Marc Spector is back on the streets and wasting no time catching the attention of criminal and police officer alike. Your Major Spoilers review of Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1, awaits!

MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #1

Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Devin Lewis
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 16th, 2024

Previously in Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu: Marc Spector the original Moon Knight died saving New York City recently. In his absence his allies kept his Midnight Mission going, but it was the Egyptian god Khonshu who ultimately brought Marc back from the dead.

SEE ME COMING

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1 kicks off with Moon Knight arriving at a club and making his way in through violent means. Elsewhere, a detective named Frazier is having a sit-down with an ex-detective named Flint. Flint explains that getting close to Moon Knight is a good way to get killed and how he’s relentless in his endeavors. Back with Moon Knight, he continues to beat his way through scores of henchmen trying to make his way to the back of the nightclub. The tone of the meeting between Flint and Frazier shifts and becomes more antagonistic and it becomes clear that Frazier is aiming to go after Moon Knight for his violent methods. Moon Knight beats his way to the back and confronts the boss. He accuses him of having procured a magical drug and is peddling it, creating an army of addicted people, willing to do anything. While nothing happens here, Moon Knight makes it clear that he’s going to come for the dealer.

GOOD TO SEE MARC BACK ON THE STREETS

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1 is one of the most tightly plotted, no fluff, comic books I’ve seen in a good while. It does act as a bit of a refresher for readers who have been away and completely new readers alike. Yet, at its core, it’s really about establishing a pretty simple dynamic, Moon Knight is going to punch magical drug dealers, cops want to take down Moon Knight, drug dealers and cops might be in cahoots, and that’s it. Even the way this dynamic is established is done so without any extra fat. Just two scenes playing out concurrently. This back and forth adds a nice effect of adding some visual confirmation to what Flint is telling Frazier, then flipping the script a bit, by slowing things down towards the end, suggesting that there are still some unknowns regarding Moon Knight. Now, while it was a tightly written issue, it wasn’t exactly a very interesting story. While there’s plenty of space to expand, right now all we have to go on is that this is going to be a typical vigilante versus drug dealer, with a sprinkling of corruption on top. Even the twist at the end of the issue was spoiled via some blatant telegraphs throughout the issue. But, in terms of being a comic with plenty of street-level grit and action, this one should satisfy.

ALWAYS A FAN OF THE SUIT

While most superheroes have had their fair share of costumes, Moon Knight is a rare case where there are multiple distinct looks existing at the same time for the character. There’s the classic hood and cape look and then there’s the slick, all-white, three-piece suit look. This issue opts for the latter option, which is absolutely the right choice for this issue. Having Moon Knight in his suit, talking with his new enemy taps into something that makes the whole interaction feel like it was directed by Mann or Scorsese. It might be a cliché, but sometimes that’s just what’s needed.

BOTTOM LINE: NO FRILLS, NO FLUFF, NO CREATIVITY

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1 is completely focused on just a couple of objectives. The first is to re-introduce and refresh the readers to the character of Moon Knight. The second is to lay out plainly what Moon Knight’s goal is and who’s standing in his way. In those two objectives, the comic is a smashing success. The problem is when the “how” is examined. The story in this issue isn’t an interesting or creative one. It’s a setup that’s been ripped from every prestige television show, cop drama, or gangster movie from the last 40 years. But it still gets the job done and gives Moon Knight plenty of opportunities to look really cool and tough, so it has that going for it. 4 out of 5 stars.

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