1) Moon Knight #18 - Written by Jed MacKay, art by Federico Sabbatini, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
If you read my comic reviews this might sound familiar, but Moon Knight is easily one of the best series Marvel has out right now. Jed MacKay has crafted a story that really shows why Moon Knight is such a fan favorite. He is funny, brutal, and awe inspiring. There are so many moments in this series that have floored me (his flight about five issues ago to save Soldier, Hunter's Moon coming back in issue 17), but the Holy Water scene in this issue with the umbrella is the ultimate chef's kiss. Kudos to Sabbatini and Rosenberg for bringing that page to life. If you liked the show, you'll love the book, pick up the graphic novel of the previous issues, and since the vampire storyline just wrapped this is the perfect time to jump in for the new story.
2) Murderworld: Spider-Man - Written by Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes, art by Farid Karami, colors by Chris Sotomayor
Murderworld is a new series that came out of nowhere. It's easily one of my surprise hits of 2022 (right next to DC vs. Vampires) and God I'd give anything for an MCU adaption using the actual actors as the LMDs. Zub and Fawkes were clearly watching Squid Game together and went "Hold on...". This series follows a bunch of contestants trying to survive MurderWorld in order to win 100 million dollars. Each level of the show is based on different superheroes trying to rip the contestants to shreds. And it does just that. These are all random characters, so EVERYONE could die at any moment, which is awfully refreshing. It's also very mature for a Marvel comic, and this issue features a pretty detailed sex scene, with some weird implications since it's a livestream show. The art by Karami and Sotomayor is also excellent, I wish they'd take over the Amazing Spider-Man run, they'd nail it. The series is fun and has a lot of twists and turns, but I don't think there are a lot of issues of it left, so grab the ones that came out and enjoy!
3) Batman #131 - Story by Chip Zdarsky, pencils by Mike Hawthorne, inks by Adriano Di Benedetto, and colors by Tomeu Morey
Faith rewarded. The Failsafe arc was mostly solid, it has great art, a new villain, and a serious sense of dread. But what it led to seems even greater. Batman #131 takes us across the Multiverse. Failsafe has dropped Batman in a world without a Batman, and it looks like Bruce will (hopefully) have to try to be Batman from the ground up again. It's a clever way to strip Batman of all his allies and gear, kudos to Chip. Judge Dent is awesome, and I can't wait to see how Zdarsky plays with the rest of Batman's Rogues galleries (even though Firefly, as always, is just an idiot). The art and colors by Hawthorne, Di Benedetto, and Morey are solid, and really create the feel of Gotham. Definitely looking forward to seeing where this arc goes.
4) Dark Knights of Steel #9 - Story by Tom Taylor, art by Yasmine Putri, colors by Arif Prianto
Dark Knights of Steel and DC Vs Vampires really brought DC back to the spotlight of creativity and good writing, finally. But with DC Vs. Vampire's lackluster ending, it all falls to Dark Knights of Steel to end a good premise well. So far they are doing just that. It was pretty clear what was going on with all the murders in Dark Knights of Steel, but just exactly who (or what) was behind it was certainly a shock, as was the reveal on the final page of the issue. The story is solid (as all Tom Taylor stories are), the art is beautiful (especially the page of the first reveal), and the colors are perfect. This is an excellent limited series, and one you really need to read, hopefully it ends better than DC Vs. Vampires did. In Tom we trust.
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