(EDITOR’S NOTE: Paint Monk’s Library, in collaboration with the enthusiastic staff over at the Into the Knight Podcast, are 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 Moonies get too exhausted to write. Whichever comes first!)

By REYNALDO G. – Guest Writer

There’s a lot to like about this issue as it is chock full of story; but one can also say that the comic is also bogged down by the writer’s indulgences, and that is painfully apparent from the first few pages of this issue.

I initially balked at the lengthy dialogue between Zodiac and Nick Fury – which opens the issue – and found myself rolling my eyes at the lack of room which writers David Kraft and Don McGregor give to the artists. From the get-go, the visual medium of the comic takes a back seat (the VERY back seat of a long, long bus!) as Kraft and McGregor have characters expound on their innermost thoughts and feelings, all the while drawing out a rather lengthy exposition for a fairly simple plot.

The saving grace for the writing though, comes from a technique which was used for the previous issue, and that is a variety of dramas set around the main plot.

Review: Defenders (Vol. 1) #48

Nick Fury stands before Scorpio, who also happens to be his brother. Scorpio’s initial plan to engage with Kyle Richmond, aka Nighthawk, was thwarted by the Defenders and so it was that Nick Fury sought to abduct Jack Norriss as a contingency plan. Although Norriss’ abduction by Fury was stopped by Moon Knight (as seen in The Defenders Issue #47), Fury’s cunning allowed him to manipulate the situation and trick The Defenders into handing Jack Norriss over to SHIELD. With Scorpio’s master plan not yet revealed and the two brothers waiting for Jack Norriss to be delivered, there’s nothing left to do but pick up some beer for their impending hostage!

At Avengers’ mansion, the Defenders, alongside Moon Knight and Wonder Man, are still picking up the pieces from their unfortunate confrontation in the last issue. Wonder Man is worried about the state of the mansion while Jack Norriss and Valkyrie exchange words a smoldering undercurrent.

Jack is still resentful towards Valkyrie for taking over his wife’s body and Valkyrie can’t help but feel responsible in some way. All are still reeling at the message they had received from Nick Fury only moments ago, demanding that Jack Norriss be handed over to SHIELD. As Fury arrives to pick up Jack Norriss, Moon Knight makes a stealthy exit with the others. Fury’s behaviour towards Norriss and his suspicious manner spell trouble for Norriss, and he soon catches wind that he’s found himself in more trouble than originally thought!

We briefly see the Incredible Hulk lurking in Central Park amongst the shadows. He’s bored and a little fed up with humans so he ponders how he can have some fun. Nothing more is shown here, as it teases events to come in future issues.

As quickly as Hulk’s cameo comes, it goes. We see Valkyrie and Hellcat astride Aragorn (Valkyrie’s flying steed) discussing the recent  events with Jack Norriss. Valkyrie is disillusioned and feels slightly betrayed at the harsh words Jack recently hurled towards her. Hellcat reassures Valkyrie that she understands what she’s going through, as they fly back towards the Defenders’ headquarters.

It’s not long before they return and there they meet Nighthawk, who has startling news for them. He received a phone call earlier notifying him that Scorpio has abducted Jack Norriss shortly after he was handed over to Nick Fury and this angers Valkyrie, who cries that they have been deceived once again. Nighthawk mentions that Norriss is being held for ransom and demands $500,000. Nighthawk makes the arrangement and prepares to take the ransom money to the drop-off himself.

Meanwhile, Jack Norriss is brought before Scorpio by Nick Fury and amidst offers of beer and grandstanding, Scorpio finally reveals to Jack Norriss his devious creation – it’s the Zodiac Chamber! Constructed alongside Nick Fury, the Chamber is a theatre of genetics and creates a new life form each month for Scorpio to control at will.

It’s here that we see the return of our favourite hero, Moon Knight. He has in fact been trailing Nick Fury ever since Fury came to collect Jack and now Moon Knight finds himself on the roof of Scorpio’s lair.

Unfortunately, Scorpio’s security entraps Moon Knight and he finds himself in a chamber soon to be sealed and filled with water. Scorpio tosses Moon Knight a can of beer and with that decides to call it a night. Jack screams protest at Moon Knight’s apparent fate but Scorpio and Fury are non-plussed at the situation. They ignore Jack’s protests and head for bed.

As dawn rises, Kyle Richmond prepares for the exchange and we see at Scorpio’s lair that amazingly Moon Knight has escaped his death trap. It matters not, as Scorpio has a meeting with Nighthawk. He departs and shortly afterward, he has perched high atop a monument with Nighthawk swooping in to make the exchange.

He hurls the bag of cash at Scorpio and demands Jack Norriss’ release, but like every villain, Scorpio isn’t forthcoming and we soon hear of his actual plan. The $500,000 was just a ruse – Scorpio’s real intent is to abduct Nighthawk himself. To Nighthawk’s surprise, Scorpio knows his secret identity and with this information Scorpio plans to gain the entire Richmond fortune. With his Zodiac key he ensnares Nighthawk and they both teleport away towards their destiny – and for us the reader…towards the next exciting issue!

THOUGHTS: The main plot again centers around Jack Norriss and Nick Fury’s pursuit of him. The issue reveals from the outset that Fury is colluding with the main villain, Zodiac (who also happens to be his brother, Jake). Zodiac wants to dominate the world with a new breed of artifical life – clones based on each Zodiac sign.

These beings are to be the salvation of the world, in effect making Zodiac himself the self-proclaimed saviour. Although the plan by Zodiac to dominate the world is tenuous at best, it forms the main thrust for the issue with the Zodiac Chamber forming the ‘big reveal’. Concurrent to this plot, we see references to a previous arc, of Valkyrie actually being the physical body of Jack’s wife with the mind of the Asgardian within. This forms a dramatic dynamic between the two, and presents an inner turmoil for Valkyrie when Norriss spurns her affection and blames Valkyrie for ‘taking’ his wife.

There’s a small interlude with the Incredible Hulk too (I guess the writers wanted to still remind the readers that the Hulk was not forgotten in The Defenders!) in which we see him introspectively ruminating the purpose of his being. For all it’s absurdity, the Hulk almost appears to be going through a mid-life crisis. There’s a small allusion to Hellcat’s own problems, similar to Valkyrie, and to cap it all off, we see Kyle Hammond a.k.a Nighthawk, sulking in Defenders Headquarters about his own romantic exploits! You might also be wondering what of our Fist of Khonshu, Moon Knight too – well, he at least gets to see some action later on and at least is written in a very entertaining way (which I will get to, don’t you worry!)

Though all very soap opera-ish, it still proves to be quite entertaining and is a good foil to the more comic book action which the book inevitably leans on for the climax. Mention must be also made to the absurd which pervades issue #48. Similar to some qualities found in issue #47, the writers here are not adverse to write in elements which leave the reader scratching their heads. It would appear that Kraft and McGregor love their beer (in particular Schlitz beer) as they have Zodiac offering it to both Jack and Moon Knight…and he even asks Nick Fury to drop by the liquor store after he’s collected Jack! Truth be told I found this highly amusing – the mundane beverage juxtaposed with the machinations of a super villain…it doesn’t get much better than that.

Whether or not Zodiac is meant to come off as a comical character with his love of beer is unclear, but it’s furthered by an exchange with himself and Jack, whereby Zodiac reiterates that although Jack is a guest, he’s not to be getting his bed for the night and so Norriss is relegated to the floor. Again, a minor point which the writers needn’t dwell upon but they do and so we perceive Zodiac as an awkward, socially inept individual.

There’s also the matter of Jack Norriss…what is his purpose exactly? From what first appears to be an intricate scheme by S.H.I.E.L.D to nab Norriss for the information in his head, it is revealed that Zodiac is behind the abduction for the mere want of ransom. Nighthawk inevitably makes the ‘drop’ and attempts to thwart the ransom demand by Zodiac, but regardless of the cliffhanger at the end, I was left thinking… “all that for just holding Jack Norriss for ransom?” It all seems a little weak for such a build-up of Jack’s character.

So what of Moon Knight? How has he fared in this issue and how has he been portrayed? Put simply, Moon Knight is consistently shown as mysterious and highly capable. He disappears early on, once the Avengers hand Norriss over to Fury, and Wonder Man seems surprised that Moon Knight apparently vanishes suddenly. At the end of the issue, Moon Knight is caught in Zodiac’s trap, but still appears cool, calm and collected…with beer in hand.

Art-wise, there is a lot to like about this issue as the exposition of Zodiac’s plan with the Zodiac Chamber allows it to boldly go where Steve Ditko paved the way. Psychedelic images crackling with energy and color immerse the panels most notably with Zodiac and this augments the overall enjoyment of the issue. As mentioned earlier, the art is stifled when there is just too much of the script doing the explanation – early on in the issue, the conversation between Nick Fury and Zodiac is stagnant as there is not much for the artwork to do, except have the figures postulate and squirm around the huge word balloons. Multiple panels to a page also do not help the cause and for those who read modern-day comics from the likes of Tom King and Brian Michael Bendis, there’s a far cry of how the nine-panel grid is utilized to full effect, compared to its rather clunky use here, with images squashed in amid the dialogue.

There is one panel that particularly struck me and I thought was quite innovative. As Moon Knight is held captive in the pit made by Zodiac, it is portrayed as a blue print in an architectural section, which I thought was rather nifty. It’s only one panel, mind you, and could easily be overlooked, but I enjoyed the brief liberal experiment by Giffen & Green (the penciler and inker) and it’s not something you see often.

Overall, Defenders #48 is a consistent continuation of the saga which began in the issue prior, and it still holds all the styles and hallmarks of the decade in which it is written.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Defenders #48 is weighed down by a lopsided relationship between dialogue and artwork. The art is unable to breathe under the weighted word balloons which work too hard to elaborate on the exposition of the story.

The writing itself is slightly more chaotic than the previous issue, with many plot points introduced to elevate the drama. Certain pay-offs such as the ultimate reason for Norriss being abducted, are anti-climatic; however the absurdity introduced in the story (re: Zodiac’s love for beer and his awkward hospitality) is fun to read.

Moon Knight is given much more to do here, and he’s still very much seen as the outsider, with many of the heroes not knowing how to interact with the White Knight. Moon Knight goes out on his own and finds himself captive by Zodiac and by thrusting Moon Knight directly in the action, this would be cause for any Moon Knight fan to smile with glee. Moon Knight appears to have a greater part in the overall story, and this along with the decent portrayal of the character, makes the writers of this issue worthy of handling the character.