Comics
Review: ‘Moon Knight’ #1
An action-packed thriller, “Moon Knight” #1 delivers top-notch writing and stylish artwork to reinvigorate a hero that has had a tough time in the past. This is a clever and wicked take on the costumed vigilante genre, and it’s exactly what Moon Knight deserves. An awesome team-up, writer Warren Ellis and artist Declan Shalvey have done something bold, fresh, and new with the “Moon Knight series.
WRITTEN BY: Warren Ellis
ART BY: Declan Shalvey
PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 5, 2014
Far away from home, on a mission in Egypt, mercenary assassin Marc Spector was killed in action. Using his last breath, Marc crawled his way to the statue of an ancient deity, known as Khonshu. The moon god brought Marc back from the dead, quite possibly against his will. In order to seek redemption, Marc wears a white costume and prowls the gritty streets, searching for crime. But who is really dangerous between the two, The Slasher or the insane psychopath wearing a mask, known as Moon Knight?
Writer Warren Ellis brings in tons of creative ideas to create a moody and atmospheric thriller. Making great use of the New York setting, Ellis captures a dark and grim city lost in its own madness. In the opening pages, Ellis makes the reader feel like they are reading a private eye, noir story. I personally love how the supporting cast of characters refer to Marc Spector as “Mr. Knight.” Just like in the private eye novels from Philip Marlowe, there is animosity between the police and the lone wolf brought in to solve the case.
Using hi-tech gadgetry, Ellis is able to show the resourcefulness and loneliness of Spector’s vigilante lifestyle. As Moon Knight, Marc is able to move around in the city just by his limousine. It actually looks like his limousine is his sanctuary, his only home. There is no driver, no human companion behind the steering wheel of the limousine. There is nobody around and Moon Knight can only depend on himself.
Artist Declan Shalvey captures a slick and trendy look to Moon Knight’s character design. Instead of a cape and cowl, Moon Knight is wearing a business suit, with a matching shirt and tie. To showcase Marc’s brash personality, this isn’t about bringing classiness, but more about showing off. The color art from Jordie Bellaire highlights the white tones of Moon Knight’s costume and limousine. Because of Bellaire’s colors, everything seams into the background, while the whiteness is front and center.
One of my favorite illustrations from Shalvey is when Moon Knight travels deep into the sewers during his investigation. In a splash page, Moon Knight takes the ladder down through three levels. In one complete shot, Moon Knight passes through the subways, then the homeless crowd, and finally reaches the Slasher’s hideout. In an interesting metaphor, the deeper Moon Knight goes down into the tunnels, the more delusional and paranoid he becomes.
With Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey at the helm, there was no doubt that “Moon Knight” #1 would be a quality read. This is a great way to start off the new “Moon Knight” series and I cannot wait for more.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
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