Moon Knight's New Costume Is Great - But Does It Validate That 'Marvel Batman' Joke?
Contains spoilers for recent and upcoming issues of "Moon Knight" (by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio)
The next chapter of "Moon Knight" makes significant changes to the titular antihero, including having him sport a near-all-black outfit, bringing his look closer to that of a DC character he's long been compared to: Batman.
Marvel Comics has announced that the death of Moon Knight is imminent. In the current ongoing series from MacKay and Cappuccio, Moon Knight has run the Midnight Mission, where he looks after travelers of the night while allying himself with the feline Avenger, Tigra, and his vampire assistant, Reese. Meanwhile, a new fist of Khonshu has been revealed, with Yehya Badr taking on the mantle of Hunter's Moon. In recent issues, a new Black Spectre has also risen and created his own version of the Midnight Mission, the Chapel Perilous. The villain's secret identity hasn't yet been revealed, but Black Spectre's deadly vendetta against Moon Knight appears to be heading directly towards Marc Spector's demise.
With Marc Spector's death apparently inevitable, a new, mysterious presence will take up the mantle of Moon Knight in his absence. And, along with the "Moon Knight" comic being retitled "Vengeance of the Moon Knight," the hero's new look may cement him in some fans' eyes as Marvel's Batman with a new costume, weapons, and secret identity — but is that fair?
Meet the New Moon Knight
"Vengeance of the Moon Knight" #1 will see a new Moon Knight rise in the wake of Marc Spector's death. According to Marvel Comics, Black Spectre's attack will leave the Midnight Mission mourning the loss of their leader, and a new Moon Knight will appear in his place. The new Fist of Konshu is described as having an "unquenchable thirst for battle" and being even deadlier than Marc Spector. Series artist Alessandro Cappuccio has shared his design for the new Moon Knight (seen above), which reverses the hero's iconic costume's color scheme, giving him a nearly all-black outfit that makes him appear more like Marvel's Batman. Cappuccio says he took inspiration for the look from ancient Egyptian banded armor while trying to keep the "mood" of Moon Knight intact.
Moon Knight's classic batons have been replaced with new, hook-like weapons "reminiscent of the flowers of the Nile as depicted in the hieroglyphics." The artist further explains that the new Moon Knight isn't just different when it comes to appearance, but in spirit as well. "This new Moon Knight cycle will hold several surprises for readers,", he said, "and I look forward to being able to show them to you in the coming months." While the new Moon Knight does remain shrouded in mystery, fans are still excited at the prospect of seeing the character in action. The new ensemble looks fantastic, with the characters' crescent moon mask and logo standing out against the darkness.
How did Moon Knight become Marvel's Batman?
While Marvel's stories have done a lot of heavy lifting to stop the comparisons between Moon Knight and Batman, it's hard to deny the similarities, especially during the hero's earliest adventures, and the new black costume may reignite those debates.
Like Bruce Wayne, Marc Spector is extremely wealthy and uses his mansion as his secret base of operations. They both utilize their vast resources to fund advanced tech and equipment for their heroic sides. As his name implies, Moon Knight operates during the night while using several Moon-themed weapons, including crescent darts, which are similar to Batman's Batarangs. Moon Knight even flies a moon-shaped helicopter equipped with offensive and defensive weapons, much like the Batplane. Both characters have long, flowing capes and are unafraid to use violence to get justice. As a result of these similarities, some readers refer to Moon Knight as Marvel's Batman.
However, major character differences nix any idea of Moon Knight being a Batman rip-off. Aesthetically, the Marvel hero wears all-white, a sharp contrast to the Caped Crusader's much darker ensemble. Batman doesn't want to be seen by unsuspecting bad guys, while Moon Knight is eager to intimidate his foes. Moon Knight's dissociative identity disorder also plays a significant role in his characterization; instead of having just one secret identity like Batman, he has three different ones in Spector, Jake Lockley, and Steven Grant. The biggest difference between them is their stance on killing. Batman refuses to kill even the most vile villains. Meanwhile, Moon Knight has taken out some of his opponents for good through extraordinarily dark and violent means. And with a potentially more violent person under the new Moon Knight's mask, the differences should become even more striking.
Who is the new Moon Knight?
Marvel hasn't shared who is behind the mask as the new Moon Knight; however, some clues offer possible names. Hunter's Moon, who is the current Fist of Khonshu and has all of the memories that past Moon Knights had due to his connection to the deity, could take on the mantle after Spector's death. His experience, connection to Khonshu, and eagerness to keep the Midnight Mission going would make him a fitting Moon Knight. However, it's also possible Marvel is being extra careful when describing Moon Knight's death, as there's a chance the personality of Mark Spector dies while either Jake Lockley or Steven Grant take up the mantle as a dark new version of the hero. And, of course, it could also be someone entirely new or an unexpected established character.
Check out the text synopsis for "Vengeance of the Moon Knight" #1 and David Finch's cover art featuring the new Moon Knight in costume.
Marvel Comics
Clad in the black of mourning, the Midnight Mission remains! But who is left to keep the faith? And how have they been changed by the Black Spectre's master stroke? The next chapter of MOON KNIGHT starts here as the congregants of the Midnight Mission pick up the pieces and carry on the mission... and find themselves faced with a mysterious new enemy in eerily familiar vestments.
Readers can see Marvel's new Moon Knight officially rise in the Marvel Universe when "Vengeance of the Moon Knight" #1 arrives in comic book stores in January 2024.