Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Javi Garron, Jason Keith, and VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 27, 2020

I have been vocal about the lack of focus so far in Jason Aaron’s run of Avengers. I hate to throw shade at a guy who has so many stories to tell, and I won’t say that any of them are necessarily bad, but this hasn’t felt like an Avengers book at times. It’s more of a “Jason Aaron Presents…” book, and for some, that’s fine, I guess. However, I’d like to get a great Avengers story with the actual Avengers roster doing Avengers things. Where are the great moments with Cap and Tony? Black Panther is the leader, but that hasn’t lead to much, and please, don’t get me started with the She-Hulk we get in this book! The actual Avengers have become guest stars in a run filled with too many guest stars. Okay, enough of editorial time with Jim, let’s see how this issue plays out.

Avengers #33 is a Moon Knight issue. Jason Aaron tells us on the recap page that he has been a member of the Avengers, and there you have it. Do you know who else has been a member of the team? Captain America! I know it feels like a while since we’ve seen him do much, but I’m not lying. For that matter, that little line seems to be the Earth’s Mightest License to grab the thousands of characters that strike your fancy at a given time and insert them into the narrative.

Before you start getting pissed off too much, I am relatively sure that all of these side stories and characters will tie-in by the end of Aaron’s run, he is too good a writer to let things hang. But, I am frustrated in the here and now of this book. If any book is a trade wait candidate, this is it, and that’s a shame and a current trend I hate.

Again, this is a Moon Knight issue, and as such, it is good. In fact, as a new #1 (which maybe it should have been), it is pretty damn good! It sets up an interesting twist by the end that I am sure Moon Knight fans will love. It has me more interested in Moon Knight than I have ever been and as a comparison, feels like the start of Robert Venditti’s much-lauded Hawkman book over at DC Comics. Spoiler alert… this is Avengers #33! I can imagine the old Resse’s Peanut Butter Cup commercial, but this time with a Moon Knight and an Avengers fan bumping into each other. “You got Moon Knight in my Avengers!” “No, you got Avengers in my Moon Knight!” I guess they could be two great tastes that go great together, depending on what type of fan you are.

As far as the story goes, Moon Knight takes a kicking and punching tour of the MCU, rhyming and a stealing…powers. Iron Fist gets the most attention to begin the issue, which adds to the non-Avengers feel. Next up is Doctor Strange, then Robbie Reyes, Black Panther, and Thor. The Thor part is cool, though it takes a little too long to get to the punchline of the scene. The issue then ends with an awesome looking cliffhanger that, no doubt, will have Moon Knight fans going crazy and ready to buy the next issue now!

So, now the struggle of rating this issue. If you are a Moon Knight fan who is picking this up only for Moon Knight, it is a must buy and probably a close to a perfect score as I would give. It looks great, and the ending is enormous. If you are an Avengers fan looking to see the characters who rarely get together except on the credits page, you will probably be disappointed. If you are, like me, a reader who has become more and more frustrated at the lack of focus this series has, issue to issue, your score might be close to mine.

Final Thoughts:

Avengers #33 is a significant Moon Knight issue and would have been an excellent start to a new series. However, Jason Aaron continues to neglect his actual roster, making the Avengers themselves minor characters in their own book. If you are a Moon Knight fan, this is a must-buy, but if you are an Avengers fan, it might be time to start trade waiting. I’m sure this run will tie up nicely, but it’s just becoming frustrating monthly.

4.9/10