June 20, 2004: I teased on Livejournal that Ray Fawkes and I had a cool story idea we were cooking up-

18 years later: MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS launches TODAY at your favorite comic shop!

Some ideas take a bit longer than others to come to fruition.😜

If you didn’t pick up the new Thunderbolts mini-series in single issues, the collected trade, called Thunderbolts: Back On Target, arrives in March.

Here are some links for online pre-orders:

Thunderbolts (2022) Back On Target (Issues #1-5) Redeeming justice, like lightning! In the aftermath of Devil’s Reign, the Big Apple has big problems, and it’s up to a new group of Thunderbolts to turn things around. But when Clint Barton is tasked with heading up this squad, the first opponent he’s going to have to face…is himself.

PRE-ORDER Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Book Depository Bookshop Chapters-Indigo Indiebound

New York, NY— November 3, 2022 — On November 16, Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes put the “murder” back in MURDERWORLD! Teaming up with an exciting lineup of all-star artists, the two writers have penned a pulse-pounding epic that begins later this month in MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS and comes to a crashing end in March’s MURDERWORLD: GAME OVER! Across five one-shots, readers will witness Arcade at his darkest as he unleashes the full terror of Murderworld on an all-new cast of characters.

Two hundred contestants. One hundred million dollar prize. One winner. And to survive, they’ll have to endure a series of brutal tests in Arcade’s brand-new Murderworld. Arcade’s circus-style contests have been a punchline in the past, but this game is no joke and the body count will rise with each twist and turn. Has Arcade finally found success? Enter Paul Pastor, the extraordinary young documentarian who hopes to expose it all but he can’t do it alone. Luckily, the Black Widow has a personal grudge to settle with the Murderworld mastermind – but how many will die before she can put a stop to this wildly violent scheme??

“When I first saw Murderworld in an issue of Uncanny X-Men, I was fascinated by its colorful corniness mixed with deception and violence,” Zub explained. “Many years ago, Ray and I chatted about a twisted thriller-survival story set in Arcade’s deadly playground and now, starting with MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS, we’re finally getting the chance to unleash it!”

“Murderworld is one of those stealthy, ultra-compelling concepts that always made the Marvel Universe so fascinating to me – the gaudy, family-fun veneer slapped over a deadly threat. When Jim and I were discussing it, ideas to make it more and more frightening and exciting just kept coming to us. I’m thrilled to bring them to readers in all their horrible glory!” Fawkes added.

Step right up to the deadliest game in the Marvel Universe when MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS hits stands on November 16! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by JETHRO MORALES
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 11/16

MURDERWORLD: SPIDER-MAN
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by FARID KARAMI
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 12/28

MURDERWORLD: WOLVERINE
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by CARLOS NIETO
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 1/25

MURDERWORLD: MOON KNIGHT
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by LUCA PIZZARI
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 2/15

MURDERWORLD: GAME OVER
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by LORENZO TAMMETTA
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 3/1

This week on AVENGERS UNLIMITED #14, Marvel’s weekly digital comic of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, a special one-off story focused on Jarvis called “Minding the Mansion.”

I built it like a back-up story for an annual/anniversary issue and Leo Romero delivered classic pages to match! Really proud of this one.

RICK AND MORTY VS CTHULHU #1 (of 4)
story by Jim Zub
art and cover by TROY LITTLE

What could be worse than an off-planet sugar deal gone wrong? Tripping through a Lovecraftian hellscape with the Smith family as they fight, uh, cosmic sentient color and racist fish people? That can’t be right…

MURDERWORLD: SPIDER-MAN #1
story by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
art by FARID KARAMI
cover by PACO MEDINA
variant cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU

• The Murderworld stream will not be stopped and, as its dwindling contestants grow more desperate, the wall-crawling web of death surrounding them begins to tighten – Thwip, thwip…
• Murderworld is a chaotic contest filled with treachery and tragedy from the minds of Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and Jim Zub(Conan the Barbarian, Avengers: No Surrender) illustrated by Farid Karami
• Arcade and his schemes have been a punchline in the past, but this game is no laughing matter.
Each issue ups the ante and will keep readers guessing right up until the end. Don’t miss it!
32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+
$3.99

THUNDERBOLTS #5 (OF 5)
story by JIM ZUB
art and cover by SEAN IZAAKSE
trading card variant cover by STEFANO CASELLI

Super heroes, celebrities, troublemakers, criminals…Clint Barton’s dream team crumbles as the shadow that’s been cast over every move they’ve made is finally revealed!
Who’s behind their downfall, and what comes next?
“Justice, Like Lightning” celebrates 25 years in the Mighty Marvel Manner!
32 PGS./Rated T+
$3.99

Ray Fawkes and I chatted with Dave Richards at CBR all about Murderworld: Avengers and the other upcoming Murderworld specials that tell a wildly unexpected and dark story all about the Marvel Universe’s deadly game show. Check it out.

• AIPT: 9/10 “an explosive super-fun start to a series with historically good runs. Not only is it well-paced and exciting from cover to cover, but it offers a solid reason to exist in an era of superhero books that can be rote and uninteresting.”

• But Why Tho: 8/10 “Humorous dialogue and delightful art is blended with a story with heaps of potential in an opening issue that doesn’t like slowing down. It’s a team that feels different from others and that is ultimately a good thing.”

• Comic Book Club: “I thought this was great. I liked the Hawkeye humor mixed with action.”

• Comic Book Resources: “a solid introduction to the latest iteration of the classic Marvel team. It’s a different take from what fans of the series might expect, but it’s a premise that holds intrigue and promise.”

• Comic Book Yeti: “There are multiple layers of story going on at once. On the surface, you have the new members of the Thunderbolts going up against the Villains for Hire. Underneath that Luke Cage is trying to rebrand the image of the Thunderbolts while his mistrust of Clint as the leader grows.”

• Comic Crusaders: 8/10 “Not being a huge Hawkeye fan, I was kind of on the fence when this book came down the pipe. With that said, what I found was an enjoyable little romp that succeeds in its aim to bring the Thunderbolts back in a way that fits the current Marvel city scape.”

• Comic Watch: 8.2/10 “this comic is an extremely pleasant surprise. New comics that use crossovers or event comics as their springboard don’t always fare well in the long run due to their roots in other stories. This latest iteration of Thunderbolts, though, potentially has what it takes to go the distance.”

• Geek’d Out: 8.2/10 “as Thunderbolts # 1 proves, this has always been a different sort of team.”

• Graphic Policy: 8.2/10 “The comic is fresh while also the best of what has come before. It sets up an interesting team dynamic, and team in general, and delivers enough mysteries to come to keep readers on their toes. It’s a solid buy for long time fans of the characters and property and those new to the Thunderbolts.”

• Infinity Flux: “My favorite read of the week…New Thunderbolts team versus the old Thunderbolts team is a great way to start the series.”

• Laughing Place: “If there is one word to describe this first issue, it is simply ‘fun.’…An exciting story has been set up here and it’s one Marvel fans will certainly be looking forward to.”

• Longbox Heroes: “I like an interesting weird team and this is an interesting weird team…I enjoyed the first issue.”

• Lord Retail: “I wasn’t sure at first, but Thunderbolts #1 was great. It did all the right things. Mayor Cage needs an official NYC team & Clint Barton is in! Footnotes, rematches, mystery characters. This is the best thing Jim Zub has written! Buy with confidence!”

• LRM Online: “This really hit on all cylinders for me. I thought it worked really, really well.”

• MT Vernon Kid: “The first issue is fun. It’s really good…Jim zub writes a real good Clint Barton.”

• Multiversity: 9.5/10 “Gets you excited to see what’s next. Zub and the team give you a fun, action-packed story with its tongue in cheek. It’s a fantastic premier issue, leaving you wanting more…Thunderbolts #1 is superhero storytelling at its finest, exciting, bombastic, and funny all at once.”

• Next issue: “The art is very fitting. I love the designs and redesigns of the characters…I had a lot of fun with it.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “A really good first issue of a classic-feeling and vibing Marvel Comic. I loved it.”

• Primary Ignition: “The issue does a decent job introducing everybody, and enough of the focus is on Clint to hold my attention as we get through those introductions. Thunderbolts looks like it’s going to be light-hearted and fun.”

• Super Powered Fancast: 9/10 “a fun, thrilling and often funny first issue. Clint is utilized brilliantly in the story by putting him in the position of the elder statesman who is still rough around the edges…The action is visually thrilling and I love the character designs and background details.”

• Two-Headed Nerd: “Zub’s script captures the voices of characters like Hawkeye and Luke Cage really well…A solid superhero story that’s a lot of fun.”

• We Have Issues: “It launches with drama. There should always be drama with the Thunderbolts…I really, thoroughly enjoyed it.”

• Weird Science Marvel Comics: 8/10 “Thunderbolts #1 is a surprisingly solid setup issue that brings a new team together under the authority of Mayor Luke Cage. The introductions are well-paced and shown rather than simply told.”