Nerds That Geek Comic Book Review: 'Moon Knight' (2016) #3

Written by Joel T. Lewis

As they continue to make their escape from the nightmarish asylum, Moon Knight and company discover that the path ahead is as treacherous as the one behind. While they are being pursued by Ammut and the asylum orderlies they run head first into a New York subway car teaming with mummies. There are mummies! Coming out of subway cars! Spector is not phased as he applies the old moon fists to mummified faces allowing his group to narrowly escape. Unfortunately they can’t escape before Ammut drugs Marc Spector, taking away his ability to see Dr. Emmet as the alligator-headed god Ammut and the asylum orderlies as the jackal-headed lackeys they are. Even in his weakened state Spector is able to break free, but robbed of his visions of the “truth” Spector’s faith is shaken again.
​
This is the second issue in a row that Jeff Lemire examines the tumult of Spector’s psyche through a conversation between Spector and Khonshu. Spector asks, “I can’t see see the truth. Tell me Khonshu...is this all real? Or am I really just mad?” to which Khonshu offers an unexpected response, “Does it matter?” Does it matter if Marc Spector is truly mad? This is a question I have been frightened to ask myself throughout this most recent run of Moon Knight.

Can I cope with the possibility that Spector has been in a psych ward all these years and all his escapades that I’ve spent hours reading have all been fevered ravings of a damaged mind? Khonshu continues, “Does it matter if you’re mad? Your madness is your gift Marc. What will keep you alive. You need to stop fighting it. Give in to it. Let your insanity guide you. Let your madness show you the way.” As Khonshu imparts this wisdom to his  disciple the following panels are illuminated where they once were pitch black. It is as if Spector’s madness has shone its light on the darkness of his sanity.

As Spector is reunited with his friends they encounter Anubis, escort of the underworld and Crawley agrees to sacrifice himself so that the others might continue on their journey. The selflessness of Crawley’s sacrifice is yet another example of the care with which Lemire has taken the reigns of the Moon Knight series. Throughout Moon Knight’s history time and again Crawley has demonstrated unexpected charity and compassion and Lemire’s portrayal of him as so selfless is wonderful to see. As Crawley follows Anubis towards judgement, Spector and the others finally emerge above ground on the streets of New Egypt, formerly New York.

I don’t want to gloss over the importance of the appearance of mummies in this issue of Moon Knight. For a character brought back to life by the grace of an Egyptian God of the Moon, Moon Knight has not spent much time fighting off what might be considered typical Egyptian foes, namely Mummies. We’ve seen monks, African warlords, crossbow temptresses, other Egyptian priests and werewolves, but very few of the undead variety have graced the pages of a Moon Knight comic. But our patience has finally paid off in a big way thanks to Jeff Lemire. There are very few things that please me the way seeing Moon Knight punch actual mummies in a comic from 2016 did. They crunch, they shatter, and they turn to dust under the barrage of fists doled out by old Moonie and it's very satisfying to follow from panel to panel.

---