Writer: Jed MacKay

Art: Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Steve McNiven

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 21st, 2021

As we finally get the long-awaited relaunch of a Moon Knight ongoing, what does Jed MacKay have in store for us in what is one of Marvel Comics’ most interesting, complex characters? That being the Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley, the Fist of Khonshu, and Moon Knight! And for those new to the character, those are ALL the same person!! Confused? Don’t feel bad. I can’t wait to see how this plays out! Let’s check our Moon Knight #1!!

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STORY :

In this humble comic reviewer’s opinion, Jed MacKay does a masterful job of quickly setting up the current status quo of Moon Knight and his Midnight Mission.

This sets up the whole premise of this current run I believe. After a perfectly placed credits page we’re immediately thrown into the middle of an action sequence.

Moon Knight’s crescent moon “symbol” adorns the walls of his so-called territory serving a couple of different purposes that people that choose a life of crime would be smart to adhere to!!

However, it’s AFTER the action segment that MacKay shines. Through the story, he briefly touches base on Moon Knight’s complicated past that dates back to the early 1980s. We get a bounce back from the action sequences to therapy sessions and also get caught up on what happened in the current Avengers run that featured Moon Knight. Editor’s notes help those looking for more information! Most importantly MacKay touches on Moon Knight’s “DID” Dissociative Identity Disorder. And it’s this disorder that I’m most interested to see how it plays out in the storytelling by MacKay. I’m previous runs it’s been hit or miss for sure.

By the end of the issue, we’re introduced to some new characters and enough setup has been done despite the brief history lesson, that our new big bad villain has a plan set in motion! This current issue of Moon Knight #1 also raises a few very important questions of just what sort of hero Moon Knight may be! Is he a vigilante, a mercenary for hire, does he have a “no-kill” policy like other Marvel heroes? Will this be a street-level hero run or a cosmic(ish) run?!? You’ll have to check it out to find out!!

ART:

The art by Alessandro Cappuccio perfectly captures the mood and ambiance of the character Moon Knight.

I love the moon-shaped gauntlets!! There’s also some rather intimidating weaponry displayed later in the issue!

The coloring by Rachelle Rosenberg brings the issue to life. Whether it’s the lighting of a lamp, or the moon, or something as simple as a street light, coloring makes or breaks an issue for me, and the coloring of Moon Knight #1 is spectacular!!

And what is now commonplace for any number one issue, we get a myriad of variant covers. At last count well over 20 for Moon Knight #1!! Several of my favorites are featured in this review.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This current run of Moon Knight does exactly what I hope that any #1 would. It allows new readers to jump in without knowing all 30 odd years of history and feel at home. MacKay’s quick history lesson is told “in” the telling of the story and it works wonderfully! It is a perfect balance of catching up to the current status quo and set up of the new story that will have me counting down the days to issue #2!!