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Preview art by
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By Jim Beard
Having killed off his Marc Spector identity and now finding himself on the run from Mexico's most lethal assassins,
Moon Knight now faces a new, potentially deadly conundrum. It goes by the name of Toltec and can be found in MOON KNIGHT #28, due out March 18. Not necessarily a friend or an enemy, this new player defies easy classification.
"First off, Toltec isn't necessarily a foe," says MOON KNIGHT writer Mike Benson. "Like the
Punisher, he falls into the anti-hero category, but what makes him special is he's rooted in Aztec lore.
"In a way, he's a Mexican Robin Hood only he's not giving money to the poor, he's taking out the predators who feed on them. He's avenging a people who have been wronged. You're not going to see Toltec going to New York City anytime soon."
Speaking of the Punisher, if Moon Knight didn't already find his hands full with the question of Toltec, he must also operate in the same arena as Frank Castle's unique brand of justice. And what the Punisher wants, the Punisher usually gets.
"We didn't want this story to be just another team-up," Benson explains. "Far more interesting to have Frank and Moon Knight enter into the same arena, but with different agendas, just missing each other
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as they both build to one big blow up. Stick around and you'll see. It's going to be a fun ride."
The name Toltec conjures up visions of Mesoamerican culture and lore, mental images Benson's glad to encourage. Moon Knight's Mexican odyssey wanders through a landscape both rich in history and deep with mythology, as the writer intends.
"This was collaboration between [editor] Axel Alonso and [me]," he notes. "Axel showed me a couple of Aztec designs and from there we began riffing on this character. From there, I wrote a back-story to the character.
"We wanted a new type of anti-hero. A kind of Mexican Punisher, but more a defender of his people. I think of Toltec as a type of 'Keyser Sose' character, one rooted in lore and myth."
As fans of MOON KNIGHT already know, the character's world and his adventures rely heavily on a unique visual style; provided by interior artist Jefte Palo and cover artist Gabrielle Dell'Otto that style figures squarely into Toltec's creation.
"Gabrielle helped us create the look of Toltec," Benson says. "So we had some design sketches when we started, and Jefte did what Jefte does and made it feel unique. I'm pretty loose with artists; as long as they are getting across what information needs to come out, they're able to do their own thing. In my opinion
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Preview art by
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it's what elevates the story telling process.
"I'd hate to stifle an artist if they had a better approach. I'm basically giving them options and a roadmap. Jefte takes my scripts and brings them to a whole different level. I'm like a kid in a candy store every time new pages come in. He's the man."
Encounter Toltec in MOON KNIGHT #28 on March 18. And be sure you're caught up with the adventures of the late Marc Spector courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
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