Broken Frontier

Normalcy is something that Marc Spector strives for, but a new incarnation of the Midnight Man turns up to spoil those aspirations.

A new artist is onboard, as is a new incarnation of the Midnight Man in an issue that promises to bring about no holds barred action from beginning to end. We’re also approaching the first full year of having this title back in print, and I am wondering what type of finish writer Huston intends to craft before his stint here comes to an end. Now if this issue is any indication of what we’re in for, then all I can say is sit back and enjoy the ride.

This one starts out with Marc pushing his body to the limits during an intense session of physical therapy with Jean-Paul’s boyfriend. The two chat about the ethics of super-heroics and in a surprise turn of events, the new and improved Midnight Man crashes though the walls in an effort to put the fear of God into Marc. Of course it doesn’t take him long to realize that Jeff Wilde (a former partner of his) is now posing as the Midnight Man and a fierce punch up quickly ensues. The Midnight mops the floor with Marc, but his planned attack was only to bait Moon Knight to come out and play his terrible game of death and deceit.

I don’t think there was ever a time when I could recall watching Marc Spector fall to defeat this quickly. Surely this serves to fuel the plotting for the next issue, and writer Charlie Huston knows how to manipulate that thread. Of course his tenure here as chief scribe has been nothing short of being a truly gritty exposé on a fallen hero, and now he’s gotten tougher with a severe gut-punch towards reader expectations. I am sure it was safe to assume that Marc would rise to the occasion as a bona fide hero once again, but this issue proves that it will never be an easy transition for him. I can’t say enough about his tenacity to put the character through his paces, and the events to befall Marc in this issue are no exception.

The one noticeable change in this issue revolves around new artist Mico Suayan replacing outgoing artist David Finch. So far I have grown accustomed to Finch’s gritty approach to storytelling and I will admit that it’s going to take time to adjust to Mico’s work. His drawing abilities here look superb, and combined with his stellar approach to inking everything allows for a prime polish. I remember reading that EIC Joe Quesada spoke volumes about Mico’s abilities and there’s no doubt he was dead on about that assessment with a solid debut.

I know I have often complained about Huston’s uncompromising approach to portraying Moon Knight as a hero with balls to the walls attitude, but after reading this issue I am close to changing my mind. I rather enjoyed his approach to reinterpreting the Midnight Man as an indestructible monster, and now Marc is going to have to rely heavily upon his newly minted fierce attitude to take this villain down. It’s also great to see the title being bolstered by the addition of yet another solid artist in Mico Suayan. So with these two creators now working in tandem, wild results should come about. Find out next issue when Moon Knight and the Midnight Man go toe to toe.