Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8 – Hard Choices and Cruel Necessities

In Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8, we see the fallout of the recently reformed Midnight Sons’ attack on the Mansion Ravenous. Moon Knight, betrayed by the soul-stealing sword, Ginnarr, went to Clea Strange, who encouraged him to reassemble the Midnight Sons. With Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and Blade on board, the team faced off against the living house. Having defeated Ginnarr in dragon form, Moon Knight agrees to turn over the Midnight Sons to the Mansion Ravenous in exchange for his captured friends being returned. Will the Midnight Sons ever be able to recover from Marc’s betrayal?

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Dev Pramanik
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: José Luis Soares Pinto
Cover Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Writing

Megan: After the incredibly surprising turn of events in the last issue, I was waiting with bated breath for this issue to drop. In the last issue, it was revealed that Moon Knight set up the people he brought onto the new team of Midnight Sons handing Daredevil, Blade, and Ghost Rider over to the Mansion Ravenous. I think I can safely say that this took everyone by surprise and now in this issue we get to see what went into that plan.

Jed McKay has not made an issue of Moon Knight that I haven’t loved and those goes double for Marc Spector: Moon Knight. There’s so much depth, so many layers in these stories and I look forward to every issue that comes out. The 8th issue is no exception of that. Moon Knight himself exhibits so many different emotions throughout this arc and especially in this issue. His family is in danger, so he does the only thing he can do, turn on the people who agreed to help him. The Midnight Sons went out of their way to help him get his family back all the while, Marc had a secret plan brewing. It was fascinating to see it all play out and I really look forward to see where it goes with the Midnight Sons.

Shawn: I’ve so incredibly enjoyed this arc from Jed MacKay. It makes me desperately want to see Marvel put out a new Midnight Sons series. Not only do I love the Midnight Sons, but I love the version of this team that MacKay put together. He put the entire story on its head at the end of the last issue, and it was amazing to see where MacKay took that cliffhanger from Marc Spector: Moon Knight #7. As someone who really loved the way MacKay revitalized Clea and Doctor Strange during his run on Doctor Strange, it was so fun to see MacKay writing Clea again. He really captures her power and just the confidence she carries.

Clea plays a massive role in this arc, and it was so satisfying to see. I was nervous about all the ways the cliffhanger from last issue could go, and I think MacKay, as well as the art team, handled it perfectly. This arc also captures what has been so great about MacKay’s run on Moon Knight, which is that it is such a character-driven story. It feels like each time I read this story, MacKay has built the story around the characters rather than simply having an idea and fitting the characters into it. The result is a satisfying issue that left me on the edge of my seat ready for issue #9.

Art

Megan: This was, without a doubt, Dev Pramanik, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit’s best work in this series so far. Each page is a masterpiece with Pramanik’s linework and Rosenberg’s colors. What really stuck out to me is how Pramanik handled the panel placements. There was a lot of creativity that was involved with that and at one point, Tigra’s tail became the main character of a full page. It was brilliantly handled.

Everything Rosenberg puts her hands on ends up being a masterpiece so it was no surprise how hard she cooked with the colors in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8. It’s astounding to me how she can take such a dark place like the mansion and make it a vibrant piece of art. The bold and striking colors play off the dark colors perfectly.

Cory Petit handles the lettering and gives us some great use of the sound effects that make the comic feel whole. Together, the artists made something memorable and magical which isn’t surprising given how much talent is on this creative team.

Shawn: What can I say about the work of Dev Pramanik, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit on this issue that could truly do them justice? I will try my best, but the art on Moon Knight: Marc Spector continues to be some of the best in comics. I would not be surprised to see Dev and Rachelle listed amongst next year’s Eisner nominees. Pramanik crafts some absolutely outstanding line work. His work on the close-up panels involving Clea is phenomenal, with every strand of her hair looking perfectly placed. Pramanik continues his experimentation with panel shaping by crafting what is the best panel I’ve seen in this series so far, with the panels centering on the Emblem of the Vishanti. It’s not only simply a beautiful piece of art but a subtle nod to Clea’s connection to her husband Stephen Strange.

One thing that makes that particular panel so impactful is the colors from Rachelle Rosenberg. She takes the familiar symbol to any Doctor Strange fan and gives it a distinctly Clea feel to it. The color, the hue, the shadow- it’s all perfect. Rosenberg continues to capture the shimmering white colors from Moon Knight in this issue and the narrative that MacKay crafted gives her a chance to branch out and try the glow in new ways. With such splendid art, colors, and narrative, one could forgive Cory Petit if he struggled to perfectly place words in this issue, but Petit nails it. The story, whether it be words from the character or the House Ravenous are perfectly placed to make them easy to follow without obscuring the art.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10 – There isn’t a Moon Knight comic that Jed McKay has written that I haven’t loved, but this issue exceeds every expectation I had. From the storytelling to the incredible artwork, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8 brings all the magic that makes Moon Knight such an iconic character.

Shawn: 10/10 – Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8 is a prime example of what it looks like when a creative team moves like a well-oiled machine. From the story to the lettering, everything is perfect. You can feel the way this creative team feels off of each other’s energy in trying to craft the best story possible. This synergy makes Marc Spector: Moon Knight a series that you can’t miss and one you won’t want to put down.

Overall Grade: 10/10

How are you enjoying the Midnight Sons arc? Let us know in the comments below.