Moon Knight [2021] #6 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 6, February 2022

Partially setting aside this ongoing series’ main narrative of the titular character being plagued by the maniacal machinations of the mysterious Zodiac, Jed MacKay’s script for Issue Six of “Moon Knight” actually focuses upon the rather intriguing origin story of Doctor Badr, and the Egyptian physician’s rebirth as “a worshipper of Khonshu.” However, rather than completely ‘sideline’ Marc Spector’s desperate battle to save “the reformed Hydra veteran nicknamed Soldier” from being cut to pieces, the Canadian author instead rather cleverly weaves the two different scenarios together so as to create an enthrallingly relevant tale of death and supernatural resurrection.

This merger is incredibly well-penned with Hunter Moon being busy both recounting his shockingly gory demise at the hands of a horde of blood-hungry vampires to a semi-conscious Fist of Khonshu, as well as carefully bandaging up his badly beaten patient’s wounds, and setting the bruised vigilante upon the road to reconciliation with the pair’s nocturnal deity; “And that is why I have borne you such animosity. What I spent my life longing for… You have thrown away like it was nothing.”

Furthermore, despite a good percentage of this comic consisting of “the god's second high priest” waxing lyrical as to the virtues of being an instrument of the "Shepherd of to the Lost", there’s still plenty of pulse-pounding pugilism on show to keep this book’s more action-orientated sated too. Admittedly, the West Coast Avenger isn’t actually the one dishing out the punishment, courtesy of being floored by the Midnight Mission’s fiery destruction and a subsequent beating at the hands of Zodiac. But Hunter Moon’s sudden appearance certainly makes up for that, as the anti-hero violently body slams the masked anarchist into the side of a car just as the merciless villain was about to ‘motivate’ Spector by mutilating a helpless Soldier.

Notably supporting MacKay with this twenty-page periodical is Alessandro Cappuccio, whose dynamic pencilling really helps sell the sheer sense of desperation in Reese as the vampire begs the man who has previously tried to kill her to help save her friend. This emotional sequence, atmospherically coloured by Rachelle Rosenberg, genuinely helps sell the rationale behind just why Badr would subsequently confront Zodiac, and use all his healing abilities to bring Moon Knight back from the brink of death.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg