Moon Knight #25: “One Friend to Another Friend”

It was almost two years ago now that we got Moon Knight #1 on our hands by this creative team, and it shook us by storm. What a start it was, introducing us to concepts like the Midnight Mission and Dr. Badr (the Hunter’s Moon), and giving us stories that keep the spirit of the character, of the title, while also giving us brand-new unique storylines to keep pushing the character forward rather than let him stagnate.

As unfortunate as it is, all good things must come to an end, and with Moon Knight #25, it starts the beginning of the end, the second-to-last arc of this brilliant book that I’ve had a joy following from the very start.

 And fuck, does this issue go so hard in making sure you’re going to be seated for it all the way through.

This issue opens in a way that parallels the opening of #1. Where that issue opened with someone going to Moon Knight for help, this one opens with someone going to the Black Spectre. The reveal of both of these guys are illustrated the same way, on a chair – a throne – with a statue of their god behind them. The people who ask for their help are both redheads with similar hairstyles. The difference lies in how that plays out, where Moon Knight immediately agrees, Black Spectre gives a caveat.

It’s from here that we’re thrust into a story broken into seven parts (along with a prologue, an interlude, and an epilogue) with different artists, where we’re shown three different perspectives – Marc in the present trying to hunt down the Hunter’s Moon, Marc in the past before he worked with Bushman, as well as from the end of Zodiac. These sequences are all illustrated by different artists: Alessandro Cappuccio for Marc in the present day, Alessandro Vitti for the flashbacks, and Partha Pratim for Zodiac’s scenes, while Rachelle Rosenberg colours it all and Cory Petit letters it.  

Moon Knight #25 is paced spectacularly, weaving in impactful character moments with balls-to-the-walls non-stop action without ever slowing down or missing a beat. The division in artists enables the reader to never be confused as to when or where a moment is happening, while leaving everything visually distinct and cool looking. 

Jed Mackay is a guy that keeps showing off how well he knows the history of this character, while making sure that every issue you’ve read of this book is an issue well worth reading through the way he calls back to these things. Who would’ve ever looked at the history of all the Black Spectres (granted there’s only 11 issues), but still? Bringing back villains who Marc has fought in the course of this run for a second round is also super cool, and I can’t wait to see how all of this plays out on a re-read, knowing where these trajectories go.

If you still haven’t been reading Moon Knight for some reason, you’re sleeping on one of the best titles Marvel is putting out right now. I highly recommend you jump on the train even if we’re right at the finish line, because this is just going to keep getting better and better.