Moon Girl #1-5
Created by Gardner Fox & Sheldon Moldoff
Written by Tony Trov & Johnny Zito
Illustrated by The Rahzzah
Lettered by Troy Peteri
Red 5 Comics
Release Date: May 2011–October 2012
Price: Digital $1.99/issue | TPB: $11.96
Reviving a Golden Age comic is tough. Doing it with style is even tougher. And yet we find that this new incarnation of Moon Girl does just that. I had the pleasure of reading all five issues back-to-back and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Amazingly enough, Tony Trov and Johnny Zito created a 1950′s New York with a combination noir and pulp ambiance. Drawing upon all the best elements of those two genres, they really bring this comic to life for the reader. I must say that it created a near perfect background for this story to be told. And what a story it is…displaced princess becomes avenging badass. And it’s accomplished through expert storytelling that takes me back to my youth and all those summers spent reading old pulp novels and golden age comics.
Clare Lune, formerly a Russian princess, possesses a moon rock that supposedly gives her remarkable powers and strength. Using this power she helps to clean up the streets of her new home, New York City. Unfortunately, some of her old comrades from the motherland have an interest in turning her into the weapon they had originally envisioned her to be. Through cocktails of drugs and torture they have manipulated this poor girl, turning her focus towards their own goals and setting aside her personal well being in the process. Through a remarkable turn of events, however, things go awry in a big way. Though the villains of this story have some sensual and sweet names (like Sugar Plum Fairy), they really are psychopaths of the highest order.
But I would remiss if I failed to mention my favorite part of this series…the art of The Rahzzah. Hand painted, frame by beautiful frame, this is beyond spectacular. There are several spreads that I would love to have grace my walls in my comic room! As a long time fan of pieces done in watercolors or oils, I see this art as the next step into darkness. Using shadows to define the characters and not just the typical ink and color you find in most comics, we are gifted with not just sequential art but some of the very best in the field. Contrasting the dark overtones, there is an enormous amount of neon which really sets the mood of the comic. You feel transported back to a time when bright lights in the big city are almost larger than life. And all this wonderful work is merely the background! Reading this series is almost like seeing a movie in Technicolor after having viewed films in black and white all your life. You will never forget the emotions that are painted into being with such care and skill.
Buy this series, they are all available right now. You have no reason to hesitate. If you aren’t familiar with the character, not a big deal. Neither was I, other than it sounded vaguely familiar. But this public domain superheroine has received a breath of life from the writers and the publisher. Bless >Red 5 Comics for bringing this digital comic to print. I have this series in digital format in order to do this review, but I will own the published versions soon. Go get these…now.
