#i'mma cry! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

drifting-pieces-blog-blog · 5 months

Text

Breaking down the comics: Committee of Three (Issue #4)

Moon Knight, Issue #4: A Committee of 5

Written by Doug Moench and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz

I’m back! Took a little break to get caught up on some more modern Moon Knight and now I’m ready to jump back into the past!

Now this is an interesting one because “The Committee” was the original group of people that first hired Moon Knight to hunt down Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night). But back then, he and Jack took down the Committee. What could they possibly want with Moon Knight now? Let’s find out!

"Life is seldom easy for the mysterious man called Moon Knight--And it's about to get a whole lot harder! Five seasoned hit-men are out for his blood! They are a committee of:

One: Boom-Boom, explosives expert.

Two: Razor, blade freak.

Three: Ice. Sniper assassin.

Four: Dragon, karate black belt.

and Five: Bull, just plain animal!

All five are professional killers--and they enjoy their work. So it's rather simple really, either they're put out of business--fast--or the shadows will soon run red and echo with ghastly laughter."

I feel like Moon Knight faced a lot of professional assassins in the early runs. The one with them in the snow, then the one with him in Israel...

Also, LOOK AT THIS ART! I love this! Look how they put the words in his cape!

Also LOL.

We see Moon Knight landing awkwardly next to Rockefeller ice rink while a sniper lines up a shot. He takes aim and fires and we see Moon Knight fall!

He runs down to the rink to check the body. He needs proof of the kill for his bosses. But there is no body!

Moon Knight drops down behind him.

"Still alive--If you believe I have nothing worse than a bullet-hole through my cape... Or still dead--If you prefer to believe that I really AM a ghost. Take your pick, Annie Oakley."

I miss the days when Moon Knight really had a hard time convincing himself that he was alive. He played up the ghost angle so much.

He charges the gunman only to have the gun go off in his face, blinding him! Good job.

The sniper takes the opportunity to smash him in the head with the butt of his rifle. ....Moon Knight sure did take a lot of blows to the head in his early years.

Lucky for him, the gunman is still rattled by the whole ghost thing and flees in a panic, rather than finishing him off.

Recovering, Moon Knight wonders how long the assassin has been stalking him and who sent him.

On the other side of town, The Committee meets to get an update on Moon Knight's status.

Ice, the gunman, tells them that he had him but he's some sort of "spook"!

Ah! It IS the same Committee that hired him to hunt Jack Russel back in his first appearance of Werewolf by Night!!!

One of the guys was apparently on vacation and missed the memos so he asks who they're going after and why.

I love a good excuse for exposition.

"These five gentlemen have been retained to dispose of our personal Frankenstein monster. You DO recall our creation--Moon Knight-- Don't you? He nearly destroyed the original Committee. Now that we've reorganized, we owe it to the committee's honor to settle the score."

The assassins review their plans.

The dynamite guy, Boom-Boom, plans to blow up Moon Kight's vehicle. (Not the cab! Or maybe the Chopper?!) The rest just want to get up and personal.

The guy that was on vacation takes a minute to ask if going after Moon Knight is actually a good idea or not. You know... considering...

The other guy is angry at Moon Knight for taking their money and not delivering the wolf. Also because he turned on them and pretty much nearly wiped them out.

This is just a petty revenge mission.

Back at Grant Mansion!

We find Marlene working out and Moon Knight changing out.

"Well, aren't you the bundle of joy this morning, Mr. Grant? Or is it Mr. Lockley? Spector? Moon Knight--?" She takes playful jabs at him. It's...It's early in the comics so I'm not going to harp on this. Early enough where he himself really doesn't know what's going on and the others are still just him pretending to be someone else.

"Every identity has its place, Marlene, and every identity IN its place. We're in Grant Mansion--Ergo, I've just become Steven Grant." He's a bit snappy about it. He's still trying to compartmentalize and in deep denial.

"Okay, Steven. Bad night?"

"Routine. Seen Frenchie around?"

Frenchie has a place in the committee so he can keep track of their movements. This dates back to WBN.

Frenchie tells him that they've reorganized but he hasn't attended enough meetings since to know what's going on. But he has a feeling that something is going on behind closed doors.

Steven tells him that someone tried to knock off Moon Knight and they weren't an amateur.

The Committee predates Marlene. Or at least they never brought it up to her.

She asks just who these guys are that want him dead so badly.

Frenchie answers for them. "Several years back, Marlene, I learned of a group of international financiers...So I told Marc and we decided to investigate... posing as a French industrialist, I infiltrated them... I told them of a mercenary named Marc Spector who might take zee job, were he provided with anonymity and suitable weapons."

Marc approved the plan and they went back to the committee to introduce Moon Knight, who up to that point hadn't been a household name. Only Bushman had delt with the Moon Knight.

They detail about their efforts fighting the wolf.

"At first it seemed like killing two birds with one stone--Getting to zee bottom of zee committee's crimes while ridding zee world of a monster. But when he saw zee tortured humanity of a young man named Jack Russell locked behind zee horror, he freed zee werewolf and together they destroyed zee committee. This was before Marc became rich as Steven Grant, so he took zee committee's money--ANd left zee werewolf go free to find his own fate."

REALLY?! THAT'S where they got the money from!? What happened to all their money made as mercs? Did they blow it? No wonder Steven's so pissy all the time. He's worked his ass off to make their millions and Marc is just out there blowing through it.

The next day, Jake hits the streets to see if Crawley has any tips.

He does his usual 'gmorning to Gena and asks about her boys.

Then he immediately sides up to Crawley: "Any hitmen in town Crawley?"

Apparently there are five and they all hit the same nightclub in Queens. That's convenient.

He hires Gena's boys to find out the names of all the assassins and if they'll be back at the club.

He loves those kids.

He calls up Marlene and tells her to have Frenchie attend the next committee meeting. He also tells her to "practice your bump and grind, Lady."

Jake's got a way with words.

Oh no. OH NO. I know what issue this is.

The...The night club... It's an airplane. They have a theme.

Gena's sons go to the club to get info.

At the committee meeting, Frenchie busts in pretending to be pissed off not to be included in the previous sessions.

"We were concerned that you might object."

"Why shold I care? I knew zee mercenary Spector, oui, but he was hardly a FRIEND."

Up on the roof, Moon Knight listens in on the meeting as they inform Frenchie of the details.

In the club, the boys get into a bit of trouble but their manage to not only get out of it, but to also get the info they need.

Outside, Marlene is applying for a job in the club.

Yeah... It's...It's this issue.

The meeting over, Moon Knight switches to Lockley to get the info from Gena's boys.

A lot is about to happen here folks. Just…Just get ready for this.

(early Moon Knight tumblr fandom… If you know you know.)

Here we see Moon Knight startled by some firecrackers. He knows it’s a trap. But we see a cat sniffing at a box while Boom Boom waits.

IN A RARE EVENT. Moon Knight is not left fighting a random animal, but being saved by and saving that animal.

Boom Boom makes a run for it and Moon Knight stops another dynamite stick from going off with some sharp Crescent dart action! But Boom Boom manages to give him the slip and get away.

He takes defeat so gracefully.

So next day he heads out as Jake again.

He patrols the streets in his cab looking for news.

I just... I love Jake.

We see Jake come into the mansion to see Marlene heading out to her new job at the club.

Dealing with Marlene, he's instantly Steven. Then the phone rings and it's one of Jake's contacts so he's Jake again. That pose is 100% Jake.

Early issue we see them just cycle through easy peasy but still acting like it's pretend. But it's SO obvious when it's with Marlene. Jake really has no interest in Marlene as anything more than the lady his headmates care about.

It’s something I’ll contend with over and over again. Especially as the much later comics decide that Jake was really the one dating Marlene… But that’s an argument for another day.

We head over to the Madison Square Garden where Marc and Frenchie attend a boxing match.

They spot some that look like they might be the other assassins and move to follow them. Steven heads to the bathroom to change.

There's so much going on here that I love so much.

Steven changes in the bathroom. So a tuxedo man walks into the public bathroom... Probably in a stall... ANd changes into Moon Knight...

He left his tux in the bathroom. Probably on the floor or in the trash?

The jab that Grant can afford it. Poor Steven.

The champion boxer being like "Oh man. That's one fast cat. I don't want to tango with that dude."

Also him asking "Wonder if he's got any color under that white mask..." Implying that Moon Knight's so cool that he hopes he's a black man. Which I can respect. He’s got some style.

Then we have Moon Knight jumping into a typical rich person car to tail a cab.

I miss these simple Moon Knight days…

In the next panel we find that he didn't even ride IN the car, but hung onto the side as Frenchie drove.

"Twenty minutes later, North of central park, Moon Knight vaults from the Limo's running board..."

Moon Knight knows that this is another trap. It's a dark and abandoned building.

Yup. As soon as he's inside, he's ambushed by Dragon, the karate guy and the knife guy.

Karate guy pulls out his nunchak. Moon Knight also turns his truncheon into nunchak.

It's the first time we see Moon Knight's new weapon and it remains in the comics for a very long time after this. I love seeing his weapons advance in the comics!

He takes out the knife guy quick then turns to the Dragon.

He comes at Moon Knight, who doges each attack then lands a blow, taking out the blackbelt.

Which is hilarious because he's just a blackbelt in karate. We know at this point that Marc Spector had to learn a lot of different fighting styles in the Special Forces, not to mention his early street Boxing days as a young man. A simple black belt really has nothing on him.

Two down, he gets clocked in the back of the head by the Bull.

Moon Knight lands a few hits but he's still dizzy from the blow to his head. (again with the head).

Frenchie rushes in with a gun and scares off the Bull, who busts through a wall and dissapears.

"I'm getting just a little sick of this, Frenchie--That guy hits like a truck. Why didn't you stay with the limo?"

"I got Board, Marc."

I love Frenchie...

"Now there's a refreshing complaint...But taking there two to the mansion for safekeeping--Blindfolded--Oughtta keep you busy. Then get over to tonight's meeting of the committee."

Back at the club, Marlene has made it in with the head guy of the assassins, Ice, pulling her charms.

Sitting down for a private drink, they are interrupted by a phone call. It's from Bull!

Seems Bull and Boom Boom have decided Moon Knight is more than they really want to deal with.

"We're quittin'. Gonna put the squeeze on the committee instead--easier to just take the money than earn it by tacklin' Moon Knight again. You shoulda seen the way he took out Razor and Dragon!

He's too much, Ice! He's got helpers everywhere--They found Eddie tied up in the back room of Inn Flight--Coupla kids took his gun! They'll pick us off one by one! He's got spies everywhere I tell ya!"

Whoopse. Ice takes note of Marlene who is still sitting right there.

Ice tells them to do what they want. He's still got a job to do.

He tells Marlene he's got a meeting to get to, but she should stay there and wait for him.

Marlene quickly leaves to a payphone (despite a phone being right there in the office. But I guess.) She calls Jake's cab phone to tell him what she just heard.

Ice was waiting and watching the phone. He now knows Marlene is one of the spies.

Back at the main office, Boom Boom and Bull make their play against the committee by rigging the whole building to explode!

Outside, we see Ice climbing the outside of the building next to the warehouse to claim the money for himself!

On the otherside, Moon Knight starts to scale the building itself!

Boom Boom and Bull snag the money and move to make a run for it, but Ice has padlocked the exits! The building is set to explode in five minutes!

Moon Knight figures it out and notes that Frenchie is also trapped inside!

Ice makes it to the roof on the other building and spots Moon Knight on the roof, putting him back in his crosshairs.

Bull manages to bust through the door like before, but Frenchie is still deep inside the building.

Just as Ice takes his shot, the building explodes and collapses, sending the bullet right over Moon Knight's head as he falls with the building.

Gotta love that glider cape. Also gotta love Frenchie’s smarts.

Moon Knight makes a break for Bull.

As he runs, Ice opens fire again.

Moon Knight dives through the bullets, still after Bull.

Yeah he...He takes another blow to the head, knocking him to the floor of the little motor boat.

Moon Knight rolls, trying to knock Bull over. Unfortunately, this puts Bull right into Ice's bullets and he takes one to the chest.

The boat crashes, sending Moon Knight flying. He's having a good night.

Laing stunned on the dock, he's back in the crosshairs. Just before Ice can take his shot....

Marlene kicks the gun away!

And we see Moon Knight again, a sad wet cat crawling on the ground. He does this a lot.

"Like a ragged creature escaped from hell, he stands on the roof, the precious rifle clenched in granite hands..."

Moon Knight snaps the riffle in two over his knee. Then he knocks Ice out.

The cops later find all the remaining assassins on their door steps with a note "Night deposit" nailed to the door with a crescent dart.

He's got class.

Back at the mansion, Grand invites everyone over for a feast.

Which is funny considering that it's not till a later episode that he reveals himself as Jake and Steven and Marc and Moon Knight and that he's rich. But who's keeping track of continuity?

Grant reveals all the money that was supposed to go to the assassins from the committee. He divides it up among the friends, with a good amount going to charities.

I love this issue. It’s fun, it’s quirky, it’s an early issue that is still trying to establish who everyone is and how the dynamic functions, and you have a LOT of Moon Knight getting hit in the head or having the bad guys get away with him getting frustrated over it.

It’s got so much character! And maybe this is just me coming off of reading…the worst issues ever (Bemis, Aaron, Bendis)... But this was much needed. Really refreshing. Even the art style is so clean and just full of everything I love about Moon Knight.

#Moon Knight #Moon Knight comics #Analyzing the comics #Marc Spector #Jake Lockley #Steven Grant #Marlene Alraune #Jean-Paul Duchamp #This was a breath of fresh air you guys #Just a few left to review then we're out of the OG #I'mma cry you guys #I love Moench so much #Sorry this one took so long to put out

10 notes · View notes