Writer: Jed MacKay
Art: Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 22nd, 2021
Reviewer: kcscribbles
Moon Knight #6 continues last issue’s battle with Terry, who was revealed to be Zodiac. I’m not sure which iteration of Zodiac this is, because, like Mysterio and other death-prone villains, Zodiac has died, been resurrected, his identity’s been used by other characters (by Nick Fury’s brother at one point), etc…
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THE STORY
This is problem number one with the book, it’s more confusing than one of those parking signs that simultaneously say “No Parking after midnight” and “One Hour Parking from 1 AM to 6 AM”. In this issue alone, we have Zodiac, whose identity is another character in the book, and we have two Moon Knights.
Moon Knight has always been one of my favorite characters, dating all the way back to when he first appeared in Werewolf by Night in the 1970s. Back then, and through his fantastic solo book in the 1980s, Moon Knight was Marvel’s version of Batman. He was a wealthy bachelor with his assistant Frenchie, dozens of moon-themed gizmos and he always hunted at night, and I ate it up like a Taco Bell six-pack.
But over the years, Marvel’s twisted Moon Knight and saddled him down with so many mental and personality issues, it feels nothing like the original character. The book would benefit greatly from a John Byrne style “back to basics” approach, tossing off the years of detritus and streamlining Moon Knight back to his original concept.
As for Moon Knight #6, the story meanders once the opening battle ends and limps along to a weak conclusion, as various characters in Marc Spector’s circle pat themselves on the back for helping him, then spend time boosting his confidence. The one good sequence in the issue comes in the middle, where Spector has a conversation with Dr. Badr. I like Dr. Badr and I’d like to see more of him in the future, he and Marc Spector seem to antagonize each other but also have a grudging respect.
ART
Alessandro Cappuccio’s art for Moon Knight #6 has a gritty feel to it, reminiscent of the duo of John Romita, Jr. and Klaus Janson. The spectral Khonshu visions that come to Marc Spector in his sleep are the highlights of the issue. Cappuccio makes them look haunting and creepy, and you can see how they would drive anyone mad. I also liked the way Cappuccio drew Moon Knight, with his huge cape always arcing into dagger-like shapes in combat.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Moon Knight #6 starts off well but quickly hits the brakes on the Zodiac story. It’s unclear whether Zodiac will even appear next issue, or if he’ll just be a presence looming over the book for the next few issues. Since I love the character, I’ll continue reading the book, but if you’re on the fence with Moon Knight, this issue won’t get you excited to stay with the book.