It's Friday! You know what could make the day even better? Revisiting some of the best slugfests from this week's new comics, that's what! There were a lot of pretty good options to choose from, but there's simply no way we could resist highlighting the following three. When you're done reading this, don't forget to chime in with your own three favorites! Seriously, we want to see what you dug!
Did your favorite melee not get a mention? Well, it's possible we didn't read that issue, so be sure to make suggestions in the official Best Battles Discussion Thread from now on. We review that before writing this weekly feature and do our best to get our hands on the issues suggested!
WARNING! This edition contains a BIIIIIG spoiler for Injustice and the other two get pretty violent. You've been warned, Viners!
Batman vs. Superman (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US #35)
This is it, Injusticers. After 34 chapters of tension building and building, it has finally shot through the roof. After an attempt on his life and seeing his father injured, Superman loses it and goes after Batman to stop him once and for all. Wayne knows Superman is en route, but he needs to buy some time while the Kryptonian pill Green Arrow (RIP) stole is replicated. Batman isn't waiting in a DARK KNIGHT RETURNS-esque armor or anything along those lines, though. He instead tries to reason with Supes and show him the error of his ways, but unfortunately, the alien isn't in the mood to talk.
Clearly unable to duke it out with the Kryptonian, Bruce plays Clark and Lois' wedding video to distract him for a moment. While briefly focusing elsewhere, Batman slips into the shadows because... well, that's what he does. Despite Clark being steadfast in his mission, Bruce still tries to get through to him. He's unable to reason with the Man of Steel, so he takes action.
Not only does the sonic attack distract the powerful character, but it also surrounds him in a swarm of flying bats. The Dark Knight uses this momentary distraction to make a rush for the Kryptonian pill now that it's replicated. Superman, however, makes short work of the bats with a stream of heat vision and then grabs Bruce before he can reach his objective. Kal points out he's not here to stop the Caped Crusader... he's just going to put an end to his actions. With that said, Superman lifts Batman over his head and... well, pulls a Bane.
Keep in mind, this isn't the final chapter! Writer Tom Taylor confirmed via Twitter there will be more. So, what do you think will happen next, Viners?
Eternal Warrior vs. Death Cult of Nergal (ETERNAL WARRIOR #1)
In one corner, we have Gilad Anni-Padda, the fist and the bronze! Leopard of the plains! And in the other, we have the Death Cult of Nergal, a bunch of ordinary dudes who are turned into mega monsters just for this lovely battlefield. The opposing side is massive, strong and they tolerate pain ridiculously well, but they're no immortal warrior. With his skill and lust for combat, Eternal Warrior leads his men into combat against the enormous enemies. While he's safe as his axe meets a foe, some of his allies aren't nearly as fortunate.
Gilad is exceptionally skilled and cannot die, but even those advantages cannot overcome the sheer numbers and physical advantages the enemy possesses. His brothers land what should be killing blows to ordinary humans, but they are not facing mere humans, are they? Even with guts hanging out, one of these creatures can still attack and kill its target with a scary amount of force. Realizing usual tactics aren't working, Gilad orders his men to aim for the heads (though he doesn't recommend a double tap).
Even with this realization, the enemies are too many and too mighty. Gilad, showing he's a man of morals and a true leader, orders his forces to fall back. Even though he can feel pain, he'll do what he can to hold back the army by his lonesome. He never needs to do that, though, since his daughter rides into combat with a fleet of enormous elephants. Suddenly the Death Cult's men don't seem so large and now they're on the receiving end of a vastly stronger opponent.
To continue a summary would spoil the most compelling parts (all of these images were in the previews, after all). So, if you want to dive further into Gilad's world and see what develops with his family when the Death Cult no longer poses a threat, we strongly recommend picking up this first issue.
Deadpool vs. Guards (DEADPOOL #16)
You can't kidnap Deadpool and then steal his organs and expect to get away with it. This issue shows the return of a far more serious and quite frightening version of the Merc with a Mouth. The fart jokes are cast aside as Deadpool goes into "serious business" mode and dishes out some crazy brutality upon freeing himself. Remember that warning about graphic content? Yeah, this is exactly why it was there.
One helpless scientist viciously killed, two armed men to go. Instead of simply beating them with his fists and feet, Wade makes use of his surroundings and puts those pointy tubes to horrific use. Wade immediately disables one of his opponents and displays a bit of martial arts to drop the other. He then makes the injured guard wish he merely got a kick to the chest like his co-worker did.
Deadpool goes for stealth while escaping, so when he does encounter someone, he does something very... I'll just say "unique" to silence the shot from his pistol. I don't want to ruin it, so go read the issue if you want the bloody details. Upon getting out, he makes a startling discovery: he's in North Korea. There's some major plot developments I don't want to ruin (seriously, you should be reading the story) and Deadpool is once again incarcerated. A new ally, however, busts him out and the two realize they need to break into a warehouse. While the teammate goes his own way, Deadpool is forced to take out the two men guarding the door. Prepare for cinematic awesomeness courtesy of Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire.
Deadpool fans, you're doing yourself a terrible disservice if you're not reading 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.' In the event you're not and want to rectify that, it started with issue #15.
Honorable Mentions
- Judge Dredd vs. Martians
- Hulk and Black Knight vs. a Chronarchist
- Hun vs. Purple Dragons
- Wolverine vs. Batroc (if you're a Batroc fan, that is)
- Fearless Defenders vs. Enchantress, Ruby Thursday, Quicksand, Chondu and Gorilla-Man
Don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell Gregg via Twitter.