With the Structure defeated, Moon Knight turns to more local matters. But Zodiac isn’t done with him yet, and Hunter’s Moon has some very bad news.
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Moon Knight #19
- Writer:
- Jed MacKay
- Artist:
- Federico Sabbatini
- Letterer:
- VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover Artist:
- Stephen Segovia, Rachelle Rosenberg
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-01-11
- Colorist:
- Rachelle Rosenberg
The vampire society of the Structure, led by the mastermind known as the Tutor, has finally been defeated. After losing friends and allies — including his newly resurrected ally and fellow Fist of Khonshu, Hunter’s Moon — to Tutor and his assassins, Moon Knight has finally emerged victorious. Unfortunately, things can’t stay peaceful forever. Zodiac may be down, but he’s not out, and neither are the forces of evil running loose in the city.
Moon Knight #19 brings writer Jed McKay’s run with artist Federico Sabbatini, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, and letter Cory Petit closer to its finale. Moon Knight’s battle with the Structure may be over, but the hero’s work is never done. The Fist of Khonshu has returned to settling local supernatural matters with Hunter’s Moon at his side. But Hunter’s Moon has some bad news from the imprisoned Khonshu that could have dire consequences for all the Fists of Khonshu.
It makes sense that Moon Knight #19 would move at a slower pace, considering how satisfyingly the Structure was dispatched. This issue focuses on the supervillain, Zodiac, and Hunter’s Moon’s resurrection. There’s a consistent start-stop pace to this issue, divided between Zodiac’s therapy session and the Fist of Khonshu tag team venturing underground to right more wrongs while engaging in some tense dialogue. There is action in Moon Knight #19, but it’s used as a vehicle for dialogue. There’s little context given to Moon Knight and Hunter’s Moon’s expedition to Subterranea; the focus is on Moon Knight’s and Hunter’s Moon’s mindsets in the aftermath of the latter’s death and his apparently imperfect resurrection, leading to an important revelation that may play into this run’s upcoming finale.
McKay carefully divides the narrative by switching to various points of view without derailing the issue’s overall narrative. Letterer Cory Petit uses carefully colored and placed caption boxes, finishing off the properly cut fragments of off-camera dialogue to make Moon Knight #19 a coherent and accessible read despite the perspective and scene shifts.
As always, Sabbatini’s line art and Rosenberg’s colors work together excellently. Geens, golds, and teals highlight the darkness, but given the settings in this issue — the bowels of New York City and Zodiac’s prison cell — the color palette is more limited, especially in the scenes with Moon Knight and Hunter’s Moon. Rosenberg establishes a spooky and melancholic tone beneath all the bravado and overt violence. The visual harmony of the fight scenes contrasts nicely with the uncomfortable color combo of the jail cell therapy scenes, dominated by muted and opposing shades of green and orange.
Moon Knight #19 feels like an impromptu detour after the excitement, intensity, build-up, and satisfying payoff of the Structure arc. However, with this run coming to a close, it is only fitting that both the story and the Fists of Khonshu get their resolution and much-deserved closure.
