Moon Knight #27 Review

Written by: Jed MacKay
Art by: Federico Sabbatini
Colors by: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Stephen Segovia, Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 6, 2023

Moon Knight #27 takes Moon Knight and Hunter’s Moon on a wild ride into Vibro’s mind to discover Black Spectre’s plan.

Is Moon Knight #27 Good?

You have to give Jed MacKay credit for taking a particular lemon (one he created) and turning it into a decent glass of lemonade. Moon Knight #27 gathers several villains and plot developments over Jed MacKay’s run since the very beginning to flesh out a Black Spectre plan with devastating consequences for NYC.

When last we left Moon Knight and Hunter’s Moon, Zodiac and an assortment of criminals escaped prison with Black Spectre’s help. The identity of the latest version of Black Spectre and the nature of his plan remained a mystery, but it’s clear some plan is in motion. Now, Moon Knight and Hunter’s Moon call on another, grosser villain to go inside Vibro’s head to learn how Vibro was aiding Black Spectre.

That’s right. Leonard Hawley, the man who can mind-control you if you ingest his sweat (how do you even figure out you have that power?), aids the fists of Khonshu by using his skin soup as a bridge between the adopted brothers and the comatose Vibro. Sure, there are probably less disgusting ways they could have formed a mental bridge, but kudos to MacKay for making use of a useless villain.

What’s great about Moon Knight #27? Moon Knight’s idea to use Hawley’s plan is gross but clever. The journey inside Vibro’s mind is entertaining. Black Spectre’s plan, once it comes out, feels like an “Aha!” moment where the disparate pieces of MacKay’s run appear to be coming together into a greater whole. This issue, more than anyone previous, gives you confidence that MacKay was playing a long game and thinking things through. Whether MacKay really did plan this development or made it up as he went remains to be seen, but the results speak for themselves.

What’s not so great about Moon Knight #27? Realistically, nothing. This is a solid issue from front to back. You get great action and plot development, and the big reveal (Black Spectre’s plan) builds anticipation for what comes next.

How’s the art? Great. Sabbatini and Rosenberg prove the axiom that keeping a creative team on an ongoing helps crystallize a style that’s synonymous with the character(s). Sabbatini’s pencils/inks are strong, and Rosenberg’s colors are outstanding.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Moon Knight #27 is a great comic from front to back, primarily because it does two things exceptionally well. First, it makes creative use of a useless (and gross) villain from early in MacKay’s run, and second, MacKay fits multiple pieces together from the entirety of his run to unveil a plan with massive implications for MK. Elevated by outstanding art from Sabbatini and Rosenberg, this is one of the best issues in MacKay’s run.