Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 Review

Written by: David Pepose
Art by: Marcelo Ferreira, Jay Leisten
Colors by: Rachelle Rosenberg, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Rod Reis
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: October 11, 2023

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 brings Marc Spector face-to-face with one of his most painful memories while Scarlet Scarab races to save the new host of Osiris.

Is Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 Good?

It’s fine. Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 is just fine. David Pepose takes Moon Knight on a journey of self-reflection while Scarlet Scarab holds the Jackal Knight’s forces at bay. Borrowing heavily from the critically panned finale to the Disney+ series, Moon Knight takes a backseat while Scarlet Scarab does all the heavy lifting.

When last we left Moon Knight, he fell into the belly of the beast, Ammut the Destroyer, to give Layla time to escape with Khalil. Now inside Ammut’s belly, Marc sees visions of the people he’s killed, from the first to the last, whether innocent or guilty. The experience leads him to the ghost of Layla’s father, who gives Marc the forgiveness he needs to move on.

Outside, Layla zigs and zags through the city of the dead to keep Khalil, now the host of Osiris, away from Jackal Knight. The villains catch up, but as soon as Layla believes all hope is lost, Ammut arrives bearing a special delivery.

What’s great about Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4? Pepose’s script elevates this issue in two key areas. First, Layla gets a chance to shine (perhaps a little too much) in her efforts to keep Khalil safe. Her flying skills look great.

Second, Moon Knight gets a rare bit of character growth during the confrontation with the spirit of Layla’s father. Even with his DID, Moon Knight hasn’t moved much emotionally or mentally in several years, so giving him a chance to evolve is a rare treat.

What’s not so great about Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4? The crux of the arc looked like it was going to interesting places when Moon Knight learned the city’s gangsters were trafficking children’s organs to prevent final judgment. That plot development dropped much too quickly in favor of a return to a simple snatch-and-grab fight to save Khalil. That reversion made the title less interesting, especially when centered on Marc’s one-dimensional brother, Randall.

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: City Of The Dead #4 abandons the child trafficking plot to get back to a standard chase to save Khalil in a perfectly serviceable issue. Admittedly, Moon Knight gets a rare opportunity for character growth, but the overall quest has outlived its potential.