This was a really amazing week for comic book battles, readers. There were quite a few noteworthy action scenes, but three of them are real jaw-droppers. Firstly, you'll get a glimpse of an issue that's literally non-stop fighting. After that, we'll show you just part of a massive brawl that goes down in the Batcave. Last but most definitely not least, a classic sci-fi hero makes a triumphant return.
If you're not a fan of the battles we picked, we encourage you to praise the one you have in mind instead of just posting something like, "why isn't ___ in here?" It just may motivate someone to check out the comic, after all. Also, we have a discussion threadfor this segment and check it frequently on Wednesdays and Thursdays. So if there's a fight you like in a new comic, be sure to recommend it in that thread before we write the feature.
MOON KNIGHT #5
Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire have created an issue that feels like a terrific nod to movies like The Raid and The Protector. The story here is simple: Moon Knight wants to rescue a hostage and she's being held in a building that's full of goons. Marc Spector's years as a mercenary has given him a keen tactical mind, but in this scenario, he has no problem walking right through the front door and working his way up the floors. As expected, there's plenty of bad guys along the way, and the creative team makes Moon Knight take them out in totally different, exciting and ridiculously savage ways. It's magnificent stuff.
Eight pages in and Moon Knight has already obliterated two petty criminals. That's how quickly Ellis was able to establish this brand new story (each of his issues are self-contained adventures) and get the action rolling. Now that Marc has brutally taken down two enemies with his truncheon and projectiles, the creative team finds a way way to make us gasp.
There's bits of dialogue here and there, but Ellis produces a script that allows Shalvey and Bellaire to really shine. The choreography and the perspective in each panel allows us to appreciate every single punch, kick, toss, and stab. You can really feel the force behind every hit, too. This isn't just your ordinary and forgettable action scene, folks. They make each encounter impactful and something you're not to forget anytime soon. Just look at how Marc beats the biggest foe he encounters.
Believe it or not, we've only scratched the surface of the brutal action in this one. MOON KNIGHT #5 is a comic that each and every action junkie needs to own. Seriously, it's that excellent. Take a moment to give a slow clap for everyone involved in creating this issue.
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #7
General Lane and his heavily-armed forces (equipped with Photon Emitters and Black-Hole bullets) are knocking on the Fortress of Solitude's front door. And by "knocking" we mean are prepared to blow it up if Kal-El doesn't give them the shard (if you have no idea what that is, we recommend reading the series!). Seeing as Superman's still tying to understand the device and it possesses an unknown amount of power, you can understand why the Man of Steel doesn't want to hand it over. Even though General Lane's troops are armed to the teeth and in high tech vehicles, Superman isn't afraid to face them... especially when he has an amazingly cool armor of his own! Now, what follows on his end is fun and Jim Lee gives this new look a glorious debut, but the way the action's laid out makes it tough to give it a proper highlight. So if you want to see that part, you'll just have to pick up the issue. However, what we are going to show you from the issue is every bit as awesome: Batman and Wonder Woman vs. Wraith!
You know how Batman's prepared for almost anything in his universe, right? Now imagine how well prepared he is in his very own cave! And it's a good thing, too, because the powerhouse called Wraith has come to Bruce's hideout and wants to take his life. You see, the big guy's bitter over being humiliated by the Caped Crusader and he wants one simple thing: vicious revenge. Bruce may be physically outclassed, but obviously, he won't go down without a fight and has plenty of toys to utilize in his cave.
Batman was ready for Wraith's arrival, too. He created an armor which has a synthetic mineral that weakens the alien. But seeing as Clark gave that secret away in the last issue, Wraith showed up to the cave prepared: he's wearing an armor which protects him from his equivalent of kryptonite. Luckily for Batman hero, his spiffy new armor also has a stealth mode and that allows him to temporarily slip away from the titan. Even though he hits Wraith with plenty of tech, the fiend won't fall down. Wraith eventually gets his hands on Bruce and tosses him through the famous big Joker card. However, Batman has some very powerful allies, and Wonder Woman happens to be one of them! It's time to put that giant penny to good use.
That's one heck of a way to make an entrance, Diana. After smashing the large fellow with the absurdly large penny, Diana makes sure Bruce is okay. It's an understandable gesture seeing as the Dark Knight just took a beating from character that's capable of defeating Superman, after all. As kind as the move may be, it makes the dangerous mistake of turning your back on Wraith. As expected, the penny didn't keep him down for the count and he gets a little bit of revenge by hitting them with another massive piece from Bruce's collection.
Now, Bruce Wayne is a wealthy dude and all that, but his cave is turning into a complete mess and a lot of very valuable items are getting caught in this tornado of destruction. Plus, he still has the little problem of Wraith wanting to rip his head off. How can he and Wonder Woman defeat this behemoth? Does Alfred bust in and clobber the alien with his bare hands? Does Batman have an ace up his sleeve? As always, we won't spoil the conclusion in here. Sure, the delay was a major bummer, but Scott Snyder and Jim Lee's action-packed chapter was a total blast.
ROBOCOP #1
Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop is a classic and adored by many. The recent reboot has renewed interest in the franchise and now BOOM! Studios is doing something truly magical: they're bringing us back into the original RoboCop universe with an all-new ongoing series. Written by Joshua Williamson and with visuals by Carlos Magno and Marissa Louise, this new series will reveal what went down after the first movie. The creative team wastes no time throwing us back into this ultra-violent place, too. After just one page of set up, we're reminded just how dark and crazy this world can get.
After just the first few pages it becomes more than clear this creative time has a great understanding of the 1987 movie and they've done an impressive job duplicating its tone. It feels like a proper follow-up to the first film and having Alex Murphy wipe out a group of criminals is such an entertaining way to open the series. Yes, seeing an enhanced hero drop goons isn't anything new, but the scene is executed well and they sure know how to hit us with just the right amount of gore.
Artist Carlos Magno and colorist Marissa Louise sure know how to immerse us in this universe and fill it with an appropriately gritty atmosphere. Williamson's script feels like an organic continuation of the first film, and the visual team makes sure it looks like more of the same, too. It's every bit as dark and bleak as it should be, and when the action hits, it absolutely feels cinematic and leaves a mark.
We told you this was a good week for battles, didn't we?! Look, we all know how this battle's going to turn out. These fools may have plenty of firearms and ammo, but this is RoboCop we're talking about and they're just generic thugs. The ending is obvious but that makes it no less thrilling to witness. Seriously, this is a must read if you love the classic movie.
Honorable Mentions
- ACTION COMICS #33
- BLACK WIDOW #8
- EARTH 2 #25
- GREEN ARROW #33
- UBER #15
- EAST OF WEST #13
- SWAMP THING #33
- ROCKET RACCOON #1
- DEADPOOL VS. X-FORCE #1
- FUTURES END #9
- MAGNETO #6
- LAZARUS #9
- THE PUNISHER #8
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 tell us via Twitter. See you next Friday and have a good weekend!