The Moth

(Dark Horse, 2004-2005)
™ and © Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

A super-hero whose only family is his mentally challenged twin brother and the freaks of the traveling circus he calls home? It’s a heck of a concept and brings a welcome touch of humanity to the pages of Steve Rude’s The Moth. Rude’s art is brilliant, melding a Kirbyesque look with his own style. The result is something magical.

An acrobatic guy modeled after an insect who wears a full facemask might draw comparisons to a certain webspinning wallcrawler, but similarities end there. The Moth’s adventures tend toward the supernatural, as he battles a mystical African lion-man. He’s also receiving help on the spiritual end from an unlikely source: a Catholic missionary in Africa. The fact that The Moth never finds out who or what gave him the edge to defeat the lion-man is a neat touch.

At 56 pages for five bucks, with a one-page introduction, a two-page gallery, and two house ads, The Moth Special is terrific value for the money. It even includes a reprint of The Moth’s first appearance in Dark Horse Presents #138.

Gary Martin, Rude’s inker turned scripter, is obviously new to writing, and it shows. His dialogue is cheesy and stilted in spots, but Rude’s spectacular art saves the mediocre script, and Martin should get better over time.

— Steve Horton

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