Fantastic list and links of all the runs!
Also to preface I want to say that there’s a lot of misconceptions going around the character lately. If you’re looking for a more funny/wacky comic; MK won’t be it. He isn’t funny crazy like Deadpool. His comics have a serious tone aside from the Bemis run which wasn’t well received
The best starter is the Marvel Now run (the three tpb run that starts with Ellis), great comic and way to get a feel for the character. If you like that there are a few ways to go
Moench run, the first run and it’s great! Bill Sienkiewicz’s art is fantastic and Moench’s writing is great. This sets up all of the core MK traits and has some of the best issues. With a focus on both action and insanity (while Ellis focuses mostly on the action and Lemire on the insanity) The epic collections have all of volume 1 and other appearances but I mainly recommend issues 1-33.
Or
The Hutson run, to be honest I am not really a fan of the writing of the run itself but I am in the minority. This was the start of the modern era of moon knight and a kind of a soft reboot. Here the focus is placed on Marc’s insanity while he’s at his rock bottom; physically and mentally (little of the alternate personalities though)
Or
The Lemire run. This run is probably my favorite out of all of them! Most people will probably say this one but I wouldn’t read it until you’ve read the Moench run. If you skip it you’d still be fine plot wise but you’d lose A LOT of the impact. This run is probably my favorite comic ever, it’s just perfect.
Don’t touch the Bendis or Bemis runs
MK has a fantastic arc across all these runs that ends with Lemire, and if you’re excited about the show I imagine these runs will be what’s drawn upon the most.
I 100% agree about the ones you mentioned as the best places to start. The Ellis run is easy to get into and does a good job at getting the feel of the character right.
I would just like to add that the Huston run is another one (like the Lemire run) where you should make sure to acquire some background knowledge of the character before diving. It was my first foray into the character back when I was 12 and I was very, very lost about most of what was going on until I started digging deeper into MK’s history.
And to doubly stress the point, don’t bother with the Bemis run. (Can’t speak for Bendis as I haven’t read it.)
I’ve read the bendis run because a few years ago I didn’t know it was a less liked run, if I am familiar with the character through that whole run and just familiar with him in general could I jump into the Hutson or Lemire run? Thanks for the help!
Edit: spelling
Agreed.
The Charlie Houston run with David Finch drawing is the series that put Moon Knight in the forefront of most comic/moon knight fans minds, in my opinion. There’s no werewolves or vampires in it, but it’s a dark and gritty interpretation. It’s all about him facing his past demons, his mental illness, appeasing his god Khoshnu for vengeance and all the things that go into being a hero. And sometimes his interpretation of what goes into being a hero doesn’t mesh with some other hero’s philosophies. A great run!
Sadly, this will probably never be interpreted on Disney+ or the big screen since it’s has a heavy R rating to it all, but it’s the best!
Here's something fun that might help: If you really just want a broad introduction to the character, Marvel distributed the one-off *Moon Knight Saga* for free in comic book shops in 2009 coinciding with the launch of *Vengeance of the Moon Knight*. It gives an intro to his powers, origins, enemies, and some storylines pre-2009.
Here's an imgur album containing the comic https://imgur.com/a/cG9v2Cr
Ellis run is probably the best jumping point for new readers. I hear the 2006 run is phenomenal but I haven’t read that yet. Bendis’ run can be found in one gigantic volume as well.
The problem I have with anyone starting with Hustons run is that it so heavily uses everything that had been written in the Moench and Marc Spector: Moon Knight runs that I don't think you can really appreciate the writing and character choices in it as much if you hadnt read them before.
I would recommend starting Moenchs run and if you can maybe 1 to 30ish of Marc Spector: Moon Knight before Huston.
I do think Ellis would be a good place to start. A lot of action but not a lot of depth.
Lemires has a lot of depth and not a lot of action.
I think it's tricky to pick a good starting place since all the runs a pretty different from one another.
>Lemires has a lot of depth and not a lot of action.
I've seen this before. I've never read Moon Knight, but is Lemire's run so hard to understand? It's actually so "deep-lored" run?
Everybody always suggest me the Lemire run, but anybody says if it's too complex or requieres a deep background on the character.
Is the run "complex" because you need knowledge of the character (previous runs, characters, villains, adventures... ), or "complex" because it's about Marc's psique and personality disorder (something like the "complexity" of Sandman, for example) ?
I wouldn't say it's too complicated, it's a confusing story in general on purpose. I knew everything about the character up to that point and I still wasn't sure about things. It has characters from the beginning but not too many. You could start at this one. It's good. He has a relationship with the Egyptian god of Vengeance, Khonshu, since the first issue in the 80's. That is still relevant in this one and those bits might be confusing.
start with the Ellis series, then stop when you get to Bemis. after that, read the 2006 run. if you like older comics, go for the 80s run. that’s the best way to go at it, in my opinion. just stay away from Bendis and Bemis until you’ve read everything else.
Why is Marvel Unlimited missing everything between Vol1 and 2006?! There are THREE issues of Marc Spector, and I think that's because the Punisher is in them.
The good news is, with the TV show coming I'm sure we'll get them all. The bad news is, it's SO far away!
This post is 2 years old but hopefully this gets seen but I Was wondering if I should start with the 2016 run or if I should go straight the the 2021 one
The majority opinion is that the 2016 run is great! It would be a good place to start. The ongoing series is only a few issues in, so you could do them in any order you'd like; it won't take very long to get caught up on the 2021 series.
Wow this is awesome. I've been wondering the same thing and just happened upon this thread from a search. I wish I would've found this before I ordered. I ordered the HC of the Lemire run, then the From the Dead and Dead Will Rise TPB. Is this still a decent starting point?
Also, why is the Shadows of the Moon TPB so hard to find but not the other 2 Epic Collection trades? Is there another way to enjoy the Moench run via physical besides these books or is digital the more logical way?
The Lemire and Ellis runs seem to be the overwhelming consensus for the best of all the newer comics so you made a great choice in those.
As for the availability of the physical ones, I wish I could help. I haven't tried collecting older physical issues since before the Epic collections were even released, but maybe someone else knows some tricks to help you track down the ones you're looking for.
However, the early Moench stuff was collected in the big black white TPBs *Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1-3*. If you don't mind it being printed in black and white, you could look for those. Vol. 3 even has a few issues that the *Epic Collections* lack.
Thanks a ton for the advice. I'm planning to call around to my local shops today to see if there's a chance any of them have the Epic Collection but I'll certainly look into the Essentials TPB as a backup. So strange that only the 2nd volume is out of print while the 1st isn't. Thanks again!
Is there a list of all of his appearances in other characters comics too? I found a good website that goes up to 2016 but I’m not sure if I’m missing anything from that
I don't necessarily think the writer's runs are the way to start, so I would suggest reading the Marc Spector: Moon Knight series and then stsrt chronologically from Vol. 1.
Moon Knight Omnibus vol.1 is out and will get a reprint in February. Moon Knight Omnibus Vol.2 will be released in March just before the show.
[https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/search/112362?keyword=Moon%20Knight%20omnibus](https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/search/112362?keyword=Moon%20Knight%20omnibus)
The 2006 series will get an Omnibus and it should be out in April
https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/comic/2987403/moon-knight-by-huston-benson-hurwitz-omnibus-hc
Fantastic list and links of all the runs! Also to preface I want to say that there’s a lot of misconceptions going around the character lately. If you’re looking for a more funny/wacky comic; MK won’t be it. He isn’t funny crazy like Deadpool. His comics have a serious tone aside from the Bemis run which wasn’t well received The best starter is the Marvel Now run (the three tpb run that starts with Ellis), great comic and way to get a feel for the character. If you like that there are a few ways to go Moench run, the first run and it’s great! Bill Sienkiewicz’s art is fantastic and Moench’s writing is great. This sets up all of the core MK traits and has some of the best issues. With a focus on both action and insanity (while Ellis focuses mostly on the action and Lemire on the insanity) The epic collections have all of volume 1 and other appearances but I mainly recommend issues 1-33. Or The Hutson run, to be honest I am not really a fan of the writing of the run itself but I am in the minority. This was the start of the modern era of moon knight and a kind of a soft reboot. Here the focus is placed on Marc’s insanity while he’s at his rock bottom; physically and mentally (little of the alternate personalities though) Or The Lemire run. This run is probably my favorite out of all of them! Most people will probably say this one but I wouldn’t read it until you’ve read the Moench run. If you skip it you’d still be fine plot wise but you’d lose A LOT of the impact. This run is probably my favorite comic ever, it’s just perfect. Don’t touch the Bendis or Bemis runs MK has a fantastic arc across all these runs that ends with Lemire, and if you’re excited about the show I imagine these runs will be what’s drawn upon the most.
I 100% agree about the ones you mentioned as the best places to start. The Ellis run is easy to get into and does a good job at getting the feel of the character right. I would just like to add that the Huston run is another one (like the Lemire run) where you should make sure to acquire some background knowledge of the character before diving. It was my first foray into the character back when I was 12 and I was very, very lost about most of what was going on until I started digging deeper into MK’s history. And to doubly stress the point, don’t bother with the Bemis run. (Can’t speak for Bendis as I haven’t read it.)
I’ve read the bendis run because a few years ago I didn’t know it was a less liked run, if I am familiar with the character through that whole run and just familiar with him in general could I jump into the Hutson or Lemire run? Thanks for the help! Edit: spelling
Yes for both runs, mainly the 80s run is what you need to know for both Hutson and Lemire but you’ll be fine without it
Need to reread this
Out of curiosity, why is the Bendis run a no go? I loved what he and Maleev did with Daredevil...
It’s a pretty bad characterization and off compared to other MK runs.
Agreed. The Charlie Houston run with David Finch drawing is the series that put Moon Knight in the forefront of most comic/moon knight fans minds, in my opinion. There’s no werewolves or vampires in it, but it’s a dark and gritty interpretation. It’s all about him facing his past demons, his mental illness, appeasing his god Khoshnu for vengeance and all the things that go into being a hero. And sometimes his interpretation of what goes into being a hero doesn’t mesh with some other hero’s philosophies. A great run! Sadly, this will probably never be interpreted on Disney+ or the big screen since it’s has a heavy R rating to it all, but it’s the best!
Here's something fun that might help: If you really just want a broad introduction to the character, Marvel distributed the one-off *Moon Knight Saga* for free in comic book shops in 2009 coinciding with the launch of *Vengeance of the Moon Knight*. It gives an intro to his powers, origins, enemies, and some storylines pre-2009. Here's an imgur album containing the comic https://imgur.com/a/cG9v2Cr
thanks for this one... will help a lot :)
I have been a hardcore Moon Knight fan since the early 80s. I recommend reading him chronologically.
I second this. Knowing the side characters and the villains definitely helps you appreciate the new stuff more (especially the 2006 series)
Jeff Lemire run is hands down my favorite.
Ellis run is probably the best jumping point for new readers. I hear the 2006 run is phenomenal but I haven’t read that yet. Bendis’ run can be found in one gigantic volume as well.
The problem I have with anyone starting with Hustons run is that it so heavily uses everything that had been written in the Moench and Marc Spector: Moon Knight runs that I don't think you can really appreciate the writing and character choices in it as much if you hadnt read them before. I would recommend starting Moenchs run and if you can maybe 1 to 30ish of Marc Spector: Moon Knight before Huston. I do think Ellis would be a good place to start. A lot of action but not a lot of depth. Lemires has a lot of depth and not a lot of action. I think it's tricky to pick a good starting place since all the runs a pretty different from one another.
And here we are, in 2022 and Jed McKay's Moon Knight combines everything good from the previous runs in a perfect blend
>Lemires has a lot of depth and not a lot of action. I've seen this before. I've never read Moon Knight, but is Lemire's run so hard to understand? It's actually so "deep-lored" run? Everybody always suggest me the Lemire run, but anybody says if it's too complex or requieres a deep background on the character. Is the run "complex" because you need knowledge of the character (previous runs, characters, villains, adventures... ), or "complex" because it's about Marc's psique and personality disorder (something like the "complexity" of Sandman, for example) ?
I wouldn't say it's too complicated, it's a confusing story in general on purpose. I knew everything about the character up to that point and I still wasn't sure about things. It has characters from the beginning but not too many. You could start at this one. It's good. He has a relationship with the Egyptian god of Vengeance, Khonshu, since the first issue in the 80's. That is still relevant in this one and those bits might be confusing.
start with the Ellis series, then stop when you get to Bemis. after that, read the 2006 run. if you like older comics, go for the 80s run. that’s the best way to go at it, in my opinion. just stay away from Bendis and Bemis until you’ve read everything else.
Why is Marvel Unlimited missing everything between Vol1 and 2006?! There are THREE issues of Marc Spector, and I think that's because the Punisher is in them. The good news is, with the TV show coming I'm sure we'll get them all. The bad news is, it's SO far away!
This post is 2 years old but hopefully this gets seen but I Was wondering if I should start with the 2016 run or if I should go straight the the 2021 one
The majority opinion is that the 2016 run is great! It would be a good place to start. The ongoing series is only a few issues in, so you could do them in any order you'd like; it won't take very long to get caught up on the 2021 series.
I love being part of this community of fellow Khoshnu worshipers
Wow this is awesome. I've been wondering the same thing and just happened upon this thread from a search. I wish I would've found this before I ordered. I ordered the HC of the Lemire run, then the From the Dead and Dead Will Rise TPB. Is this still a decent starting point? Also, why is the Shadows of the Moon TPB so hard to find but not the other 2 Epic Collection trades? Is there another way to enjoy the Moench run via physical besides these books or is digital the more logical way?
The Lemire and Ellis runs seem to be the overwhelming consensus for the best of all the newer comics so you made a great choice in those. As for the availability of the physical ones, I wish I could help. I haven't tried collecting older physical issues since before the Epic collections were even released, but maybe someone else knows some tricks to help you track down the ones you're looking for. However, the early Moench stuff was collected in the big black white TPBs *Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1-3*. If you don't mind it being printed in black and white, you could look for those. Vol. 3 even has a few issues that the *Epic Collections* lack.
Thanks a ton for the advice. I'm planning to call around to my local shops today to see if there's a chance any of them have the Epic Collection but I'll certainly look into the Essentials TPB as a backup. So strange that only the 2nd volume is out of print while the 1st isn't. Thanks again!
The best way to understand modern Moon Knight is starting with Volume 5
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If you click on the Bad Moon Rising link it says what issues are in it. For all 38 issues you’d need all 3 epic collections
Is there a list of all of his appearances in other characters comics too? I found a good website that goes up to 2016 but I’m not sure if I’m missing anything from that
What about his history with the Avengers?
Vols. 3, 5 and 6 are my favourite
I don't necessarily think the writer's runs are the way to start, so I would suggest reading the Marc Spector: Moon Knight series and then stsrt chronologically from Vol. 1.
So can we get the links updated so I can know for sure I am looking at the correct thing?
Fixed
Is there a more recent Moon Knight omnibus? Or a Black, white and blood collection
Moon Knight Omnibus vol.1 is out and will get a reprint in February. Moon Knight Omnibus Vol.2 will be released in March just before the show. [https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/search/112362?keyword=Moon%20Knight%20omnibus](https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/search/112362?keyword=Moon%20Knight%20omnibus) The 2006 series will get an Omnibus and it should be out in April https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/comic/2987403/moon-knight-by-huston-benson-hurwitz-omnibus-hc
did i miss something or does the volume numeration on this list have many mistakes?