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Soldier is he next member of the Mission that is explored in Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3. Marc Spector’s death still looms over the members of The Midnight Mission and Soldier’s grief is expressed through guilt. He seeks to make amends by stopping the rogue Moon Knight, meanwhile criminals around the city are tired of the brutality from this new vigilante and are looking for payback!
- Written by Jed MacKay
- Illustrated by Alessandro Cappuccio
- Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
- Letters by VC’s Corey Petit
Villains Seek Their Own Vengeance on the Moon Knight
The story opens with Soldier expressing his grief over the death of Marc Spector to Dr. Andrea Sterman. “It shoulda been me.”, he says, claiming that it was his responsibility to be Marc’s shield, his back up, “his guy”. Each member of The Midnight Mission have spent time dealing with the grief of Marc’s death, and Soldier is the only one that feels guilt for it. This says a lot about Soldier and a later conversation between the two shows even more of the effect Moon Knight had on the growth of Soldier’s character.
Not only does Soldier understand that Moon Knight wasn’t a crime fighter, or a vigilante, but a protector of those that were in desperate of a voice, and a fist. He also understands the consequences of the “fake” Moon Knight and explains them to Dr. Andrea Sterman. Consequently at the same time, a few street level villains are preparing to strike, just as Soldier predicted. Moon Knight beat one of their friends, Joe The Gorilla, into a coma even though he hasn’t participated in crime since he had Leukemia.
The strike goes down and the Midnight Mission fights back. After the battle, it’s clear that they can’t protect any one if they themselves are constantly caught in the crossfire. They know they can’t take down the new Moon Knight without some help and so they go to someone with the power and influence over the night for support.
Jed MacKay Continues To Grow The Brand
I really love what MacKay is doing by lifting up each of the Midnight Mission members. Each issue has given them a highlight moment where we see their characters grow, thanks to the influence of the recently deceased Moon Knight. It’s clear that Marc Spector had a strong hand in rehabilitating them in some way. They continue to learn and adapt and therefore this story can continue to be interesting without Marc and the Moon Knight we use to know.
As we continue to speculate who this new Moon Knight is, MacKay is exhibiting him to be a brutal, no nonsense kind of vigilante. He comes across with a similar vibe to that of The Punisher. Now i’m not saying that it’s Frank Castle behind the mask, but this guy has no need for friends, has no mercy, and is just an absolute meat grinder. It’s apparent that his objective is to punish who he sees as criminals, as opposed to full-filling his duty as protector of the travelers of the night. I’m excited to see what other little hints and breadcrumbs pertaining to the identity of the new Moon Knight are dropped a long the way.
Art is the Mission of the Moon Knight
Alessandro Cappuccio has been drawing for Moon Knight for quite a while now and he hasn’t lost a step. What we do get in this issue and in the previous Vengeance of The Moon Knight issues is a lot of emotion. There’s plenty of action to go around, sure, but there is so much more to facial expressions in this series. In this issue, Soldier is going through a huge range of sadness and anger and it really jumps off of the page and into your head space. I feel all of it.
Rachelle Rosenberg’s color palette stays consistent and appropriate. There are still a lot of oranges, yellows, reds and of course tons of black. I’m always a big fan of lighting and “glow” when it comes to artistic effects, and Rachelle does a fantastic job of using that warm palette to light dark streets and rooms. it all adds a tremendous amount of depth, making the space more engaging. This series wouldn’t be the same without it.
Everything Points To 8.5/10
Look, I know a few people that have moved on from this Moon Knight run, but if you’re leaving this book on shelves, I think you’re missing out. Jed MacKay continues to nurture and grow this corner of the Marvel Universe. Character growth and their arc’s are the name of the game here. He makes use of characters that have been cast to the side in a way that makes them beloved and relevant again. Beyond the story, I think this is one of the best art teams on a Marvel book at the moment. I understand Moon Knight can be niche, but if you’re even just the tiniest bit curious, I highly recommend the series.
