The latest issue of Moon Man delves into the series’ backstory, culminating in an ill-fated mission that removes seven minutes from the official record of a flight, and the story’s protagonist becomes endowed with supernatural powers. It shows the ill-fated mission that ended up happening. Additionally, the book zooms out to show us some episodes of Ramon’s life, giving us a few more pieces of the puzzle that make up who he is. We knew from the jump that Ramon had always felt alienated, even before he was able to do things that normal humans couldn’t do. In this issue, we talk about his family’s financial struggles, how he slowly and painfully lost his mother, and how the feelings of being disenfranchised gave him a painful shoulder and as he goes through it all, he tells people It shows how you encouraged them to be more kind. Ramon is shown to us as a man who always feels that he has something to prove, but that feeling never seems to have poisoned his psyche, and it makes him It makes for a really worthwhile and interesting protagonist.
Guest artist Federico Bertoni gives it his all, especially in the second half when everything unfolds so fast in the missions. The layout of the page is horizontal, which has the effect of making us feel out of place with the characters, and nicely simulates the weightless journey from one end of the capsule to the other. The final page, where each spot on the timeline comes together, is beautifully executed and simultaneously disorienting and exciting. The character performances throughout are strong, and we see noticeable changes in Ramon’s way of life at different stages of his life. This issue’s more psychedelic moments recall Bertini’s exquisite work on the Monomyth. My hope is to see more of his work in comic shops this year.
image comic
However, it is constantly jumping around in time, which may be a little disorienting for some readers at first glance. Especially since some sequences barely last beyond a page. There are also some moments of dialogue that don’t seem to quite connect, giving the sense that Ramon is always a bit out of place with the rest of reality. I feel like these stylistic choices work really well in this issue’s finale and have an interesting impact on future issues. (I also wanted to reread previous issues to see if there were any snippets of conversation from the future or past of the story, but I haven’t looked closely yet). I’m curious to know how screenwriters Scott Mescudi, Kyle Higgins, and Joe Clark put the whole thing together before writing the script. Was there a cork board? I think there was a cork board.
Despite the ambitious time-jump presentation, there are some elements in this issue that suggest that perhaps the story has been compressed in some way. We get to see some of Ramon’s first interactions with the crew members of his ill-fated space mission, and it’s great to fill in some gaps as to how they feel about each other. However, it feels like some of these relationships will change slightly.
This is especially true of Ramon’s combative partnership with Buckley, the nepobaby in charge of the mission. We’ve known for some time that Ramon was kindred spirits with this guy, but this issue shows how impossible he was to work with. At the same time, the film also offers great moments of human interaction between the two, showing that there may once have been a heart and soul beneath Buckley’s ostentatious rich-boy routine. I am. It’s great background for the character, but it’s quickly undone by Buckley’s immediate heel turn just as his 15 minutes of intergalactic fame are about to be threatened. This quick turn may be intended to show that Buckley contains a large number of people, but it causes a bit of whiplash during the execution.
However, this is a minor issue and could be easily addressed in a future issue. While some of the characters’ motivations are still a bit unclear, the answers and backstory provided in issue #6 of Moon Man are welcome and engaging. I’m looking forward to seeing how the second part of this arc builds on this issue.
“Moon Man” #6 flips the origin story
Moonman #6
“Moon Man” continues to weave a compelling story about an outsider who reaches for the stars rather than letting the world poison his mind. We finally know a little more about the events that started Ramon’s journey, and the missing puzzle pieces are fascinating.
Ramon’s characterization is convincing and you’ll really want to see him succeed
The artwork is original and exciting, yet grounded in cosmic elements of human physicality and emotion.
The story of the time leap is interesting. Keep readers on their toes and connect in unexpected ways
The time-jump structure may not work well for all readers, and some character changes feel a little abrupt.
