Moon Knight is getting a brand new ongoing series courtesy of writer Jed MacKay (Black Cat) and artist Alessandro Cappuccio (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), which is set to launch on July 7th, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store for the fan-favorite hero. Things will be spinning out of Knight’s last appearance in the Avengers Age of Khonshu event, where he, you know, kind of tried to take over the world. No, in his defense he was doing so because he thought he was doing the only thing he could do to defend it, but that didn’t end up being the case. Now we’ll see the fallout and his next chapter in MacKay’s new series, and ComicBook.com had the chance to talk to MacKay all about what’s in store. Plus, we’ve got an exclusive first look at the series to boot, which you can check out below.
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First, we wanted to know how the other Marvel heroes see Moon Knight after the events of Age of Khonshu and how they react to his starting of the Midnight Mission, started by Mr. Knight to help those who need protection from the weird and horrible.
“Obviously, Moon Knight burned a lot of bridges during the Age of Khonshu,” MacKay said. “He’s never been someone that other heroes trusted to any great degree, but taking over the world for an insane moon god didn’t exactly help that. When we come in on his adventures in #1, we’re seeing a Moon Knight who’s seen how badly his actions can go wrong, and is trying to make a new start. Of course, he doesn’t exactly have a great track record in that respect…”
Speaking of that insane moon god, Khonshu is in prison after what went down in the last story, and the series is using that as an opportunity to bring a bigger focus to Moon Knight and what he can be on his own. That said, their paths will eventually cross once more.
“Khonshu is taking a back seat for the first arc- the Aesir have him in prison in Asgard, and we’re looking instead at what Moon Knight can be without him,” MacKay said. “Moon Knight’s relationship with Khonshu has always been fraught and contentious, and even moreso now that he’s striking out as the Fist of Khonshu on his own terms rather than the Moon God’s. But Khonshu is not so easily abandoned, and waits in captivity for when his son will come to him. And we know that eventually, one way or another, Moon Knight will come to him.”
One of the more interesting elements of the new series is the reemergence of Mr. Knight, a favorite persona of Marc’s that has been out of the spotlight for a bit, especially because of what it might mean for Marc Spector.
“Mr. Knight and Moon Knight are the two sides of the coin in this series- Mr. Knight is the people-facing side of the identity, while Moon Knight is the operative end. When people come to the Midnight Mission for help with the kind of weirdness that they can’t handle on their own, it’s Mr. Knight that they speak to,” MacKay said. “When it comes time to handle these problems, it’s Moon Knight that’s hitting the street. Which begs the question: what about Marc Spector?”
MacKay is tackling the character a bit differently, as there are no thought captions to let you in on what Moon Knight is thinking, conveying things though his actions and his dialogue instead. That’s why the supporting cast will play an even more important role in fleshing out the character, including his therapist and his vampire receptionist at the Midnight Mission.
“I’ve been writing the book without thought captions, which is not usually how I would write a solo book, but seemed like an interesting way to approach a character who’s so alienated. Rather, we get to know him the same way everyone else in the book does- by his words and his actions. His therapy sessions with Dr. Andrea Sterman, his conversations with Reese, the Mission’s receptionist (who is also a vampire), the people and things he comes into conflict with and the people behind the scenes who are coming after him, all of this comes together to paint a portrait of who Moon Knight is in this series,” MacKay said.
Those who read the previous Moon Knight run by Max Bemis will recall some big developments in Spector’s personal life, as it revealed that one of Spector’s other personas struck things up with Marlene and they had a daughter, Diatrice. While it won’t be something that this series focuses on, Marlene does eventually have a role to play in the series.
“While it’s not something that’s going forgotten, it’s not a thread we’re going to be following right away. In good time we’ll learn how Marlene responded to the aftermath of the Age of Khonshu,” MacKay said.
You can check out the preview from the new series above, and Moon Knight #1 launches into comic stores on July 7th.
Are you excited for the new Moon Knight series? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things Moon Knight with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
