Marc Spector made his grand return in the pages Blood Hunt, and then he dealt with the Moon Knight imposter who had taken up the mantle during his time away. Now that some of the dust has settled, Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit are getting back to the core of what’s made this run so special, and it all kicks off in Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1. Few teams are able to capture the core concepts of a character, let alone all of them, but this team has never struggled in that regard, and such is the case once again as a new era in the Moon Knight mythos begins. The Midnight Mission is back, and they haven’t lost a step.
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Back to Basics
The past six to eight months have been dealing in the realms of life and death, and even when that wasn’t the focus, the mission has just been to survive thanks to a vampire horde attempting to take over the Earth. It’s been busy to say the least, which is why Fist of Khonshu switches things up and brings the story to a more street-level place. Death and the supernatural will always be a part of Moon Knight’s story, but they take a back seat to the threat that is most pressing, which leans into the grittier side of Moon Knight and the territory he protects.
Instead of a bloodthirsty horde, Moon Knight’s current problem is an addictive new drug called Glitter, and it’s started to make its way into his territory. The more grounded premise allows the book to take advantage of Moon Knight’s strengths and feels fresh thanks to how expanded the scope has been as of late. The switch-up also allows the complex nature of the character to shine as Mr. Knight steps into the limelight.
That return to the limelight is absolutely stunning by the way, with Cappuccio and Rosenberg knocking your socks off from the very first page. There’s something special about the aura and sleekness that Cappuccio brings to Mr. Knight specifically, and you see every facet of that on display throughout the issue. Whether Knight is taking down a host of thugs in brutal fashion or merely sitting at a table for a conversation, there’s always the sense that Marc could take down the entire room if he really wanted to. Rosenberg’s colors are a sight to behold as well, with Knight lighting up the room literally and figuratively as beautiful washes of blue, purple, and pink surround him, all while retailing that sheathed menacing nature throughout.
A New Threat
As for the new threat, the jury is still out a bit, but there is promise here. MacKay introduces us to Achilles Fairchild and Carver, and they do successfully make an impression in their first confrontation. It’s not until you see how things connect with other characters in the mix though that some of that starts to come together more, and this is likely the case moving forward as well. There’s also very little of the rest of Moon Knight’s team in this particular issue, but they’ve had much of the spotlight recently, so it makes sense to give Moon Knight the ball as this new era gets going.
Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu captures the magic that has made this run so special and sets up a gritty street-level adventure without losing the fantastical aspects that set the character and mythology apart from others in the Marvel Universe. It’s absolutely gorgeous at every turn as well, and while the jury is still out on the new villains, they show tremendous promise and are certainly in the right hands to reach that potential as the story moves forward.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Published By: Marvel Comics
Written By: Jed MacKay
Artwork By: Alessandro Cappuccio
Colored By: Rachelle Rosenberg
Lettered By: Cory Petit
