Moon Knight #20: Why Do I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me, & I Got No Privacy?

Welcome to the travelers of the night! In this newest installment of Moon Knight, Marc and his crew chase after some assassins who are targeting members of hiss Shadow Cabinet, a secret cabal of agents that was tasked with providing Marc support in the ’90s Moon Knight book. Can the Midnight Mission save this group from these mystery killers? Or is it too late for them? Plus, we get a backup tale by the crew that’s giving us the current Bloodline: Daughter of Blade book by Danny Lore and artist Ray Anthony-Height, so yeah, there’s that.

Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio have taken Marc’s world and readers in directions you wouldn’t think to go in, especially since Marvel has gone down the path of exploring his mental illness. This direction has provided a quirky and fun run that defies expectations, including a new Fist of Khonshu in Hunter Moon, but also gives us a more profound history, building a mythology around the Moon Knight mantle. Has everything connected flawlessly? No, but that’s okay because his irreverent style has given us a run that’s had more highs than lows for me. It’s almost become his signature after enjoying his take on Black Cat, with the possibility of her eventually joining the cast (please, Jed, if you’re reading this, please). 

Alessandro Cappuccio has been MacKay’s road dog this trip, and he’s taken us on an exciting journey visually. Moon Knight has a history of getting incredibly talented artists to draw his title, many of who have done some things visually that have elevated these creators to heights that would catapult them to stardom. Going back to his first ongoing, written by co-creator Doug Moench, he would get paired with neophyte artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who in the beginning would be called a Neal Adams clone, and the comparison would be fair. Bill would use Adams’ work on Batman as a blueprint, to the point that would eventually bring him to Adams’s attention (see the tongue-in-cheek graphic below). From there, Bill would push himself from being an Adams clone into one of the most revolutionary artists in the field. Years later, another young neophyte would come on the scene, Steven Platt, whose work would bring him to Image co-founder Rob Liefeld’s attention, where his work on Prophet would become synonymous with Liefeld’s Extreme Studios. So you’re probably thinking, “what does this have to do with Cappuccio?” and the answer is nothing and everything. 

Cappuccio’s style is similar to other contemporary artists, like Thony Silas or Jacopo Camagni, who work with odd shapes and abstract body shapes, that give the characters unique perspectives. Still, it’s the way that he uses shadows and light, especially when Moon Knight’s in action, giving the figure work an ephemeral sheen when mixed with the dark and grimy background of New York City, making its atmosphere as much a vital part as the cast. It’s moody and atmospheric, adding to my enjoyment of this run. Bottom line – Cappuccio has huge things ahead of him, and Moon Knight is the perfect springboard for him.