I love a story with an ending, and I almost, ALMOST got one with Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes’ excellent five issues series, Murderworld. Now, I’m not going to complain that in Murderworld: Game Over, the story kinda sorta pretty much ended on the promise of a second series, rather than a full-blown conclusion, which I would have preferred. That is, as stated, just a personal preference. Instead, I will say that I enjoyed the hell out of the story that these two creators delivered.
You can check out my thoughts on the first issue here, and I’m happy to say that Zub and Fawkes managed to keep their Battle Royaleseque story starring Arcade moving through its subsequent issues, each of which featured twisted takes on Marvel super heroes battling it out against a dwindling group of non-supes hoping to cash in on some big bucks by surviving Arcade’s game.
Along with solid storytelling from its writers, what I loved about every issue of Murderworld was the consistent doses of the old ultraviolence that artists Jethro Morales, Farid Karami, Carlos Nieto, Luca Pizzari, and, in Murderworld: Game Over, Netho Diaz and Lorenzo Tammetta bloodied the pages with. The concept of the story hinged on blood and guts, and none of the issues shied away from it. Instead, they delivered on their promise.
Again, in Game Over, Murderworld concludes with a hint that there could be more to come. I hope enough people picked up each single issue, or will grab the inevitable collection when it’s released, because in a world of often crushing continuity, self-contained stories like this one are a gift, especially when done as viscerally entertaining as what Zub, Fawkes, and their artist compatriots delivered.
The grand finale! The big prize! Bodies are piled high and only one person can win it all! Arcade’s darkest game comes to a close and anything can happen…especially if Natasha Romanoff has something to say about it. Arcade’s circus-style contests have been a punchline in the past, but writers Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and Jim Zub (AVENGERS, CONAN THE BARBARIAN) and artist Netho Diaz (THUNDERBOLTS, LEGION OF X) are here to put the “murder” back in “Murderworld.” Don’t miss it!
