New comic book day has come and gone. With it came brand new titles, the beginning of fresh story arcs, art to admire, and so much more. That's good and all, but what's the point of having hundreds of characters with exceptional fighting abilities and super-powers if they don't get to use them, right? Every now and then, these characters create some outstanding action scenes, and we're here to give them the praise they deserve. The staff has reviewed all of the crazy brawls that went down in the latest comics and we've finally selected our three favorites.
"Hey, why isn't a fight I love being highlighted and/or listed in the honorable mentions? What gives?!" It's possible we didn't read that issue (A LOT come out each week, after all), or we didn't dig it as much. So, be sure to make suggestions in the official Best Battles Discussion Threadfrom now on to put this stuff on our radar. We review that before writing this weekly feature and do our best to get our hands on the issues suggested.
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IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON #1
YES! Danny Rand is back! This is fantastic news for us -- especially since the debut issue is legitimately good -- but it comes as not so good news for the hero himself. You see, he's in a bit of an emotionally dark place right now. Luckily for him, there's a whole bunch of armed fodder gunning for him and this'll give him a much-needed chance to vent. There's dozens of these dudes and they're holding assault rifles, but against Iron Fist? Yeah, they're done for.
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This is one badass way for Danny to show off his talent in the fist issue. I mean, the dude leaps out of a highrise building, goes foot first into his attackers, and then runs along a building as bullets soar around him. Sure, it's no grand Kung Fu battle, but it most certainly is epic. Come on, the guy is in his freaking pajamas (or whatever you may call those since he was wearing them in bed) and he happily dives right into a sea of enemies. That's one fantastic way to leave an impression with this first issue, I'd say.
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Kaare Andrews produced the art and writing for this new series, and as you can see, neither are slacking. Tony "G-Man" Guerrero gave the issue 5-stars and it's safe to assume that quite a few Iron Fist fans will agree with the praise. Not only is it linking back to the mystical city of K'un-Lun and delivering majorly satisfying action, but it's all wonderfully presented as well. These 3 images are just a small sample of the visual creativity Andrews packed into this issue.
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This is usually where we try to tease the conclusion without blatantly spoiling anything, but only one thing needs to be stated: Zombie Robot. If that doesn't pique your curiosity, I just have no idea what will. And, not like it even needs to be said, it's a new Iron Fist series! How can you possibly resist?
BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D. CORPS #21
The crossover between BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D CORPS and ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG, Mission: Improbable, ends here, and co-writers Joshua Dysart and Christos N. Gage wisely decided to save the big fight for it. Armstrong versus Bloodshot. The immortal drunk taking on the super-soldier. It's a melee that would be worthy of the Colosseum. Instead, this vicious and violent battle takes place in... the Rumpus Room?! It's an adorable location meant for training young psiots and serves as a hilarious contrast to this bloody encounter.
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This is easily one of the most brutal fights we've seen since Dysart and Gage took over the title, yet they still manage to make the gruesome attacks comedic instead of cringeworthy. Just look above again. Bloodshot is rapily stabbing Armstrong in the gut and Armstrong's snapping his wrist, yet I can't pull my eyes away from that goofy, smiling wallpaper or how they're arguing like children as all of this madness unfolds. It continues to get more and more violent, yet the environment makes the whole chaotic ordeal a real joy to experience.
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The interesting thing here is Bloodshot is trying to help Armstrong, but the big guy just doesn't believe him. Even when he tries to talk to him about it, the savage assault continues. Not even putting a bullet in the immortal's knee slows him down. If anything, it seemingly upsets him a bit because he follows-up with an uppercut to the... well, you'll see.
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Two more bullets are fired before these two decide to call it quits and hug it out. But what causes the ceasefire? Without giving it away, let's just say it involves talking about one of Armstrong's hobbies. Trust us, it'll give you a good smile.
NIGHTCRAWLER #1
The fuzzy blue elf returns! Back from the dead, Kurt Wagner's new adventure is being written be X-Men legend Chris Claremont and illustrated by Todd Nauck. If you're a fan of the teleporter, then you're likely going to give this debut issue a chance no matter who's on board. But with this duo? You can expect good things and rightfully so. Claremont's first issue already feels like an enjoyable ride and it sees the introduction of a pretty cool looking villain. Sometime after sparring with a not-so-pleasant Wolverine, a large and heavily armored foe named Trimega is the X-Man's first obstacle. This big fellow is strong, durable, and can fire blasts, but good luck laying your hands on the nimble Mr. Wagner!
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Todd Nauck is such a fitting choice for this series. He makes Nightcrawler look appropriately adorable, yet can really ramp things up when the action gets going. It simply has a fun vibe to it and, based on this first issue, it's looking like "fun" will be a commonly used word to describe this new title. Anyway, back to the play-by-play. As you saw above, Kurt isn't holding the blades he commonly equips. Instead, he's armed with sticks, and considering how tough his opponent is, blunt force may not be the most effective way to defeat him. The hero unleashes, but this villain won't fall over.
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Even if he isn't one of your favorite X-Men, it's tough not to enjoy the way Wagner fights. His agility coupled with his rapid teleporting always makes for an amusing fight, and this issue is no exception. Sure, Trimega's babbling like a cliche villain, but it hardly takes away from the experience of seeing Wagner square-off with his first real challenge in his solo series. As pointed out above, bashing this enemy with sticks isn't going to cut it, so Kurt will need to use his brain if he wants to survive this encounter. Luckily for him, he has plenty of tactical experience thanks to his time with the X-Men.
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Does he teleport the enormous armor off of his target? Does he pull one of his astonishing tele-drops like he once did against Omega Red? There's plenty of options at Nightcrawler's disposal and let's just say the one he chooses certainly stays true to his strong sense of morality. It's good to have you back, Kurt.
Honorable Mentions
- Wolverine vs. Deadpool (DEADPOOL #27)
- Looter vs. SpOck (SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #11)
- Samurai Jack, Scotsman vs. Cuhullin the Cruel (SAMURAI JACK #7)
- Nightcrawler vs. Wolverine (NIGHTCRAWLER #1)
- Sinestro's teeth vs. Kilowog (INJUSTICE: YEAR TWO #7)
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That's it for this week, friends! What are your top three fights from this latest round of new comics? Also, don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or us via Twitter. See you next Friday. Oh, have a good weekend, too!