Review- THE MOTH

THE MOTH (Rocket/ Dark Horse, 2005; Softcover)

Collects The Moth Nos. 1-4, The Moth Special Edition No. 1, and The Moth story from Dark Horse Presents No. 138 (cover dates December, 1998- July, 2004)

Writer (and Inker): Gary Martin

Artist (Penciler): Steve Rude

Shades of Silver Age Marvel! Steve Rude's artwork evokes Jack Kirby's power and sense of fun, and Gary Martin's script is a more modern take on Stan Lee, minus the hyperbole. Why on Earth don't more comic book fans scream Steve Rude's praises from the rooftops? I see that he did a Captain America mini-series a decade ago, and it was collected in a long out of print trade paperback. The trade paperback goes for serious bucks while the original issues are dollar bin fodder. 

I first discovered The Moth in a Free Comic Book Day offering in 2011. No, it wasn't a 2011 issue, as many stores pull out their old Free Comic Book Day stock to bolster their selections. It was the 2008 issue. In any case, I did a quick search online and discovered this trade paperback. It is still available, although I wouldn't wait too long if you are inclined to pick it up. Crapazon says it has only 2 copies left in stock as of this writing, while some of the other online retailers list it as in stock. You can probably find a copy if you have an established, well stocked comic book shop in your area as well.

This has everything that fans of superhero comic books of yore look for. Action, adventure, humor, intrigue, and most importantly, fun. Yes, that is right, this is a fun read. A good time. According to the afterword, this book also features old school hand lettering, a nearly extinct artform. I like hand lettering when it is done right like it is here. The Moth is a breath of fresh air. My only regret is that I let it rot in my backlog for so long before reading it.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The book has a decent heft to it.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. The paper used in these older Chinese printed books doesn't have that sweet, toxic smell that modern day Chinese printed books have.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Nice solid glued binding, with nary a creak 8 years after it was published.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The cover has a dull coating that is quite nice, and the cardstock is nice and thick.