Moonshadow (graphic novel)

Moonshadow
Cover art for the first issue of Moonshadow, March 1985.
Publication information
Publisher	Epic
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Publication date(s)	1985-1987
No. of issues	Twelve
Creative team
Written by	J. M. DeMatteis
Artist(s)	Jon J. Muth Kent Williams George Pratt

Moonshadow is a 1985–1987 limited series written and created by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Jon J. Muth and Kent Williams as well as George Pratt. It was later released as a trade paperback currently entitled The Compleat Moonshadow. The comic was inspired by the Cat Stevens song of the same name. It takes the form of a coming-of-age story with elements of satire.

The story takes the form of an eclectic and quirky fairy tale with satirical elements and dealing with philosophical concerns. It is told via the framing device of Moonshadow, now 120, looking back on his earlier life. The action concerns the events leading up to the "awakening" of Moonshadow, the child of a hippy mother and an enigmatic alien father. The alien, who resembles a glowing orb of light bearing a stylized human face, abducted Moonshadow's mother from Earth in 1968 along with her black pet cat, Frodo. When the idealistic and naive Moonshadow is orphaned at approximately age 15, he becomes friends with a venal and opportunistic furry humanoid named Ira. Moonshadow and Ira and Frodo the cat set out to find a life for themselves in the stars.

Moonshadow loses his innocence, but eventually makes peace with the world and reconciles himself to the actions of his seemingly capricious alien father.

The general concept of Moonshadow dates back to roughly a decade before the series's publication, and was reworked by J.M. DeMatteis numerous times over the years. For example, in the original concept for the series, the protagonist had superpowers. Another early concept for the series, then under the title "Stardust", was submitted to Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter around the turn of the decade.