Moon Knight #15: Khonsu’s Eleven

Moon Knight #15 – written by Jed Mackay, with art by Alessandro Cappuccio, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering from VC’s Cory Petit – begins to tie together the various aspects of Marc Spector, along with the assortment of plot threads from this run, and ideas and concepts from Moon Knight’s past. Marc spends a bulk of the issue reckoning with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the personalities that come with it, deciding to share with friends at the Midnight Mission. His condition has been on the back burner through most of the run, only having reared itself in the last few issues, but Mackay reminds just how vital it is to the Spector character. 

The issue crosscuts between scenes of Spector explaining his specific history with the disorder and his various personalities working their spheres of influence for information on the newly introduced villains and the vampire pyramid schemes. Marc’s fears of alienating Reese and Soldier are refuted immediately, neither one is scared of the condition. The most surprising reaction is from Hunter Moon, who sucker punches Marc over his plan concerning the vampires. Moon understands the effect that Khonsu has had on Marc’s psyche, and explains that it aligns with the mantle of Fist, as it reflects Khonsu’s various aspects. It’s an excellent moment in a script full of them, subverting the tension and fears of Moon Knight while deepening and contextualizing more of the Marc Spector canon.  

The book’s overarching plot is coming together in this issue, and Mackay’s script ties the various plot threads, along with Marc’s personalities together. The personality reveal isn’t as flashy or twisted as in previous runs but becomes a vital element of this run. Even with their differences, Marc, Stephen, and Jake are working together, with a plan that almost seems like clockwork. It’s a strong change from previous runs where the personalities were either at ends or unaware of each other and makes for an interesting look into the characters. Mackay’s script gives each personality its role, and by using a narrative frame that feels like it was ripped straight from a heist story, the reveal of information feels organic.

Mackay’s new villains are the embodiment of d-list and feel like organic creations that bolster Moon Knight’s small but esoteric rogues gallery. The first of the two villains is Nemean, a greek super-assassin with unbreakable skin, while the other is Grand Mal, a fictional former Soviet country, an assassin that uses electric gauntlets that give seizures. Both are described as messy and ruthless killers, willing to take any job for the right price. Both feel like characters that are perfect for Moon Knight’s rogues, with vague ties to mythology and mercenary work that serve as foils to Marc and Khonsu. It’s a welcome addition to the Moon Knight character that balances well with Mackay’s contextualizes of the character’s various personalities. 

The art coalesces in a way that mirrors the alliance of personalities. It’s more consistent than previous issues and works to ensure the various personalities and the world they inhabit feel distinct on the page. That’s done through the linework and then reinforced by Rosenberg’s colors. Jake’s bathed in neons and the grime of the shady parts of New York, Stephen’s most comfortable in warm salons and grandiose rooftop balconies, and Marc’s made his place in the mission, somewhere in between the highs and lows of the two personalities. 

In the past, Cappuccio’s art has been inconsistent, swinging from jaw-dropping images to uneven anatomy or expressions. Those issues are largely gone from this issue, a clear sign that Cappuccio has grown and refined his style as the book has continued, a benefit for any artist working on a title past six issues. It would be easy for the art to stumble through the book’s massive jumps between characters and plot, but instead, his linework works with the coloring to ensure clarity across the issue.