Murderworld: Avengers #1 - Marvel Comics

MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS No. 1, January 2023

Described by its New York City-based publisher as “the deadliest game in the Marvel Universe when Murderworld: Avengers Issue One hits stands on November 16”, this first in a series of five linked one-shots certainly should have pleased its readers with its decidedly dark take on the super-villain, Arcade. True, this particular twenty-one-page periodical doesn’t actually feature the Black Widow at all, despite its solicitation synopsis declaring she “has a personal grudge to settle” with the mass-murderer, nor in fact are any of the Earth’s real mightiest heroes. But the narrative’s no-nonsense approach to getting the audience knee-deep in hapless victims and eviscerating explosions probably makes so highly misleading a sales pitch slightly forgivable.

In addition, Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes arguably pen one of the most psychopathic incarnations of Captain America seen since Mark Gruenwald's drug-crazed war veteran in the thirty-year old “Streets Of Posion” storyline. Chillingly singing his Jacques Urbont-composed cartoon theme song whilst scything down some of the annual contest’s hapless competitors with his shield, this life-sized robot is truly terrifying, and undoubtedly provides the comic with its most horrifying highlight; “Stand down, criminal! Liberty must prevail!”

The authors also do a good job in tapping into the modern-day craze of naïve adolescents believing that because they’ve made a fortune streaming content on social media, they’re so much better than your everyday jobber working for a living. Indeed, many a bibliophile may well take some comfort from watching the arrogant Paul Pastor stupidly believe he can trust Arcade to keep him safe, whilst the sadistic criminal swiftly strips the eighteen-year-old of all his broadcasting equipment, lackeys and eventually, even his life.

Resultantly, quite possibly this book’s weakest asset is sadly Jethro Morales’ artwork, which debatably appears a little too simplistic-looking in places to completely draw in the audience. The Filipino illustrator’s pencilling style appears especially odd when used to sketch the main protagonist’s strangely-angular face, and whilst proficient enough to help tell the story, most notably during the aforementioned mechanical Sentinel of Liberty's killing spree, predominantly imbues many a figure/victim with a disconcerting stiffness as opposed to any dynamic life.

The regular cover art of "MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS" #1 by Paco Medina & Jesus Aburtov