A variant cover for Avenger’s trademark unhinged brutality. The issue is set to be released in January of 2022, written by Jed Mackay and illustrated by Federico Sabbatini, the cover art on display being the work of artist Rahzzah. Some of Rahzzah’s previous work for Marvel consists of titles such as Luke Cage, Weapon X, and The Punisher Annual #1.
Jed Mackay’s run on Moon Knight began in January 2021 and has seen a more subdued take on the character. The series spins out of the Age of Khonshu event, in which the titular Egyptian moon god tried to take over the world, only to be stopped by his servant, Moon Knight. However, though estranged, Marc Spector is still Khonshu’s servant, and has taken up the god’s mission of defending night travelers by setting up a congregation called Midnight Mission, where he takes requests for his help.
Marvel’s solicitations for the issue promise a story in which Moon Knight will descend upon New York City in search of blood but will have to fight through the super-criminal underworld in order to find the person he seeks. This is reflected in Rahzzah's variant cover — which was tweeted out by calm and sophisticated “Mister Knight” persona in the thick of the fight, which suggests this will be the case in the story itself.
A lot of Moon Knight art really leans into the contrast between the white of the costume and the blackness of the night the hero patrols. Interestingly and beautifully, this variant cover subverts that expectation by making both the floor and wall stark white, using the skin on Mister Knight’s arms and the blood on his costume to draw the eye to him, while the shadow of the hooded Moon Knight projecting out of him emphasizes his intimidating aura. The one conscious criminal backing away from the notoriously lethal Moon Knight also gives the image a dynamic quality – successfully illustrating the fear the vigilante has instilled and the further violence he intends to inflict.
The variant cover gives a strong impression that Moon Knight #7 will show the Fist of Khonshu in a violent state that has become a staple of the character. It emphasizes the notion that Moon Knight really is one of the more frightening anti-heroes the Avengers have recruited. One can only hope he doesn’t take that violence too far when the story releases in January.
Source: Ross Hutchinson
