Moon Knight takes a thrilling journey beyond the land of the living! Don’t miss Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 by Marvel Comics!

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD #1

Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Marcelo Ferreira and Jay Leisten
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 19th, 2023 

Previously in Moon Knight: Marc Spector died and transformed into the Moon Knight, the First of Khonshu, the Egyptian God of the moon. As a nocturnal defender, he protects those who wander the night.

In Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1, we meet Khalil Nasser, a young boy pursued by the menacing Sons of the Jackal. Moon Knight swoops in to rescue him, but things get complicated, and Khalil is caught in the crossfire. To save the boy’s life, Marc seeks help from Badr, who performs some sort of operation to save him. However, there’s a twist – Khalil’s body is alive, but his soul has already moved on. Undeterred, Moon Knight journeys to the City of the Dead to save Khalil’s soul.

As Marc fails to meet Osiris, he tracks down the recently deceased Sons of the Jackal, only to discover they have tapped into the powers of the Apocalypse through the heart of Imhotep. A fierce battle ensues, during which they manipulate Marc’s memories, leading him back to the moment of his death. The Jackals cannot cope with Marc’s nightmare, but Marc is still caught off guard. At least until he’s rescued by an unfamiliar face – Layla El-Faouly, the new Scarlet Scarab!

I’m unfamiliar with this character and admit I didn’t watch the television series. My passing familiarity with the character did little to help me understand what was going on. Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 is extremely fast-paced, and I don’t quite understand the mythology behind the character. I get the broad strokes and the Jackal’s connection to Anubis, but this City of the Dead and the introduction of many magical concepts overwhelmed me. I needed the character to stop and slow down for a minute to let me catch my bearings, but as I turned from page to page, I didn’t have the opportunity to take a breath and appreciate the situation. Now, I understand that I could just put the book down and think about it, but the creative team can control the pacing in which a reader reads the story. Perhaps it was my lack of knowledge, but this was too much for the 32-page count of a comic. Split this into two issues or cut out some plotline.

Despite my confusion, there’s no denying the potential of this story. It’s refreshing to see a departure from the usual Euro-centric mythology in comics. The artwork is stunning, filled with captivating details that keep the eyes engaged. While Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 might not have hit all the marks for me, I’m optimistic that future issues will find their footing and provide a more precise direction. I’d give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I’m curious enough to check out the next installment. With some adjustments to pacing and a bit more context, this comic could genuinely shine.

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Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1

70%

70%

Promising

Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 is a whirlwind of fast-paced and captivating ideas that will excite any reader, but it sometimes runs the risk of overwhelming them.

• Writing

  6
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  7
• User Ratings (1 Votes)
  0.7