Let the games begin in Marvel Comics! Murderworld: Avengers #1 — by writers Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes, artist Jethro Morales, colorist Matt Milla, and letterer Cory Petit from VC — is the first installment of a five-part miniseries centered around the villainous Arcade and his house of terror, Murderworld. This time, though, he might be giving the Jigsaw Killer a run for his money.
Arcade is up to his devious devices again in Murderworld: Avengers #1. With money to burn and sadistic tendencies to quench, he is setting up the tournament of all torture tournaments. He invites people from all over to compete in his gruesome games for the chance to win big. However, he also wants Paul Pastor — a young vlogging sensation and documentarian — to come over and document what happens on Murderworld. But Arcade has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and the Avengers play a surprising role in his bizarre schemes.
As a villain, Arcade can be a bit hit-and-miss. Undoubtedly, he has been seen as Marvel’s Riddler with his lust for psychopathic puzzles for ages now, so creators have tried to change him up to make him more distinct. Murderworld: Avengers #1 takes inspiration from Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker’s Avengers Arena, which pitted teen heroes in a violent reality show setting. This time around, though, Zub and Fawkes chuck a bunch of regular individuals in Arcade’s traps for the chance to win a major cash prize.
It’s a simple concept seen in modern comics regularly; however, the storytelling pivots in a surprising direction just when the reader presumes the outcome is a foregone conclusion. In fact, Murderworld: Avengers #1 pulls out all the shocks and stops and lives up to its nefarious name, as it delivers more jaw-dropping moments than Squid Game. Zub and Fawkes lure the reader in with the traditional beats and tricks of the trope, but they flip readers’ expectations on their heads and conjure up a story that takes no prisoners.
Murderworld: Avengers #1 is one of Marvel’s most violent books in a long time, yet the book’s art might deceive the reader at first glance. Morales tackles the illustrations with a fun, easy-on-the-eye style. Arcade’s Murderworld is supposed to be an amusement park, so the tone of the artwork ties in with the carnivalesque atmosphere. Similarly, Milla adds a splash of bubbly colors that feel like a day out at the amusement park among all the cotton candy and colorful rides. Petit uses a playful lettering style, indicating there’s nothing to worry about here. The whole team creates a visual language that lulls the audience into a false sense of security before shocking them with unflinching violence.
Murderworld: Avengers #1 sets the scene for what’s to come as the series continues in a big way. The last panels of this issue hit hard, and the reader will have no idea of what to expect. There’s a lot of excitement and fear in this twisted story about a Marvel villain reinventing himself into something far more dangerous and diabolical than anyone could have imagined.
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