Moon Knight may be dying soon, but he’s popular enough these days to get a second miniseries with Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1. Written by David Pepose with art by Marcelo Ferreira, the series sets in motion an adventure that takes Moon Knight to another realm entirely with a heavy dose of supernatural storytelling. Fans of the Disney+ show also have the chance to see the Scarlet Scarab enter the comics for the very first time.
Moon Knight: City of the Dead opens with a good recap of who Moon Knight is as he prowls New York while also introducing a new Egyptian-themed gang. If this issue’s opening is any indication, this will be an action-focused book, although the heavy captioning never takes you out of Moon Knight’s internal monologue. Pepose clearly understands this character, from his edgy personality to his carefree way of enacting violent justice. He’s a different kind of hero, and it’s indicated well throughout.
The story centers on a boy who is attacked, and the only way to save him is to enter the City of the Dead. This allows Pepose to play with Moon Knight’s past as he faces it internally, but also literally. It’s a clever way to bring a supernatural element to Moon Knight where he’s not the weirdest thing happening — a typical situation in the main series — but everything, including the world around him, is quite weird.
Those moon-a-rangs must hurt.
Credit: Marvel
If you’ve enjoyed the Disney+ show, there are familiar elements at work here. From the desert where you are judged to the Scarlet Scarab, this feels like a good entry point for fans of the MCU version of Moon Knight.
Ferreira is one of the best horror/action comics artists working today, which is evident in this issue. There’s one page that has Moon Knight punched and thrown through past moments that is well done, for instance. Moon Knight not holding back when it comes to violence is a key element captured well. We see him grinning with glee in one panel before punching a guy through a window. This is a hero who enjoys his bloody work. Moon Knight’s modern costume looks good, from the more athletic-looking boots to the glowy nature of his being, thanks to color artist Rachelle Rosenberg.
With a tight connection to Moon Knight through captions, the only weak element is the villain. They get some last-second moments before diving into the villain-filled cliffhanger, but it’s hard to know or care much about the main antagonist. Given the closer look at Moon Knight’s past, it shouldn’t be a problem, but it did feel like a weaker element while reading this first issue.
Moon Knight: City of the Dead is a must-buy for fans of the MCU show, but also for fans of the supernatural elements of the character. There’s nothing more supernatural than throwing a supernatural character into a supernatural setting, which is well done here.
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