Moon Knight #5 Review

Written By: Jed MacKay
Art By: Alessandro Cappuccio
Colors By: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters By: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Art By: Steve McNiven, Frank D’Armata
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 17, 2021

Moon Knight #5 witnesses Marc Spector baring his soul to his therapist when he’s confronted with one, basic question: “Why are you so unhappy, Marc?” Meanwhile, Moon Knight gets a tip that Soldier may be one who’s sending attackers after him.

Was It Good?

This is a dialog-heavy issue, and it does an excellent job of getting readers inside the emotions of Marc Spector. We already know he’s got issues, but here we learn the issues go much deeper than Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Marc has issues that go all the way back to his childhood and his relationship with his father.

Now, if you’re thinking this turns out to be an Afterschool Special episode of Moon Knight, it’s not. The depth and complexity of Spector’s issues are spelled out in rich detail, and readers are given a much deeper understanding of the character and the weight he feels due to past choices. To be fair, there’s a lot of religion-based guilt in Marc’s monologue that almost parallels too closely Daredevil’s Catholic Guilt trope, but it works well enough here and doesn’t look like a complete clone.

Intermingled with the baring of Spector’s soul is the second thread about the mysterious figure who’s been sending lower-level villains to take Moon Knight down. He receives a tip that the person behind it all might be Soldier, but when he goes to investigate, he finds the evidence pointing to Soldier is too convenient. Without giving away the reveal, the story pulls a bait-and-switch that has more than enough drama and tension, especially when a bomb is thrown into the mix.

Ultimately, we’re given a full reveal as to the identity of the person behind Moon Knight’s recent troubles, and it’s a new character with an old name. To be honest, the reveal happens at a dramatic moment but the name and nature of the character is a very deep cut that may not have the intended impact.

The art in this issue is great. Cappuccio nails the body posture and physical queues during the dialog-heavy moments, and he has a great eye for building tension during dangerous scenes. Visually, this is a pleasing book, regardless of the action level at any given time.

Final Thoughts

Moon Knight #5 bares Marc Spector’s soul to help readers get to know the man behind the mask. The complexity of Spector’s past troubles makes this iteration of Moon Knight a surprisingly deep character. In addition to the pathos, we’re given great action and, finally, the big villain reveal. However, the villain may be too deep a cut to elicit the “wow” moment the creators were looking for.