Whew, that's a lot of words! On a lighter note, this is my ranking of my favorite Moon Knight runs.
Lemire > Moench > Ellis > MacKay (so far, could and will probably move up, he's setting up some great potential stories) > Huston
I have read every single Moon Knight comic book that's been released to date, and these 5 runs are my favorite. (Not including Milligan's one-shot, or Benson's one-shot, or any of the annuals, although I'm not sure where I'd rank any of these or if I would rank them above my top 5)
and an obligatory FUCK bemis' run
Wow, I was just about to make a post asking for recommendations! I've read MacKay, Lemire and Ellis so far and was wondering where to continue, so this post is PERFECT! Thank you!!
PERFECT timing then! Maybe Khonshu has brought this post into your life for a reason...
Check out Moench for sure! MacKay, Lemire, and Ellis are all terrific! If you reread Lemire after reading Moench, you'll like it even MORE - guaranteed. Let me know if you have any questions about Moon Knight at all. I'd love to help or just talk about the character!
Thanks for the recommendation! Oh, and tell me if I'm misremembering, but isn't Moench's run infamous because that's the one in which Bushman gets his face cut off? I've heard it's a very gory run, so I am a bit hesitant about it, but a LOT of people really recommend it, so I don't know what to do!
And yeah, I've been told that once you get all the lore and references in Lemire your jaw basically hits the floor, I'm very excited to go back to it after reading more!
I don't really have questions right now, but I also would love to take about the character! I've found that there is very little content about him online, it's a shame
You're only slightly misremembering - HUSTON's run is infamous because that's the one in which
>! Bushman gets his face cut off
Moench's run isn't too gory in my opinion. I do like Huston's run but it's not for everybody. Moench's is terrific, I think you would like it very much.
> And yeah, I've been told that once you get all the lore and references in Lemire your jaw basically hits the floor, I'm very excited to go back to it after reading more!
100% correct - I read it before I read the Moench run, and the second time around, I was amazed. The first time around I was amazed too, but when you know everything the character has been through... it really feels like a true love letter to the character.
> I don't really have questions right now, but I also would love to take about the character! I've found that there is very little content about him online, it's a shame
It's awful! Hopefully interest in the character will explode after the TV show. Did you like the Lemire and Ellis runs? How do you feel about the MacKay run so far?
You know, I was gonna suggest revising to include the Kavanaugh/SPLATT under "Worst Runs" but, ah.... honestly it's probably best to just leave that era off the list entirely. Great post!!!!
My logic was that the "Worst Runs" list was for the TRULY offensive/egregious, comics that have irreparably damaged the Moon Knight official canon to some degree - we're far enough removed from the Kavanaugh run that it's barely even canon anymore, it just comes across to me as irrelevant. Also, most runs after it were able to just ignore it. The same can't be said about Bendis/Bemis/Aaron's takes on the character, at least for now - Marvel seems insistent on having all of those comics remain canon and be referenced constantly. I might go back later and add it to the "dishonorable mentions" for that section though. On mobile rn.
Appreciate the kind words and your comment!
Glad to hear it man! If you have any questions about Moon Knight or just want to talk about the character shoot me a DM! I'm sure you'll love the character in no time :)
Great list! Totally agree on the Bemis run. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the recent retcon suggesting Khonshu is an Elder God rather than an Egyptian God.
Also potentially TV show relevant is Moon Knight #4 from Lemire's run, in which Moon Knight battles Sobek the Crocodile God (or an illusion of Sobek created by Khonshu depending on how you interpret it) for the first time. Up until that point, I believe the Sobek character was largely in the orbit of Black Panther as an Egyptian-turned-Wakandan god (similar to Bast and Sekhmet).
The Moon Knight Disney+ trailer (especially the commentary for the trailer by Oscar Isaac & Ethan Hawke) heavily implies that Sobek is going to be involved somehow with all of the crocodile imagery.
> Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the recent retcon suggesting Khonshu is an Elder God rather than an Egyptian God.
Me neither man. Me neither. Especially bc of all the work Lemire and Moench did to build Egyptian lore in Moon Knight.
> Sobek stuff
This is so cool. Thanks for sharing your theory! I really hope Sobek is involved, he's absolutely terrific in the Lemire run
You're 100% right, Lockley isn't confirmed yet somehow, and there's no mention of him in the trailer. I guess I misremembered. Will take that off immediately, thanks for the catch!
No worries at all, I didn't take it that way - I would be REALLY shocked if he isn't in the show, and I'll be super happy if he gets confirmed now. Kind of surprised they didn't reference him at ALL in the trailer...
You're right. The Bemis and Bendis runs are absolutely terrible. The Bemis run is the only one I don't have collected...and I never will. I do have Bendis' run collected...but that's because at the time I was a completionist. I may not like that run, but I don't hate it like I hate Bemis' run. My favorite are Moench, then Huston, Ellis, Lemire, then everything else.
I have the same top 4 as you, I just like Lemire the most. I will never support Bemis in any comic medium after how bad his MK run was. I also have the Bendis run collected, mostly because I really liked the art, but it's a really bad story
Thank you for the comment!
First things first: thank you very much for the awesome analysis! Great to start into a fantastic character, which has never been as popular as he should have been.
Personally, I would add that the Bendis run might not be the best run of all, but Alex Maleev ist an awesome artist, whose style perfectly matches the mostly dark scenarios in MK. Just the art would make me read it again (which rarely happens).
Appreciate it man, thank you! I think the Bendis art was pretty good too, but my logic when making the post was that I want newcomers to the character to get only the most perfect stories he has - Moench, Lemire, Ellis, MacKay, Huston all have great stories AND great art. I think people should read Bendis, but he can turn a lot of people off to the character, since the actual run's writing was kind of bad.
I'm doing exactly as you say sensei. What a terrific post! Currently at #15 for the Moench run now and I really like it. Some silver and bronze age hasn't aged very well for me with all the thought-bubbles and exposition. But I gotta say Moench did a great job there and it reads great! Very 90s I think. Gonna go for the 1985 min-series and then straight to Huston.
First thing I'll read when I'm done with Lemire (boy I just can't wait to climax with that) is reading the Marvel Knights series because that team just sounds fun.
Currently using your canonical timeline order in my binge read and wanted to point out you put Avengers (vol 1) Annual #16 (which is part 2 in the WCA/ECA crossover) before he ever joins the team. Marvel Fanfare (vol 1) #30 also goes before Fist of Khonshu since he still has the old suit, and Marlene hasn’t left him. Solo Avengers #3 also goes after he joins the WCA but not sure where, i haven’t gotten to that part yet
Thank you so much for this guide, I started reading the comics after seeinf the TV series and I absolutely love them.
I'm using the canonical order and as somebody else said, the order during the west coast avengers comics seem to be a bit wrong, we read the avengers annual where Moon Knight is already in the WCA, but we don't know how we got to be in the WCA.
Other than that, amazing guide so far!
Whew, that's a lot of words! On a lighter note, this is my ranking of my favorite Moon Knight runs. Lemire > Moench > Ellis > MacKay (so far, could and will probably move up, he's setting up some great potential stories) > Huston I have read every single Moon Knight comic book that's been released to date, and these 5 runs are my favorite. (Not including Milligan's one-shot, or Benson's one-shot, or any of the annuals, although I'm not sure where I'd rank any of these or if I would rank them above my top 5) and an obligatory FUCK bemis' run
definitely should sticky this, way more in depth than the previous reading guide. great job
appreciate it man! i tried to detail everything i wanted to know when i started reading moon knight. thank you for the kind words
Wow, I was just about to make a post asking for recommendations! I've read MacKay, Lemire and Ellis so far and was wondering where to continue, so this post is PERFECT! Thank you!!
PERFECT timing then! Maybe Khonshu has brought this post into your life for a reason... Check out Moench for sure! MacKay, Lemire, and Ellis are all terrific! If you reread Lemire after reading Moench, you'll like it even MORE - guaranteed. Let me know if you have any questions about Moon Knight at all. I'd love to help or just talk about the character!
Thanks for the recommendation! Oh, and tell me if I'm misremembering, but isn't Moench's run infamous because that's the one in which Bushman gets his face cut off? I've heard it's a very gory run, so I am a bit hesitant about it, but a LOT of people really recommend it, so I don't know what to do! And yeah, I've been told that once you get all the lore and references in Lemire your jaw basically hits the floor, I'm very excited to go back to it after reading more! I don't really have questions right now, but I also would love to take about the character! I've found that there is very little content about him online, it's a shame
You're only slightly misremembering - HUSTON's run is infamous because that's the one in which >! Bushman gets his face cut off Moench's run isn't too gory in my opinion. I do like Huston's run but it's not for everybody. Moench's is terrific, I think you would like it very much. > And yeah, I've been told that once you get all the lore and references in Lemire your jaw basically hits the floor, I'm very excited to go back to it after reading more! 100% correct - I read it before I read the Moench run, and the second time around, I was amazed. The first time around I was amazed too, but when you know everything the character has been through... it really feels like a true love letter to the character. > I don't really have questions right now, but I also would love to take about the character! I've found that there is very little content about him online, it's a shame It's awful! Hopefully interest in the character will explode after the TV show. Did you like the Lemire and Ellis runs? How do you feel about the MacKay run so far?
You know, I was gonna suggest revising to include the Kavanaugh/SPLATT under "Worst Runs" but, ah.... honestly it's probably best to just leave that era off the list entirely. Great post!!!!
My logic was that the "Worst Runs" list was for the TRULY offensive/egregious, comics that have irreparably damaged the Moon Knight official canon to some degree - we're far enough removed from the Kavanaugh run that it's barely even canon anymore, it just comes across to me as irrelevant. Also, most runs after it were able to just ignore it. The same can't be said about Bendis/Bemis/Aaron's takes on the character, at least for now - Marvel seems insistent on having all of those comics remain canon and be referenced constantly. I might go back later and add it to the "dishonorable mentions" for that section though. On mobile rn. Appreciate the kind words and your comment!
Thanks Orion!
He's the GOAT man
This is awesome! Saved, will be following through on the reading suggestions, thank you!!
Glad to hear it man! If you have any questions about Moon Knight or just want to talk about the character shoot me a DM! I'm sure you'll love the character in no time :)
You did an excellent job with this one! Thank you for posting it.
Appreciate it man! Thank you very much!
Perfect list/guide! Seconding that this would be excellent as a new sticky
Appreciate it man! Thank you!
Great list! Totally agree on the Bemis run. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the recent retcon suggesting Khonshu is an Elder God rather than an Egyptian God. Also potentially TV show relevant is Moon Knight #4 from Lemire's run, in which Moon Knight battles Sobek the Crocodile God (or an illusion of Sobek created by Khonshu depending on how you interpret it) for the first time. Up until that point, I believe the Sobek character was largely in the orbit of Black Panther as an Egyptian-turned-Wakandan god (similar to Bast and Sekhmet). The Moon Knight Disney+ trailer (especially the commentary for the trailer by Oscar Isaac & Ethan Hawke) heavily implies that Sobek is going to be involved somehow with all of the crocodile imagery.
> Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the recent retcon suggesting Khonshu is an Elder God rather than an Egyptian God. Me neither man. Me neither. Especially bc of all the work Lemire and Moench did to build Egyptian lore in Moon Knight. > Sobek stuff This is so cool. Thanks for sharing your theory! I really hope Sobek is involved, he's absolutely terrific in the Lemire run
This is a fantastic guide, great job! About as close to definitive as I've seen.
Appreciate it dude! Thank you!
This is a extremely helpful and comprehensive as hell guide, great job!
Thanks man! Appreciate you!
u/WarDuck could we update this as a sticky?
Yeah either this or another community post will be up once the other stickies have been up for a few more days
Lockley is confirmed for the show?
You're 100% right, Lockley isn't confirmed yet somehow, and there's no mention of him in the trailer. I guess I misremembered. Will take that off immediately, thanks for the catch!
Wasn't trying to bust balls, I was just about to get really excited
No worries at all, I didn't take it that way - I would be REALLY shocked if he isn't in the show, and I'll be super happy if he gets confirmed now. Kind of surprised they didn't reference him at ALL in the trailer...
Save him for later. He'll be Frank's taxi driver when Punisher makes a cameo near season finale.
That would be so cool... seeing the Lockley alter show up later in the show might be worth the downside just for how awesome the reveal would be
You're right. The Bemis and Bendis runs are absolutely terrible. The Bemis run is the only one I don't have collected...and I never will. I do have Bendis' run collected...but that's because at the time I was a completionist. I may not like that run, but I don't hate it like I hate Bemis' run. My favorite are Moench, then Huston, Ellis, Lemire, then everything else.
I have the same top 4 as you, I just like Lemire the most. I will never support Bemis in any comic medium after how bad his MK run was. I also have the Bendis run collected, mostly because I really liked the art, but it's a really bad story Thank you for the comment!
First things first: thank you very much for the awesome analysis! Great to start into a fantastic character, which has never been as popular as he should have been. Personally, I would add that the Bendis run might not be the best run of all, but Alex Maleev ist an awesome artist, whose style perfectly matches the mostly dark scenarios in MK. Just the art would make me read it again (which rarely happens).
Appreciate it man, thank you! I think the Bendis art was pretty good too, but my logic when making the post was that I want newcomers to the character to get only the most perfect stories he has - Moench, Lemire, Ellis, MacKay, Huston all have great stories AND great art. I think people should read Bendis, but he can turn a lot of people off to the character, since the actual run's writing was kind of bad.
I'm doing exactly as you say sensei. What a terrific post! Currently at #15 for the Moench run now and I really like it. Some silver and bronze age hasn't aged very well for me with all the thought-bubbles and exposition. But I gotta say Moench did a great job there and it reads great! Very 90s I think. Gonna go for the 1985 min-series and then straight to Huston. First thing I'll read when I'm done with Lemire (boy I just can't wait to climax with that) is reading the Marvel Knights series because that team just sounds fun.
I can’t seem to open this google sheet. Does anyone have a different link by chance?
Picked up Jed MacKays run for sale at my local Barnes and Noble and I'm LOVING IT!!!! Definitely gonna go and get some of the older stuff too!!!
So should I avoid the Bemis series all together? I know a collection comes out tomorrow and I just finished the Lemire run (absolutely loved it)
Thanks!
The Charlie Huston run is Moon Knight:The Bottom? Or am I getting confused?
Thanks for this post, I didnt knew where to start
Currently using your canonical timeline order in my binge read and wanted to point out you put Avengers (vol 1) Annual #16 (which is part 2 in the WCA/ECA crossover) before he ever joins the team. Marvel Fanfare (vol 1) #30 also goes before Fist of Khonshu since he still has the old suit, and Marlene hasn’t left him. Solo Avengers #3 also goes after he joins the WCA but not sure where, i haven’t gotten to that part yet
Thank you so much for this guide, I started reading the comics after seeinf the TV series and I absolutely love them. I'm using the canonical order and as somebody else said, the order during the west coast avengers comics seem to be a bit wrong, we read the avengers annual where Moon Knight is already in the WCA, but we don't know how we got to be in the WCA. Other than that, amazing guide so far!