Review: ‘Moon Knight’ #3 Fights Dirty

When people think about superhero fights, they think about the choreographed stunt-fests we see in moves. But Moon Knight #3 doesn’t just debunk that notion, it also tells one hell of a story.

The war Marc Spector has been fighting is heating up, and in this issue it gets complicated. It’s another fantastic chapter from Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit.

The Hunter’s Moon — Khonshu’s other fist — is coming for the Moon Knight. Marc Spector isn’t ready for him. But, that’s never stopped him before.

This issue dives deep into Moon Knight again, and gives us several ideas about the character that we may have never thought of. For that alone, MacKay nails it. However, this is also just a really good action movie of a comic, creating a compelling case that Moon Knight might just be the best brawler in the Marvel Universe.

The great synthesis of writing and art really sells that idea, too. As MacKay gives Hunter’s Moon a monologue about how Moon Knight is the lesser fist of Khonshu — and uses comic book mysticism to prove that he’s the better fighter — Cappuccio makes us believe it with every blow. But then, when they switch places, MacKay lets Cappuccio do the talking and he makes every blow truly make an impact. Rosenberg’s colors gives everything an eerie glow as well, capturing a fantastic horror vibe to go with the action.

Tropes are a big part of fiction today. They’re an excellent shorthand to get new readers, viewers, etc. into a story. But when using a trope, it’s best to take it and transform it into something new. MacKay uses the villain monologue and turns it on its ear several times in the course of the speech. He takes the idea that superheroes should be graceful, trained fighters, and proves they don’t have to be. Cappuccio even shows us what kind of fighter he is in a brutal final fight (and when you reach the last few pages of the issue, you’ll grin like a maniac in glee).

Subvert the expectations! It’s okay for a superhero to be an untrained brawler. They don’t need to learn ninjastu or kung fu. They just need a couple batons and years of experience.

Moon Knight #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.