Vengeance of the Moon Knight #4: A Sudden Stillness

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR MOON KNIGHT #1-30 and VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1-3

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #4 – written by Jed MacKay with art by Alessandro Cappuccio, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by VC’s Cory Petit – spotlights Yehya Badr, aka Hunter’s Moon and his therapy session with Dr. Stegman. Like the first three issues, the story jumps between the session and the ongoing mystery of who is wearing the Moon Knight costume. Hunter’s Moon and Tigra go on the hunt after trading in a marker from the Chinese vampires from the last volume of the book. With the upcoming Blood Hunt event, the reminder of Yulan and her brood is an interesting refresher. 

As the duo search for the faux-Fist of Khonshu, they’re led back to The Mount, the highrise owned by Black Spectre, and saw Marc Spector fall. The building is scarred from the climax of the previous volume, and the imposter vigilante has taken residence inside. Tigra, keenly aware of the booby traps scattered throughout the building, channels her inner Moon Knight with a cutting line: “I like it when they see me coming.” The two throwdowns with the false Moon Knight, and in the fight, Tigra makes her revelation of who he is. This is intercut with moments of Badr’s session, in which he reveals clues he’s learned about the imposter’s fighting style. 

The reveal is the perfect encapsulation of what makes a MacKay comic such a compelling read, blending character-driven storytelling within the framework of b-to-d-list continuity pulls. The reveal of Moon Knight’s identity straddles the line between shocking and organic, making the best of what could have been a boring or anger-inducing revelation. MacKay doesn’t create a never-before-scene character to plop into the center of this story built around the grief of Marvel characters new and old. Instead, he teases out the mystery with an interesting intersection of Moon Knight and wider Marvel mystical lore, leading the reader to the reveal on multiple fronts. 

Building out that mystery would be enough for a standout issue, but MacKay then dares to deliver a poignant story of Badr’s dedication to not only the memory of Marc as his brother-in-arms but to the pains of losing oneself (in this case literally) to the burden of legacy. Badr is still living with the broken connection to the previous Fist of Khonshu since the final resurrection of the avatars, and the mental walls that separate him from these other personalities continue to erode. It’s a reversal that led Badr to a greater understanding of Marc’s dedication to the Midnight Mission. To see it realized and forced into the light due to Dr. Stegman’s cutting insights brings a rich texture to the book, which has only benefited from the 30-something issues that the series has run. 

The exposure of this conflict is embodied in the artwork and coloring, which trades the typical nighttime setting and moody atmosphere for something brighter and anger-driven. Much of the series is driven by the moon-themed vigilantism that put Moon Knight on the radar, but in an issue where truths come to light metaphorically, the choice to pivot into daylight is an inspired choice. Cappuccio renders this to stunning effect early in the issue, in two single-page splashes that feature Hunter’s Moon and Tigra crossing rooftops on the way to The Mount. 

Splash page one employs the De Luca Effect set against a blaring sun (with tiny birds flocking in a very John Woo aesthetic) as the two leap downward on the page, providing some exposition about the meeting with Yulan not seen on the page. This gives way to a reverse high-angle shot as the two see the wreckage of The Mount. Both moments are fairly straightforward, not built on the explosive action of the later fight or the emotionally charged confrontation between Badr and Dr. Stegman. Instead, the beats are in conversation with the beautiful stillness of a city always in motion. Even when looking at the visage of destruction and death, there can’t help to be a sense of wondrous beauty thanks to Cappuccio’s pencils.  

Rosenberg’s coloring adds sweeping details to the scenery, bathing the world in a golden-orange hue. At the top of the first splash page, it is almost blinding to see these characters illuminated by such a warm tone. The page follows as they sink deeper into the city, approaching the metaphorical dark cave of The Mount. In the second splash, the wound on the building is a gaping black hole that sucks in the light, breaking up the coloring of the image. It sets the scene for the next section, as the duo descends into the lair of the false Moon Knight (with his shadow-influenced costuming). 

From there, the other beats of the story play on the more familiar palettes of the book, including a blueish-green night illuminated by the moonlight as a former Fist of Khonshu battles the Cultists of Kali. That sequence feels the most like the previous action sequences seen in the story, specifically evoking the battle between Marc and Black Spectre in terms of framing and silhouettes. Similarly, the creeping warmth of Dr. Stegman’s office is another visual touchpoint that evokes a sense of comfort even as she challenges the walls characters like Badr have established.