Trade waiters can pick up Moon Knight: City of the Dead this week, collecting all five issues of David Pepose, Marcelo Ferreira, and Sean Damien Hill’s action frenzy series. 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, with a few other nods to the show thrown in for good measure.
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. There are some wild twists and turns in this story, including sending a ship into a giant monster. Pepose is quite good at keeping the action at a high level, and fans of comics from the ’80s and ’90s should dig this.
Those moon-a-rangs must hurt.
Credit: Marvel
On the other hand, the plotting might be too fast, with characters rushing to get to new destinations without taking time to slow down. Dialogue can also feel over the top, but as an action blockbuster ala Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, it hits all the right notes.
If you enjoyed the Disney+ show, there are familiar elements 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, which 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. Hill pops in to draw issue #3 and he does a great job keeping the style and vibe of the book consistent.
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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