Moon Knight #3

Bill Sienkiewicz's cover for this January 1981 issue sets an immediately striking scene: Moon Knight, crescent darts in hand, squares off against a shadowy blue-toned opponent in what appears to be an art gallery — with the Mona Lisa herself looking on impassively from the wall behind them, a clock face on the floor marking the midnight hour. The tagline "Midnight Means Murder!" adds just the right note of pulpy menace to a cover that balances kinetic action with an almost surreal elegance. Doug Moench and Sienkiewicz were hitting their stride early in this series, and this issue is a fine example of why their Moon Knight run resonated so strongly with readers.