(EDITOR’S NOTE: Paint Monk’s Library, in collaboration with the enthusiastic staff over at the Into the Knight Podcast, is tackling the Moon Knight chronology! Each week we’ll take an in-depth look at the Fist Of Khonshu in a series of reviews, all in order of character appearance! These reviews will appear on Monday each week until we’ve covered them all, or until the enthusiastic Loonies get too exhausted to write. Whichever comes first!)

By RUSSELL MORAN – Guest Writer

It’s a trope as old as fiction itself, used in everything from Star Wars to Dragon Ball Z. In wrestling it’s called a “Babyface Turn,” and it’s very prolific in comic books – the villain who turns to the light. Many of the most popular comic book characters of all time were villains that become heroes, like the Punisher, Venom, Harley Quinn, and even Magneto. Among those names, however, is the character that spawned this review series: Marc Spector, The Moon Knight. And this is the issue it happens.

Our story picks up right where we left off in issue #32, with the werewolf in the custody of Moon Knight. We begin to see the seeds planted for his eventual turn. We see a lot of familiar tropes in this book, especially the villainy of greed and the corruption of power. The villains in this issue are downright despicable.

Doug Moench and Don Perlin must’ve had their fingers on the pulse of their readers for sure. In his first appearance, Moon Knight is immediately given the spotlight. He’s an amazing combatant, he’s quippy, and above all, he has a fantastic design. So, it’s no surprise really, that Marvel and the team on Werewolf by Night were grooming this baddie into a protector of the night.

While not as valuable as #32, this issue is still highly sought after among collectors. A low grade can fish as low as $30 but a pristine condition will put you in the ballpark of $200 or more. I imagine this book will heat up even more with the rumor circulating that Jack Russell will appear in the Moon Knight Disney+ series as well as the new Blade film.

How does this vile merc for hire (who beat our poor hero half to death last ish) morph into a future avenger? What becomes of Jack Russell? And what side plots begin to thicken? Find out, right now.

REVIEW: Werewolf by Night #33

Moon Knight has the werewolf strapped to a ladder dangling from the mooncopter, with the police in tow. The police begin firing shots at the fleeing mercenary and his prey. Moonie takes a slug to the right shoulder but maintains his grip. The Mooncopter has evaded the boys in blue for now and begin their journey to a payday with The Committee.

Meanwhile, Mr. Northup continues to hunt for Raymond Coker, another werewolf, in Haiti. Northup attempts to bribe the customs office, but the Haitian man refuses to accept his dirty money. Northup tells the man his country will pay for this in blood, via a real live lycanthrope.

Raymond Coker is still in session with the voodoo priestess known as Jeesala of the Thousand Years. In the last issue, she had revealed she knew Ray was a werewolf, but he tells her that he’s since been cured and that’s not why he’s here. Ray begins to spin a yarn about a tragedy that befell some of his relatives in Haiti.

He tells Jeesala that in a small village north of Mirebalais, his aunt and uncle were savagely murdered by a mysterious assailant. Only Ray’s little cousin Banita survived the assault, and she’s unable to speak, immobilized by the fear of what happened before her eyes. A young woman named Maura has been looking after the child following the murders and attempts to relay what happened to Ray during a flashback.

Before she lost the ability to speak, Banita said her father and mother had just sat down for their evening meal, when a man burst through their front door. The Man was tall, gaunt, and immensely powerful. But he was silent. He swiftly, and brutally murdered Banita’s mother and father and dragged their writhing corpses out of the house. Banita was frozen in fear.

When Maura questioned Banita about who the man was, the answer was one that surely impossible. Ray tries to poke further, insistent on discovering his aunt and uncle’s murderer. In a fit of fear, Banita begins to shriek the name of Papa Jaranda, Raymond Coker’s great-great-grandfather. Jeesala warns Ray that he has a Zombie problem on his hands.

Back in the city, Moon Knight is surprised when the slumbering beast he’s transporting suddenly awakens. The werewolf, in pain and enraged, lashes out at his foe. They tumble five hundred feet into the water below. Their titanic confrontation continues underwater until Moony pulls the werewolf back up onto a pier. But the werewolf isn’t finished yet, he won’t give up, much to Moony’s chagrin. Once again, they tumble back into the watery depths. The werewolf fights through the pain, as nothing can keep him from his attacker.

The werewolf gains the upper hand, striking Moon Knight with ruthless force. Moon Knight is beaten. The Werewolf looks to deal the deathblow, but morning’s light prevents Moony’s certain doom. Moon Knight is amazed to have witnessed the transformation from wolf to man. After a brief encounter with a drunk, Frenchie arrives with the Mooncopter and off to the Committee they go.

We get a brief update on Buck, still fighting for his life in the hospital. Elaine, Buck’s girlfriend, pleas with the doctor for answers. But the doctor states he simply has none. Even if Buck awakens from his coma, he may be paralyzed for the rest of is life.

Moon Knight arrives with the cargo. The Committee, helmed by a large unnamed fellow, places Jack Russell in a cage. Topaz and Lissa are strung up like prisoners. The Committee won’t pay Moon Knight until after the full moon rises, to guarantee this man is indeed the werewolf. They plan to keep the werewolf as a “pet” who they will systematically release into the public to murder innocents, all for their own enjoyment.

The full moon rises, and Jack’s metamorphosis claims him again. The Committee, very pleased with Moon Knight’s handiwork, attempts to pay him his ten-thousand-dollar bounty. But in a change of heart, Moon Knight turns on his employers. He releases Jack from his cage and sets the prisoners free. Together, the werewolf and Moon Knight wipe out the members of the Committee.

Once the villains are slain, the werewolf attempts to start round 3 with Moony. Moon Knight makes a spectacular escape and lets the werewolf be…for now. Our last shot is of Moon Knight, money in hand, watching as the werewolf leaves into the night.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Once again, Doug Moench and Don Perlin craft a wonderful tale of action, suspense, horror, and drama. This issue was a great bookend to the last issue and really got me excited when Moon Knight rescued the very beast he just finished fighting. The tale was expertly told.

Moench’s writing is a little dated by today’s standards, but that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed it. In a comic created in 2020, I wouldn’t accept our hero calling an adversary “lard butt” but as a comic of its time, it works! Moon Knight’s dialogue in this is hilarious. His quips and comebacks rival that of a certain friendly neighborhood hero. He also really knows how to build suspense and drama, which I’m sure is one of the reasons Moench had such a long tenure on Batman.

Perlin’s art is amazing as always. He stages some epic fight panels and draws all the characters with such finesse. His horror chops really shine here, too. The design of the mysterious zombie is genuinely creepy and reminded me of what Joe Bennett is doing right now on Immortal Hulk. Really good stuff here.

Before starting these reviews, I was very much interested in the Werewolf by Night as a series. I’ve been a big fan of the universal monsters and werewolves for a while. But now that I’ve actually read these issues, I’m hooked. I plan to hunt down the singles for this whole series. Moench and Perlin are still selling comics to the masses 40+ years after their publication.

Of course, the highlight of the book is seeing Moon Knight’s slow ascent into heroism. My favorite part of the issue (which I neglected to talk about in the synopsis so I could discuss it properly here) is after Jack turns back into himself. They had just had a very long, grueling battle. Moon Knight just witnessed the impossible, and he begins to feel remorse for his foe. He’s not a monster, he’s not a poser. He’s a man with a terrible disease. Moon Knight kneels and removes his crescent darts from Jack’s flesh. In that moment, we as the reader know this mercenary in white is not evil. He still feels for others, and he eases Jack’s pain.

Overall, the one-two punch of issues #32 and #33 are a MUST read. Not just must-read for Moon Knight fans, or werewolf fans, but must-read for Marvel Comic fans. It’s not the best story ever written, but Moench and Perlin successful set up and deliver a great story of good outweighing evil, compassion, horror, and triumph. They managed to do in two issues what most modern comics do in six.

On a scale of 1-5, I’d rate this issue a 4.

Listen to the latest installment of the Into the Knight! podcast by following this link:
https://intotheknightpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/01/12/episode-128-the-age-of-khonshu/