Moon Knight [2021] #26 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 26, October 2023

Taking the risk of focusing his entire twenty-page narrative upon secondary cast compatriot Yehya Badr rather than this comic’s titular character, Jed MacKay’s script for “Personality Crisis” should certainly have generated plenty of interest and intrigue in the anti-hero Hunter’s Moon. Indeed, the notion of a (second) Fist of Khonshu armed with both the knowledge, as well as actual ghostly forms, of his long-dead predecessors arguably makes for an enthralling combination – especially when the Neanderthal-born original servant of his Egyptian deity now appears able to wrest total control of the good doctor and turn him into a raging, murderous cave-man. 

Of course, that isn’t to say that Marc Spector’s alter-ego isn’t at least mentioned in this publication, or that the ongoing series’ overriding storyline concerning Black Spectre’s plan to murder him doesn’t develop either. But both story threads are notably progressed in the background via some ‘off the cuff’ chit chat as opposed to any visible ‘on screen’ action, with the recently resurrected physician’s altercation deep underground in Subterranea clearly taking central stage; “Hrn. I never did ask what Commodore Planet had you doing.” 

Furthermore, despite intermingling the faithful zealot’s well-penned battle against the professional geoscientist-turned-villain Vibro with some dialogue-heavy discussions in Andrea Sterman’s office, the Canadian author still manages to have this comic maintain a pretty impressive pace. In fact, in addition to the therapy session stressing just how concerned Badr has become with losing his mind to Moon Knight 1,000,000 B.C. The conversational piece also allows the high priest to fairly speedily set up his fist-fight against Alton Vibereaux, so the complete encounter, along with Yehya’s surprising adoption of an entourage of the Mole Man’s minions, can be rather impressively encapsulated within the space of a single issue.

Similarly as scintillating is debatably Federico Sabbatini’s sketches, which provide a marvellous contrast between the precise, professional behaviour of Hunter’s Moon when he’s stiffly sat in front of Sterman with the shockingly savage aggression the costumed crime-fighter adopts bloodily battering Black Spectre’s latest super-powered stooge. Along with colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, the Italian illustrator is also very good at pencilling the aforementioned caveman’s spirit overriding Badr’s personality so the vigilante can mercilessly batter his shocked foe unconscious.

Writer: Jed MacKay, and Artists: Federico Sabbatini & Rachelle Rosenberg