Marc Spector: Moon Knight #3 – I Am Everything You Fear

The Agence Byzantine’s quest for Marc Spector’s old friend Frenchie has led to Marc being captured and experimented on. With the help of Mister Fear, the now-revealed Bushman built a fictional life to trick Marc. Unfortunately for them, Moon Knight’s constant enemy, Zodiac, helped rescue Marc. Not interested in saving Marc, Zodiac pushes Marc to reach his full potential as Moon Knight, leaving him to fight Bushman alone. What happens when fear takes over in a fight for survival between Moon Knight and Bushman?

This joint review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn! You can click on each name for more reviews from each of us.

Creative Team

Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Devmalya Pramanik
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Ryan Stegman
Cover Color Artist: Arthur Hesli

Writing

Megan: Jed MacKay has done nothing but bring Moon Knight to new heights throughout his time writing the character, and he continues to do just that. 

Starting the comic, the tone is established immediately with Zodiac setting up an epic battle between Moon Knight and Bushman. Moon Knight and Bushman have a history filled with hatred and rage, and we get to see it all come out in the fight. Bushman uses fear gas to take Moon Knight down with his own fear, but he has severely underestimated his opponent. The whole fight is in the tone of a professional fight, even with a ringside visit from Steven and Jake. This brought the excitement up several levels, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The fight was thrilling all the way through, with Moon Knight proving that he’s back and better than ever since he was drugged and lost to the world. 

Shawn: If you had given me 100 guesses on how this issue would start after the last issue’s ending, I wouldn’t have guessed how it started. Zodiac elicited an audible laugh from me. Bravo, Jed MacKay! This entire arc has been incredible. Moon Knight vs Bushman is just a classic Moon Knight story, but this still somehow feels different.

I loved the emphasis on fear and control in this issue. The carryover from Mister Fear is palpable even when he isn’t present. I’ve long been a fan of MacKay’s work, but perhaps the best thing he does in this comic is sit back and let Devmalya Pramanik and Rachelle Rosenberg get to work. MacKay crafts a compelling story, but it’s clear that with Devmalya Pramanik and Rachelle Rosenberg, MacKay has reached a level of comfort that he’s fine stepping back and letting his art team truly coauthor the story.

Art

Megan: The artwork is nothing short of stunning thanks to Devmalya Pramanik, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit. The fight is drawn by Pramanik to look larger than life, and I’d say he achieved that. Each panel is excellently detailed and leaves nothing to the imagination.

Rosenberg brings her A-game and uses the green fear gas as a way to bring vibrancy to the fight, with Moon Knight being a great stark white focal point. Rachelle Rosenberg is the only person who could make each page look like a colorful work of art, playing off of Moon Knight’s suit. She even uses the bright red blood to highlight the violence of the fight.

Cory Petit matches the tones of the story wonderfully with the dialogue. You can feel the craziness of Zodiac’s unhinged narration or Moon Knight’s fear through the dialogue, clear as day. 

Shawn: Devmalya Pramanik and Rachelle Rosenberg may be the best artist and color artist pairing in comic books right now. Their work has such a weird synergistic feeling to it. Pramanik continues to stun not only with the work on the page but also with the unique and wild approach to panels. If you’ve enjoyed the use of nontraditional panels in this series, buckle up because this series may be the best yet.

Devmalya Pramanik and Rachelle Rosenberg’s connection is best shown in the battle scenes in this comic. The artists crafted a story that feels part WWE and part comic book. Rosenberg shines with the hues and almost echoes of color she utilizes, and that happens perhaps nowhere better than in this Moon Knight series. Cory Petit does a great job with lettering using unconventional shaping to convey tone and seriousness.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. I loved so much about this issue. Jed MacKay gives the reader so much to be excited about and leaves you wanting to read so much more by the end of the comic. The writing, the art, the action, the story, second to none. 

Shawn: 10/10 This series is an absolute white-knuckle ride. From the first panel to the last, this entire creative team is going full throttle and firing on all cylinders. I keep waiting for five years of Moon Knight to hit for MacKay, but the series continues to be fresh. This entire issue feels all killer and no filler.

Overall Grade: 10/10

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