Hi! Welcome back to the Moon Knight comics reading guide!
Last time I wrote about the original Moon Knight before the year 2000. Those are great for a history of the character and tracking his development over time, but if you want to dive right into stories with Mr. Knight and the modern Moon Knight, the simplest and most satisfying method is to binge the solo series from 2014 to now!
Moon Knight comics quick guide
- Moon Knight: From the Dead
- Moon Knight: Dead Will Rise
- Moon Knight: In the Night
- Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood (aka Lunatic, Reincarnations, Birth and Death)
- Moon Knight: The Midnight Mission
These collections cover Moon Knight (2014) #1-17, Moon Knight (2016) #1-14, and Moon Knight (2021) #1-5.
And that’s it! This snappy 36-issue set is new-reader friendly and is one of the greatest comic reinventions of all time! If you like those and are ready for more, then this is the article for you! Below I’ve listed each modern Moon Knight series with his guest appearances (strong recommendations are in bold). Be sure to check them all out!
Moon Knight (2006) – Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2009)
After a period of quiet, Moon Knight resurfaced in 2006 with Charlie Huston’s run. All the 2000s Moon Knight runs were collected as individual trades and one large omnibus. After the craziness of the 90s, Huston took Moon Knight back to his roots, establishing the character’s modern interpretation. This omnibus also includes Shadowland: Moon Knight. This miniseries features Marc’s father and brother, but it’s also among the worst stories in Moon Knight history and probably better avoided.
- Moon Knight: The Bottom (2006) #1-6
- Charlie Huston & David Finch
- Moon Knight: Midnight Sun (2006) #7-13, Annual #1
- Charlie Huston & David Finch
- Moon Knight: God & Country (2006) #14-20
- Mike Benson & Mark Texeira
- Moon Knight: The Death of Marc Spector (2006) #21-25, Silent Knight #1
- Mike Benson & Mark Texeira
- Moon Knight: Down South (2006) #26-30
- Mike Benson & Jefte Palo
- Vengeance of the Moon Knight: Shock and Awe (2009) #1-6
- Greg Hurwitz & Jerome Opena
- #3 features Marc’s father Elias Spector
- Vengeance of the Moon Knight: Killed, Not Dead (2009) #7-10
- Greg Hurwitz & Tan Eng Huat
Also collected as:
- Moon Knight By Huston, Benson & Hurwitz Omnibus
- Moon Knight (2006) #1-30
- Moon Knight Annual (2007) #1
- Moon Knight: Silent Knight (2009) #1
- Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2009) #1-10
- Shadowland: Moon Knight (2010) #1-3
- Out April 2022
Guest appearances:
- Hulk (2008) #7-9
- Secret Avengers (2010) #1-4, 9-10, 12.1, 16, 19, 21
- Warren Ellis (Moon Knight (2014)) wrote #16-21
- Mr. Knight introduced in #19
- Chaos War (2010) #1 [A Story]
- Deadpool (2008) #28-29
- Shadowland (2010) #1-3, Shadowland: Moon Knight (2010) #1-3
- Shadowland: After the Fall (2011) #1
- Taskmaster (2010) #4
- Avengers (2010) #9-12, 18, 34, (2012) Annual #1
- Klaws of the Panther (2010) #4
- Captain America: Hail Hydra (2011) #4-5
- Heroes for Hire (2011) #1, 3, 5, 12
- Onslaught Unleashed (2011) #1-4
- Related to Secret Avengers
- Fear Itself: The Deep (2011) #4
- Daken: Dark Wolverine(2010) #13-16
Moon Knight (2011)
The 2011-2012 Bendis & Maleev run was collected as two individual trades as well as one combined collection. The comics are the same either way.
This run is generally considered “okay.” It’s not bad, but it’s not essential either. Many fans might argue that Moon Knight acts largely out of character, and the Bendis mannerisms make this sort of an oddball in the Moon Knight archives. Possibly relevant to the MCU: Marc Spector starts dating Echo and takes on the personalities of different Avengers.
- Moon Knight by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Vol. 1 (2011) #1-7
- Moon Knight by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Vol. 2 (2011) #8-12
Also collected as:
- Moon Knight By Bendis & Maleev: The Complete Collection (2011) #1-12
Guest appearances:
- Marvel Holiday Special 2011 (2012) #1 [D Story]
- X-Men: Avengers vs. X-Men (2008) #266-267
- Original Sin (2014) #1-8
- Avengers (2010) #34
- Age of Ultron (2013) #10
- Superior Spider-Man Team-Up (2013) #1
Moon Knight (2014)
The 2014 arc by Warren Ellis & Declan Shalvey launched the modern golden age of Moon Knight comics and delivers the first proper introduction to Mr. Knight. If you don’t want to read everything, you can start here and read until the current 2022 run. With simple plots and excellent art, these comics go by fast and they are fun.
- Moon Knight: From the Dead (2014) #1-6
- Warren Ellis & Declan Shalvey
- Moon Knight: Dead Will Rise (2014) #7-12
- Brian Wood & Greg Smallwood
- Moon Knight: In the Night (2014) #13-17
- Cullen Bunn & Ron Ackins
Guest appearances:
- Captain America: Axis (2013) #24-25
Moon Knight (2016)
Jeff Lemire & Greg Smallwood continued the modern golden age of Moon Knight comics with their highly acclaimed 2016-2017 run, which was collected as three individual trades and one combined collection. The comics are the same either way.
Cosmic Circus writer Brian Kitson strongly recommends the Lemire & Smallwood run because “it’s trippy, shows the cruelty of Khonsu, and does Moon Knight right.”
- Moon Knight: Lunatic (2016) #1-5
- Moon Knight: Reincarnations (2016) #6-9
- Moon Knight: Birth and Death (2016) #10-14
- #9-11 showcase Marc’s parents and childhood
Also collected as:
- Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire & Greg Smallwood (2016) #1-14
Guest appearances:
- Defenders (2017) #10
Moon Knight (2018)
Max Bemis & Jacen Burrows picked up from Lemire’s storyline but fumbles with a handful of retcons. This run is notable for introducing the new villain “Sun King” and some major developments to Marc and his supporting cast. While there are many decent ideas, it’s also a big departure for the character and is generally controversial among fans.
- Moon Knight: Crazy Runs in the Family (2018) #188-193
- Moon Knight: Phases (2018) #194-200
- #194 features Marc’s father Elias Spector
Also collected as:
- Moon Knight: Legacy (2016) #188-200
- Out April 05, 2022
Guest appearances:
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- Daredevil (2016) #599-602, 605
- Doctor Strange: Damnation (2018) #2-4
- The Punisher (2016) #224, (2018) #14-16
- Marvel Knights 20th (2018) #4
- Infinity Wars (2018) #3
- Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker (2018) #1
- Deadpool: Assassin (2018) #4
- Marvel Comics Presents (2019) #4 [C Story]
- Conan: Serpent War (2019) #1-4
- Contagion (2019) #3-5
- Avengers: The Age of Khonshu (2018) #33-38
In 2019, Cullen Bunn returned for a quick one-shot: Moon Knight vs. Kang the Conqueror.
- Moon Knight Annual (2019) #1
- Cullen Bunn, Ibrahim Moustafa, & Matt Horak
- Collected in Acts Of Evil (2020)
Moon Knight (2021)
In 2021, Marvel launched a new Moon Knight series with Jed Mackay & Alessandro Cappuccio. It’s a great place to jump in for monthly fans, but for a binge-worthy starting point, there’s no substitute for the 2014-2018 run that starts with Ellis & Shalvey.
Moon Knight: The Midnight Mission (2021) #1-6
- Out February 15, 2022
Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great time preparing for the show. What are you reading now? Let me know on Twitter @vinwriteswords!
Stay tuned to the Cosmic Circus for more reading guides and Moon Knight coverage coming soon! To learn more about Moon Knight, visit the official Marvel page.
All images courtesy of Marvel Comics.
