news photographer in order to watch for a return engagement from Belladonna. Sure enough, she arrives in dramatic fashion, defiling Kingsley's new clothing line, then demanding all valuables from the assembled patrons. Spider-Man once more comes to Kingsley's aid and saves the day, but Belladonna and her men escape again.

THE UNBOXING - APRIL 2014

If last month was one of my smaller months, with only two books total -- both from DC, no less -- this shipment more than makes up for it, with a mostly Marvel line-up. First and foremost is the long-awaited SPIDER-MAN BY ROGER STERN OMNIBUS. I wrote a post about this volume over seven months ago when it first popped up as a ghost listing on Amazon. Now the book is finally in my hands, and I'm thrilled beyond words. I will be reading this one immediately, and I have big plans for it as relates to the blog. More on that within the next month or so.

Also on hand from Marvel are three thick trade paperbacks. And it must be Roger Stern Month hereabouts, because in addition to the Spider-Man book, two of these trades collect Stern's work as well. AVENGERS: ABSOLUTE VISION, BOOK TWO brings us a large chunk of Stern's classic AVENGERS run from the eighties, while the CAPTAIN AMERICA EPIC COLLECTION: DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT (delayed from last month) collects the full Stern/John Byrne run on Cap, which I already own in a separate trade, as well as the beginning of the long J.M. DeMatties/Mike Zeck run, which bridged the gap between Stern/Byrne and the great Mark Gruenwald.