Marvel Comics Panel Picks – A Worthy Surfer and an Extraordinarily Profane Santa

Marvel Comics has created an expansive, incredible universe filled with some of the most iconic characters and beloved stories. There are countless pages of comics for fans to enjoy but every now and then, a single panel stands out in our memories. Whether it’s the incredible artwork, a major reveal or moment in a story or even just a really funny line from one of Marvel’s more comical characters, some comic panels just deserve to be recognized.

With that in mind, I want to take a look at some of my favorite comic panels. Each week, I will select one panel from a new Marvel comic as a “New Favorite” and one panel from an older comic as a “Classic Favorite” and provide some context as to why those two panels are so great. Sometimes I might get a little loose with what I consider a “panel,” because comics tend to play by their own rules. But at the end of the day, we’ll have two glimpses of two great Marvel comics, one old and one new.

So without further ado, here are my picks for this week’s top Marvel Comics panels:

Classic Favorite: “Thanos #16” (2018)

Writer: Donny Cates

Artist: Geoff Shaw

Thanos is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe and in Donny Cates’ 2016 series he finally does it. Thanos wins. There is a very small number of living beings left in the universe as Thanos has finally given death everything she wants: you know, more death. Among the remaining living things are the Hulk, Cosmic Ghost Rider and, as it turns out, the Silver Surfer.

In the end of this particular issue, the Surfer shows up to challenge Thanos. Given the circumstances in which Thanos has literally killed just about everyone and everything else in existence, it doesn’t seem like the Surfer would have much of a chance. That all changes in this moment when he tells Thanos he was working on becoming worthy and Mjolnir appears in his hand.

Ok, this moment isn’t exactly the same as Cap catching Mjolnir but it is still really cool. When a hero with so much power takes up an iconic weapon against one of the most notorious villains Marvel has to offer, you know you’re seeing something special. It’s weird seeing Mjolnir in someone else’s hand other than Thor’s, but it makes for one really exciting moment.

New Favorite: “King in Black: Iron Man/Doom”

Writer: Christopher Cantwell

Artist: Salvador Larroca

Ok, before we really get into this panel, let me first explain that I could have gone with about 10 different panels from this particular issue. There are actually some jokes I enjoyed a bit more than this one, but this panel seemed to sum up the comic as a whole more than any of the others, hence the pick. Plus, three-for-one deal here. Always a crowd-pleaser.

With that being said, this panel is great for so many reasons. First, the use of Christmas symbols as opposed to the classic “@$#%!” to show the use of profanity is just amazing. Second, the art from Salvador Larocca really shines here, with a great look for a Knullified Santa. And finally, Doom delivers a hilarious line to drive this full-page panel home.

As I said, this panel really sums up this issue. “King in Black: Iron Man/Doom” is a hilarious, wild holiday romp that pairs up two longtime enemies to fight Santa Claus. But even with all of that craziness, it still pushes a major plot point for the “King in Black” story going forward. This is the perfect tie-in issue and a great holiday comic all in one and this panel is one reason why.

You can check out “King in Black: Iron Man/Doom” now.

Be sure to check back next week for more of my favorite Marvel Comics panels.

Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."