Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #5 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 5, January 2024

Containing a truly sugar-sweet finale in which the titular character not only eventually saves the soul of poor Khalil Nasser, but also somehow manages to get the lonely orphan’s dead brother resurrected, David Pepose’s narrative for Issue Five of “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” certainly seems to do a good job in tying up all the mini-series’ numerous past plot-threads. However, the fact that this “thrilling conclusion” only comes to a successful end due to the young boy dying – something which the Fist of Khonsu has desperately been trying to prevent since this adventure began – may well have bewildered or disconcerted the vast majority of its audience. Indeed, considering that the adolescent’s body actually contains the essence of the Mighty Osiris, the all-powerful ruler of the City of the Dead, many a fan of the Lunar Legionnaire was probably expecting Marc Spector’s character to somehow work out a much less grim way to release the Egyptian deity from its ‘physical prison’.

Furthermore, it’s arguably difficult to imagine that a fair few readers weren’t bitterly disappointed by the all-too short-lived nature of “Jackal Knight’s ultimate ascendance” causing the real world to suffer a supernatural incursion of the Marvel Universe’s most notorious dead super-villains. This tantalisingly peek into the ‘real world’ affairs of Tigra and Hunter’s Moon sadly only lasts a handful of phantom-filled panels. Yet could have so easily been expanded into one the New York City-based publisher’s famous, multi-book Summer events, such as “Blood Hunt” - with the likes of Death Adder, Jack O’Lantern, (the original) Kraven the Hunter and the Nazi vampire Baron Blood all rematerializing as green-hued ghostly apparitions to terrorise the population; “Does the Avengers Handbook say anything about zombie invasions.?”

Setting such quibbles aside though, the American author’s storyline for this twenty-page periodical should still be regarded as something of a success. Artist Marcelo Ferreira’s splash page of Moon Knight’s other persona emerging to battle alongside the Scarlet Scarab in a last stand against overwhelming odds is debatably worth this periodical’s cover price alone. Whilst Spector’s decision to defeat his brother’s vain belief that the masked vigilante has had an easier life as a mercenary than him is satisfying resolved, when Marc takes his delinquent sibling on an emotional, roller-coaster ride through the crime-fighter’s tragic history.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, and Inker: Jay Leisten

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 4, December 2023

Disconcertingly depicting Marc Spector (once again) relieving his origin in becoming the Fist of Khonshu and battling the ghost of Raoul Bushman, many a bibliophile probably felt this fourth instalment to David Pepose’s “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” mini-series was a bit of a filler issue. In fact, it’s hard to shake the impression that the American author couldn’t have simply reached this particular comic’s cataclysmic conclusion with just a mere handful of pages or less, rather than use the cowled crime-fighter’s mental doubts and emotional insecurities to pad out an entire twenty-page periodical; “You may think of yourself as a monster… But you should know… I forgave you a long time ago.”

To make matters even more bemusing though, this book’s secondary plot-thread features Layla El-Faouly rather unimaginatively just flying across the mythical Egyptian metropolis, determined to reach the Gates of Osiris before her poor young ward expires. Admittedly, this headlong dash through toppling tower blocks and the shifting sands makes for a pulse-pounding experience. But its pacing is so intrinsically linked to that of the titular character’s haunted recollections of murder, collateral damage and death that the chase sequence arguably feels like it's only been penned to help break up the monotony of Spector’s sedentary storyline.

Indeed, it will debatably have come as no surprise to any within this publication’s audience, that Moon Knight somehow manages to recover his wits and successfully slice his way out of the gigantic Ammut the Devourer’s bloated belly at precisely the same moment a badly battered Scarlet Scarab finally falls to the ground just a few feet away from her goal. This ending is sadly ‘telegraphed’ straight from the comic’s opening, and resultantly there’s rarely a moment where either super-hero genuinely feels as if they’re in peril – even when Marc imagines receiving a loaded hand-gun from his god and makes a suicidal move to end his own life.

Much more enthralling than this book’s narrative is probably therefore its artwork with returning illustrator Marcelo Ferreira doing a first-rate job in providing many of ghouls and demons the mentally-scarred vigilante encounters with plenty of gruesomeness. In addition, there’s a real sense of speed to El-Faouly racing across the sky, and hefty impact to all the tall buildings crashing into one another as she passes them by.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, and Inker: Jay Leisten

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #3 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 3, November 2023

Whilst few fans of Marc Spector’s cowl-wearing alter-ego will surely disagree with "Marvel Worldwide" that “the First of Khonsu brings the fireworks in this action-packed new chapter”, it is similarly difficult to believe many followed the comic’s word-heavy storytelling without needing to reread certain panels, pages and even entire set-pieces. Furthermore, the executive decision to have Sean Damien Hill ‘step in’ as penciler doesn’t debatably do the publication any favours either, with the Alexandria-born illustrator’s style seemingly struggling to convey much of eye-catching spectacle needed for a story set in the Egyptian City of the Dead.

Indeed, despite the American artist doing a stellar job of imbuing Moon Knight’s dastardly brother with all the dynamic villainy a bibliophile might expect from a despot bitterly twisted by his ghastly demise in the real world – including being able to instantaneously summon a veritable army of green-hued ghostly minions, the “character designer” frustratingly draws Ammut the Devourer as simply an unimpressive-looking crocodile with a mane of dark green hair. This lack of deity-like detail for the giant Sphinx arguably fails to sell much of the demon-beast’s menace, especially when the creature’s surprisingly thin, somewhat floundering figure is repeatedly sketched up against a boring, disappointingly bare background.

Perhaps what makes this mini-series’ instalment most disheartening though is David Pepose’s decision to populate every situation with numerous thought-boxes containing Spector’s plans, feelings and the history of whoever the costumed crime-fighter is currently confronting. Ordinarily, this technique would probably have landed rather well. But because the smart-mouthed vigilante, as well as the rest of the cast, are also all persistently talking and hurling wisecracks, it soon becomes frustratingly unclear as to which balloon or bubble the audience needs to read so as to follow the correct flow of the action; “Because if there’s one thing I’m good at… It’s coming up with bad ideas.”

Despite all these criticisms and complaints however, there is still plenty to enjoy with the former “Newsrama” editor’s penmanship. The way Spector and his beloved Layla El-Faouly outwit the Jackal Night’s numerous henchmen is quite convincing, as is the revelation that everything is going sour within the City of the Dead because Osiris has decided to once again pay a visit to the Land of the Living. Indeed, even the schizophrenic entrepreneur’s sacrifice at the end of the comic makes perfect sense as a last gamble to ensure his mission is an overall a success. Yet sadly, much of the book’s impact is ultimately lost through the aforementioned gripes and groans.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Sean Damien Hill, and Inker: Jay Leisten

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #2 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 2, October 2023

Revelling in a series of somewhat surprising and horrific revelations, David Pepose’s script for Issue Two of “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” should certainly have kept its audience completely captivated. Indeed, every time a reader probably felt they finally had a grip on Marc Spector’s bizarre adventures down in the Egyptian-flavoured afterlife, the American author throws them a wicked curveball - Whether it be the terrifying reason behind why the Jackals are killing runaways in the real world, or just how much the titular character can actually trust his now deceased lover Layla El-Faouly.

To begin with however, the “award-winning writer of Punisher” provides an instant hook by showing the “Lunar Legionnaire” and Scarlet Scarab ransacking a rather anachronistic night club packed full of tommy-gun toting ushabti bodyguards. This marvellously manic punch-up not only shows just how determined the former U.S. Marine is in locating the lost soul of young runaway Khalil Nasser. But also allows them to demonstrate just what transformational powers his “unlikely source for aid” wields as protector of the grisly metropolis.

Intriguing though, having shown just how formidable the pair can be when fighting back-to-back, such a scintillating action sequence additionally makes El-Faouly’s subsequent shocking betrayal all the more impactive. In fact, despite the Fist of Khonshu encountering an entire “murderers’ row of dead super villains who he helped put in the ground”, there still seems to be every chance that Spector will survive the deadly ambush as long as Layla has his back; “I wish I could have saved you too. Turns out you were right. This really was like Damascus after all.”

Standing right alongside Pepose with such intense storytelling, and adding plenty of “Kroom”, “Brakka” and “Whudd” for your buck whilst he’s at it, is Marcelo Ferreira. The Brazilian penciler definitely brings his ‘A-game’ to this twenty-page periodical, to the point where some onlookers may well actually be able to hear the sound of bullets winging past Moon Knight’s constantly moving form, or feel their surroundings shake as a modern-day truck somehow comes crashing straight through one of the walls of the City Of The Dead, and sends all the combatants flying for cover.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, Inker Jay Leisten, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #1 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 1, September 2023

Energetically advertised by its New York City-based publisher as featuring “the debut of the new Scarlet Scarab”, David Pepose’s opening instalment to “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” probably deserved to be the twelfth best-selling comic of July 2023. In fact, the thirty-page periodical is so packed full of various pulse-pounding proceedings, such as the heart-wrenching demise of adolescent Khalil Nasser at the hands of a cold-blooded cult or Marc Spector’s horrifying excursion down to a dismally dark place “where souls go to be judged”, that it’s arguably pretty near a perfect example of proficient penmanship.

Foremost of these successes is debatably the mini-series’ initial set-up, which sees a poor young street orphan being brutally gunned down during a sadistic sacrificial rite in an alleyway. So tragically sad an event on its own may well have been enough to see the titular character risk all by travelling to an ancient Egyptian afterlife. But the “former crime reporter turned Ringo Award-winning comic book creator” ramps up the masked crime-fighter’s angst ten-fold by having his comrade-in-arms, Doctor Badr, take him on an additional guilt trip over the boy’s violent death.

Just as well written though, is how disconcertingly big Moon Knight’s destination appears to be, with the author even touching upon the heavily-built monuments, luxurious palaces and numerous multi-story buildings being home to “a thousand generations” of the dead. So grand a metropolis would be impressive enough in its own right. However, the sheer scale of the land is broadened even further when the reader is shown just what sort of Crocodilian monster stalks just beneath the surface of the sand dunes outside the city’s walls; “N-No -- I take it all back! P–Please -- Anything but this -- !”

Undeniably adding plenty of dynamic energy to all these sense-shattering shenanigans is Marcelo Ferreira, who does a terrific job in depicting Spector’s emotions as he tries to hunt down Nasser’s lost spirit. Ably aided by the likes of inker Jay Leisten and color artist Rachelle Rosenberg, the Brazilian illustrator also imbues the faces of Marc’s foes with some genuine-looking terror - especially once it becomes clear to the would-be child-murderers that the “Lunar Legionnaire” can take a punch as well as dish them out.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, Inker Jay Leisten, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg