It’s Moon Knight’s turn for the Black, White & Bood series after superheroes like Wolverine and Carnage got the treatment. This anthology series features comics rendered only in black, white, and red, which lean towards action but vary in style and substance. Pretty much anything goes in this series, which is why this issue, in particular, is exciting as the creatives involved are prone to original ideas!
This anthology features three stories opening with a tale by Jonathan Hickman and Chris Bachalo called “Anubis Rex.” This story is set in the far future with enough ideas at work explaining Moon Knight’s new role to warrant an entire story arc. Bachalo draws a mean story here that’s chaotic and plays with the color red well. Between the good action and the interesting ideas, it’s a winner of a story, albeit a little confusing.
Next up is “So White. Yet, So Dark.” by Murewa Aodele and Dotun Akande. This story features Spider-Man and Moon Knight teaming up. Spidey supplies the red for the tale and it’s an action-packed story at that. There are a bunch of twists and turns in a story that feels packed with content. It’s basically one action sequence, but between Moon Knight’s cold attitude and Spidey’s hopefulness, it’s great fun. Aodele captures the voice of both characters well too, which is a highlight of the tale.
Each tale is unique in its own way.
Credit: Marvel
Something that lifts up an anthology like this from others is how contrast is king. Between Bachalo’s art style and Akande’s, you get incredibly different-looking stories. That contrast creates an interesting effect where you go from chaotic lines of action to a clean style. It’s almost calming.
Wrapping up the issue is “The End” by Marc Guggenheim and Jorge Fornés which tells a tale backward. Similar to Christopher Nolan’s Momento, the story is confusing and maybe even frustrating at first, but once you realize what’s going on it’s like a magic trick. As Moon Knight encounters enemies, or even bleeds out, you’re trying to figure out what is going on. This story is straight out of the Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey era so expect some nostalgic vibes.
Fornés’ art is perfect for a book like this, with strong contrasts between the white and black. Red is used for enemies but also some impressive sound effects too.
Cory Petit letters this issue supplying some consistency between the tales. It’s clean and gets the job done with a good emphasis in different ways. The red outline on the word balloons for Spider-Man’s dialogue is a nice touch, for instance.
Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #1 is another great addition to the anthology line of comics from Marvel. There are some instant hits here that are brilliant, creative, and downright fun. The consistency wavers, of course, but it’s an exhilarating Moon Knight experience.
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