Moonshadow – A Summary and Review

Moonshadow is a twelve issue limited series written by John Marc DeMatteis with art by Jon J. Muth, Kent Williams, and George Pratt. The art is mostly painted, which gives the story more of an emotional appeal that is representative of the dark mood of the tale.

The story was originally published by Marvel Comic’s creator-owned imprint, Epic, from 1985 to 1987. The title of the series was inspired by Cat Stevens’s 1971 song of the same name.

Moonshadow, now 120 years-old, tells his coming of age story, which takes the form of an intergalactic fairy tale detailing the trials and tribulations of his youth. While satire plays an important role as Moonshadow stumbles his way from one adventure to the next, philosophy, sex, life, and death are core concepts as well.

Moonshadow starts his story explaining the G’L-Doses, a spacefaring alien race that resembles glowing orbs with eyes and a mouth. The G’L-Doses abduct living organisms from different worlds and galaxies and deposit them in their “Zoo.”

Moonshadow describes how in the late 1960’s, one of the G’L-Doses abducted “Sunflower,” Sheila Bernbaum, his mother who has Jewish parents and hails from Brooklyn, and Frodo, a ragged-looking cat from one of the communes in which she lived after leaving her parent’s home. Once Sunflower is in the G’L-Doses’s Zoo, she slowly grows comfortable among all of the other alien races, mostly spending her time alone.

Sunflower eventually marries one of the G’L-Doses and becomes pregnant with Moonshadow, her “little miracle.” His mother asks the G’L-Doses for a library for her son, and they give him one. Moonshadow spends his time reading various books that provide him with an escape from the Zoo’s confines. Through the narration of his story, Moonshadow frequently cites famous authors as a way to frame the particular chapter of his life in which he is preparing to describe.

During his time at the Zoo, Moonshadow becomes friends with a fellow captee, a humanoid named “Ira.” Moonshadow is fascinated with Ira’s dismissive behavior toward him and his fixation on sex. Once Moonshadow becomes a teenager, his father appears and tells him that it is time for him to leave the Zoo. This is the start of his own adventures outside of the Zoo.

Along with him on this first adventure are his mother, Frodo, and Ira (although he is unenthusiastic about it). Sunflower is soon injured and dies. Shortly after this tragedy, Moonshadow encounters the Unkshuss family on the planet Gimmegimme.

The Unkshuss family represents evil and corruption in the sense that the patriarch of the family manipulates King Macha in order to maintain control of the political, social, and economic systems on the planet.

Moonshadow and Ira run afoul of the family that results in them being drafted to fight in a war between the Machovians and the Goyimians on the side of Machovian Empire.

Moonshadow reveals how he received his name and why his mother vehemently opposed the military. Starting with Barry, a childhood friend of Sunflower, joined the army and died in a training exercise. As an adult, she met and fell in love with a man named Moonshadow who was a poet. He, too, joined the army and he was shot and killed.

Lord Gaylord first appears and reveals his solution to the war between the Machovians and the Goyimians in the form of hiding out in the palace and pretending that it is over. Moonshadow, Ira, and two other compatriots end up leaving Gaylord’s safe haven and eventually end up in the middle of the conflict. Moonshadow is wounded and visited by the ghosts of his great aunt Ettie, his mother, and Moonshadow the poet.

These three ghosts visit him at various turning points throughout the story. For instance, they appear when Moonshadow is either facing death or sexual encounters. A G’L-Dose suddenly appears, assuring them they are out of harm’s way. Or so they think.

Moonshadow and his friends are captured and face being executed, but they soon escape with a little help from the G’L-Doses and find their way to King Macha, Queen Dibbich, and their offspring on the planet Tsuris. While in King Macha’s palace, Ira leaves and Moonshadow decides to become the nanny to Queen Dibbich’s children.

Moonshadow meets the Lady Shady who is described as a “palace legend” for her libido. Moonshadow notices the Lady Shady’s bizarre behavior and realizes that she is dealing with some kind of personal and mental struggle. She ends up taking her own life in a fit of rage toward the Unkshuss family.

Mental illness is an important theme that runs throughout the story, stemming from Moonshadow’s own family on his mother’s side with Aunt Ettie, a wild-eyed flighty spirit, which is trait portrayed in Sunflower and Moonshadow to some degree. Moonshadow previously had a brief encounter with King Macha in an insane asylum soon after the passing of his mother.

It is then revealed that the Unkshuss family occasionally places Macha there, as a form of rest, in order to maintain their control over the planet’s economic and politic systems.

Moonshadow is reunited with Lord Gaylord, the war ends, and he returns with him to his home on the planet Bingbangboom. There, Moonshadow feels that he has a home with Gaylord, who turns out to be an inventor, Mrs. Flimflam, the caretaker of the house, Mr. Dimhoffer, Gaylord’s close friend, and Bettina, and eight-year-old orphan that Gaylord took in as his apprentice.

For some time, this comprised Moonshadow’s family, until he receives a vision of Ira from his father. He interprets the vision as sign that Ira needs him. So, Moonshadow takes his leave in search of Ira and eventually finds him in the hands of Mobidiah and Flobidiah, a brother and sister team from the Unkshuss family.

They have been manipulating Ira, making him give lectures on his so-called exploits during the war between the Machovians and the Goyimians. He rescues Ira form the brother and sister and they arrive to discover Gaylord’s house destroyed with him and Mr. Dimhoffer dead. Once again, he leaves, venturing out into space with Ira but then is soon captured by the Unkshuss family.

While in captivity, Ira becomes ill. Moonshadow shoots and wounds the patriarch of the Unkshuss family, Jobidiah. He leaves the planet Gimmegimme with Ira in tow. Then, Moonshadow receives a letter that Gaylord is still alive and has found the “truth,” apparently about the purpose of life, and asks him to join him on the planet Hmup-T. However, Moonshadow does not find Gaylord and Ira dies–apparently brought about by all of his sexual indulgences.

With those that he loved now gone, he finds himself all alone wandering through a cave, which is literal and metaphorical. He eventually finds his way and comes to terms with the loss he has experienced and his uncertain future.

A recurring symbol throughout the story is the flute, one that his mother plays as well as Moonshadow. The flute is symbolic of the song of life and the various notes it plays over the course of one’s life. In the case of Moonshadow, the flute acts as a gift and as a guide, especially when words fail.

The meaning of life is also a prevalent theme. The theme is represented in the two books, one by Ragstone Phillit, a renowned philosopher, called We Are All Ants in a Meaningless Cosmos, and the other one by Shree Quack-Quack H’onnka, The Gospel of Shree Quack-Quack H’onnka.

The books represent the two driving philosophies in Moonshadow’s tale. Phillit’s espouses the meaninglessness of life, while H’onkka’s promotes a religion of peace, one that has been twisted by fanatics.

The last part of The Compleat Moonshadow trade paperback is a one-shot story titled Farewell Moonshadow that DeMatteis and Muth published under the Vertigo label at DC Comics in 1998. The story follows Moonshadow after his adventures as a young man. He arrives in a small town, opens a fix-it shop, and settles down. Now in his thirties, he is re-introduced to Bettina. They marry and have four children.

Moonshadow enjoys a brief time of peace with his family, but they are all killed during a series of tornadoes. Grief-stricken, he tries to kill himself but fails each time. He eventually opens a house for those in need of sanctuary. This explains the various people around him throughout the main story. Moonshadow dies at his birthday party, turns into a G’L-Dose, and disappears against the backdrop of the moon.

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