Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1: A Moon Knight Returns

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR MOON KNIGHT #1-30 and VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1

In modern superhero comics, deaths and resurrections feel like a revolving door with little to no staying power. The last time a Big Two comic felt like it was tackling the dichotomy in any new or original way was the seminal House of X and Powers of X relaunch in 2019. In more recent years, other books have tried to comment on the cyclical nature of the superstructure, with books like Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and The Amazing Spider-Man, approaching interesting ideas but failing to execute them. 

A more recent contender grappling with and exploring resurrection in the medium would be Moon Knight, which has the notion of returning from the dead baked into the character’s origin story and premise. Marc Spector’s greatest boon from the Egyptian God Khonsu is the ability to be resurrected, a blessing which is now seemingly off the table after recent events with the other Fist of Khonshu, Hunter’s Moon. The concept of the value of life and death sat at the heart of the book’s previous volume and looks to be a central dramatic question as it relaunches with the new title, Vengeance of the Moon Knight. 

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1 – written by Jed MacKay with art by Alessandro Cappuccio, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by VC’s Cory Petit – is a direct continuation of the creative team’s 30+ issue run that wrapped three weeks prior. That story arc concluded with the death of Marc Spector, sacrificing himself to stop Black Spectre’s plans to drive the citizens of New York crazy. In the wake of Marc’s death, Reese, Soldier, 8-Ball, Hunter’s Moon, and Tigra have decided to honor the vigilante’s last request, continuing to operate the Midnight Mission and protect travelers of the night.

The issue is presented in a non-linear fashion, jumping around in time as Reese talks with Doctor Sterman, the therapist who was treating Marc, and more recently, the resurrected Hunter’s Moon. Reese recounts the Shiva that was held to honor Marc, orchestrated thanks to Ben Grimm, and attended by a series of heroes including Captain America, Hawkeye, Clea, and Doctor Strange. While Reese and the others can sit and mourn amongst themselves and with the community at large, the other heroes ensure the nights are protected. 

Afterward, Reese explains the new team’s first mission after the mourning period, in which they battle and then exercise Mr. Smile and Mr. Sulk, two demons from the Mark Waid and Kev Walker Doctor Strange run. Meanwhile, Tigra is on the hunt for Spectre and is giving in to her animal urges, while 8-Ball is tracked down and almost killed by a new Moon Knight, the one in reinforced armor and darker colors, as seen on the cover and promo materials. 

MacKay’s use of the therapy session as a frame is an excellent choice to introduce this issue, giving a sense of pensive reflection on the internal story. This helps to create a hazy feeling that comes with loss, masking the quick turnaround of Moon Knight #30 and this issue. The frame also makes for an evocative callback to the launch of the previous volume, with Marc doing something similar to establish his status quo after the events of the Khonshu-centric Avengers arc. 

Here, it is equal parts slow and melancholy in the first first of the story, as Reese reflects on the Shiva and days right after the death. MacKay has previously gone to lengths to explore religious beliefs, especially as they have stood in opposition to the reality of gods and mythology in the Marvel Universe. Here, it’s a touch that feels like a natural conclusion to the arc seen in the previous run, which saw Marc uttering a Hebrew prayer in his last moments alive. 

Once the team and heroes put Marc to rest and return to their mission, the issue picks up steam and delivers what feels like a typical conflict from the previous run. One of the strengths of the first half of MacKay and Cappuccio’s time on the previous volume was the done-in-one stories that played up the intersection of mystical and noir elements that Moon Knight operates in. In one issue, he could be dealing with vampires or demons, and in the next, it was assassins or D-list villains like 8-Ball. MacKay channels that energy once again for the conflict with Mr. Sulk and Smile, showcasing the team’s smooth dynamic in and out of the field. 

MacKay doesn’t just rest on his laurels with the issue, and quickly also manages to establish a serialized element to this story with the mystery of the new Moon Knight and Tigra’s bloodlust. The opening page and then the last section of the issue kick this introductory issue into high gear, delivering the other half of the previous run’s storytelling. It’s a testament to the refinement of MacKay’s craft over the last 30-something issues that he can expertly weave all three styles of scripting into this #1 and make it feel organic and earned. 

Much like MacKay’s writing, Cappuccio’s linework continues to refine itself into something recognizable and new all at the same time. The work in this issue feels sharper, ready to cut straight into the drama of the new team dynamics and power vacuum left by Moon Knight. It also channels a weight that hangs over every scene, often showing itself in the close-ups and character-focused panels. Marc’s death casts a literal specter over everyone in the issue, and in moments characters like Tigra’s interrogation of the Black Spectre lackey, it becomes overwhelming. Inviting comparison to some of the more monstrous characters in this issue and the previous volume, Tigra stands in contrast to the heroic figures of the Midnight Mission. A feral energy permeates this scene, which stands in stark opposition to the more quiet resignation that lingers over the others. 

A real refinement that can be seen in Cappuccio’s style is facial expressions and moments out of costume. These beats were often a focus of negative comments in previous reviews, due to poor composition or a lack of detail as compared to the in costume moments. With this issue, Cappuccio dispels any of those criticisms, rendering the complicated, ever-changing emotions with deft pencils. The pain and anguish come across just as clearly as the brutal action across these pages. Each character feels different from the other, and there’s never a doubt of who is in the scene or what they’re going through. 

That emotion and action are uplifted by Rosenberg’s coloring, which has often been cited in these reviews as the true hero of this run. The colorscapes and textures that the colorist has brought to this version of New York (and the mystical dimensions around it) feel so unique and removed from the typical house style Marvel employs. The coloring here is no expectation and gives a haunting, impressionist quality to the story. Treating the framing scenes in a golden light immediately grounds the book, and then allows it to shift in tone and atmosphere across the other three sections. 

The Shiva sequence is cast in moody blues and solemn shadowy blacks, establishing that pensive air around the mission. The book then gets to shed that hue and jump into the familiar glowing greenish-white of the Moon Knight costumes along with a splash of purple from the new villains’ magical energies. The sickly yellow-greens make their appearance in Tigra’s beat, as they reflect the animalistic, carnal actions she takes to try and find Marc’s killer. Finally, the book moves into bloody, primal rage-inducing reds for the reveal of the new Moon Knight, who stands in opposition to the Midnight Mission and inflicts pain on its mentors. This range of tones works in similar ways to MacKay’s narrative strategy of offering a bit of everything that came before but in a distinct and cohesive way.