Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #4 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD No. 4, October 2022

Whereas many readers probably agreed with “Marvel Worldwide” that this thirty-page periodical was the title's “final, hallucinatory issue”, it was more likely due to the befuddling nature of the anthology’s three perplexing plots rather than any of them actually enjoying an entertaining sensory experience. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a more disconcerting trio of narratives than those presented within this comic book as Marc Spector’s alter-ego repeatedly kills both himself, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Captain America on a regular basis, whilst a heavily-traumatised woman perturbingly gives birth to a giant, talking ‘Clifford-like’ red cat; “Stand aside. You have no purpose. I am destined to cleanse the world. The world is full of sin and sickness. I am the cure!”

For openers Christopher Cantwell and Alex Lins’ suggestion in “Good Morning” that Moon Knight has to mentally murder his numerous fractured personas alongside several of the world’s mightiest super-heroes every night is unsettling to say the least. Sure, it’s perfectly understandable that the “nocturnal avenger” has some truly horrific nightmares, not least because of his dissociative identity disorder. But the notion that the protagonist psychologically batters to death the likes of Marlene Alraune and Peter Parker with his bare hands suggests the sleeping pattern of an utterly unstable homicidal maniac, not a ‘Hero for Hire’.

Debatably far more intriguing is “The Scent Of Blood” by Nadia Shammas, Dante Bastianoni and Chris Sotomayor, which concerns the notion of another god wanting to utilise the ex-mercenary for their own spiritual mission. Packed full of pulse-pounding pugilism as the “Crescent Crusader” dispatches a coven of ruby-robed cultists with a combination of kicks and hard-hitting punches, this yarn is possibly only slightly spoilt by its implausible inference that Spector would willingly slit his own throat with a broken glass bottle rather than become the vessel of a rival deity.

Finishing off “this hard-hitting series [which] explores Moon Knight’s psyche in haunting black, white and red” is “Born To Be”. Written and drawn by Paul Azaceta this tale of the Egyptian god Bastet physically manifesting herself in New York City as an enormous pet cat is arguably just utterly bizarre, especially when the furry fiend’s throat is immediately sliced fatally open by the Fist of Khonshu. Just why the bringer of good health would forewarn Marc of her arrival through his dreams so he is ready to thwart her grand scheme is never explained, nor is the willingness of the goddess’ numerous priests to simply “forget what you’ve done here” and leave their mistress’ executioner entirely unmolested.

The regular cover art of "MOON KNIGHT: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD" #4 by Rod Reis