You should always start a review with something positive to say, so let me start by saying thank goodness Civil War is finally over, and offer twice as many thanks for Moon Knight #8 being David Finch’s last issue!

I’ve never been a fan of Finch’s hyper-steroidal artwork and indistinguishable faces, and took the Under in the pool for whether he’d make it 12 issues on this series before needing a fill-in artist to stay on schedule or being replaced outright, but what annoys me the most is the combination of his inability to stay on schedule and the taint of Civil War awkwardly bleeding onto into this second arc of Moon Knight’s latest incarnation, as an oddly characterized Captain America shows up a week after his much publicized death and completely throws off the tone of this issue.

It annoys me so much it forces me to write run-on sentences!

Seriously, though; I’ve been enjoying Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America since it launched and it simply was not the same character who appears in this issue. I must have missed something over the past few months because, between this appearance and the guy who threw down his mask at the end of Civil War #7, there’s apparently two Captain Americas running around the Marvel Universe, Ed Brubaker’s and Mark Millar’s, and one of them doesn’t work for me at all, much like the writing of the guy who’s shoehorned him into existence.

I’m a Charlie Huston fan (both the novelist and fledgling comics writer) and have really been enjoying his psychotic, ultra-violent take on Moon Knight, and I’m aware that, unlike me, he’s an Ultimates fan — speaking highly of it when I interviewed him shortly after he was announced as the writer chosen to revive one of my favorite Marvel characters — but damn, I really don’t want that peanut butter in my chocolate, you know?

Odd characterization aside, I did love how he handled the forced appearance, with Marc Spector’s freakish subconscious insisting several times that he kill Captain America — “”He’s the avatar of America. Millions cry for vengeance on him.” — and when he refuses, asks, “Stark will be next. Can we kill him?”

Huston’s main strengths are dialogue and a knack for depicting violence in an unglamorous way, a la David Fincher’s Fight Club, and he’s been working both to good results, nailing Marc Spector’s delicate psychological condition from the first issue onward. Whether it’s the internal monologues, the snarky one-liners, or the deft balancing of action and exposition, Huston has brought his A game to this series, telling an engaging, character-driven story that pushes the boundaries of the editorial mandate he’s been given. While I’m not a big fan of Finch’s style — and even less so after seeing Mark Silvestri’s work on The Initiative one-shot and remembering why I’m glad I missed out on most of the comics from the 90s — I do have to admit that he’s been doing a solid job of bringing Huston’s gritty scripts to life, with an impressive eye for detail and pacing that he deserves credit for. And Frank D’Armata’s coloring is top-notch, matching the dark tone Huston has set for the series.

Next issue introduces new series artist, Mico Suayan, and from what I’ve seen of his work, I don’t think anyone will miss Finch too much, especially if he’s able to stay on schedule.

SIDE NOTE: Call me a cultural necrophiliac, I guess, but I love that Marvel has reintroduced letters pages to their comics. Love it! There’s something sincere about letters to the editor that the comics blogiverse and message boards can’t come close to, even when they’re overwhelmingly positive and written by those hoping to break into the business. This issue’s letters page features an oddity as two different letters from 14 year-olds are printed, with no reference and seemingly no realization that they’re actually from the same person. Also interesting is that in both letters, he makes reference to the series’ violent content and the fact that his parents don’t mind. It made me double check the cover and note the appropriate, but barely legible, “Parental Advisory” notice in the UPC box.