It's Friday! Throw some confetti if you've got it and then prepare to enjoy this week's best brawls in the latest comics. I'm really excited about this edition's picks and hopefully you'll dig them at least half as much as I do. Ninja Turtles fighting Leo? Martian Manhunter showing how powerful he is? Wolverine vs. ninjas? Yes, yes and yes! This feature does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read these books yet and don't want to know what goes down, now is the time to flee.
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!
*This does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read these books yet and don't want to know what goes down, now is the time to flee.*
Raphael, Michelangelo & Donatello vs. Dark Leo (TMNT #24)
The last chapter of 'City Fall' revealed why Leo switches teams, and now we get Dark Leo's debut... and it's TERRIFIC. The Turtles and Splinter think they're rescuing their ally from the Foot, but their world is shattered when Leo kicks Splinter in the face and declares Splinter isn't his father. Naturally, Raph has a few choice words for his brother's betrayal. And Leo? He responds once again with his foot. Man, this version of Leo sure does like kicking people in the face.
Now that Raph's suffered a foot to the face, it's up to Donatello and Michelangelo to bring down their villainous brother. Yeah, that won't happen, will it? Don't get me wrong, I adore those two, but against a darker and determined Leo? They're quite screwed and it goes pretty much how you'd expect. But hey, A for effort, right?
Taking a kick to the face and then watching his brothers get humiliated isn't exactly something Raph is going to take lightly. As expected, the hotheaded Turtle leaps into action, but despite what you want to believe, Leo has a skill edge over Raph (the guy missed their earlier training periods, after all). In an extended fight, Raph's rage and brawling mentality may serve him well, but for this short encounter, Leo flat-out embarrasses him.
I guess you'll just have to buy the issue if you want to know what happens next.
Superman, Green Lantern & Wonder Woman vs. Martian Manhunter (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US #29)
Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern approach Batman in an attempt to rescue Hawkgirl (who's actually already free, by the way), but instead of bumping into Batman, they encounter someone far more powerful: Martian Manhunter. The trio pursues the alien but he vanishes into the clouds. Hal says he can use his ring to locate their target, but before he gets the chance to do so, J'onn takes him out of the fight.
With Hal and Diana out of the way, Martian Manhunter uses his telepathy to show Superman why he's on the wrong path. Kal thinks he's doing the right thing, but J'onn tries to make him see it'll lead to nothing but suffering and an unjust world. Wonder Woman rudely interrupts and the alien quickly makes them realize he's not an individual they should ever underestimate... and he does so in a rather gruesome manner, too.
Super-strength and astonishing reflexes won't do much good when your enemy has traveled inside your body and can do as he pleases with your vital organs. The real question here: would J'onn have actually crossed the line, or was he merely trying to show them they're not unstoppable "Gods" in this world who can rule without being questioned? At any rate, we'll probably never know because the Amazon tells Superman to do what he has to do. If you're vulnerable to fire, pissing off someone with heat vision isn't ideal.
The attack appears to kill Martian Manhunter, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. The character's ending in the video game claims this universe's version of J'onn has a bigger role down the road. Hopefully, next week's issue will confirm that J'onn is indeed still alive and this event is what causes him to avoid the conflict for some time.
Wolverine vs. Shin Harada & his ninjas (WOLVERINE: JAPAN'S MOST WANTED #4)
Last time Wolverine appeared in this feature he wasn't doing too hot. The dude was struggling with just a moderate amount of ninjas, took an arrow to the knee neck, and then got smacked around a bit by Victor Creed. Well, it's time to rectify that and show you that yes, Wolverine is still quite formidable. Sure, he's treated like a jobber and is thrown through the meat grinder from time to time, but he's still the best at what he does, and what he does is make 'Best Battles in New Comics' remotely tolerable to read.
Shin Harada's advanced ninjas may be sporting some sweet tech, but against Wolverine, they're still kind of chumps. Cloaking is totally counter-acted in the snow because Wolverine can hear that footsteps, and even though he's surrounded, it totally doesn't matter. One slash and he already takes two out of the equation. But the new Silver Samurai is also in the picture, and while the fight between them is massively lackluster, we at least get one cool clash between the two.
The group falls through the rooftop and it's not long before their numbers finally warrants a slight advantage. Realizing this, Logan attempts to get away, but one of them uses a chain to grab the X-Man by the neck and lures him back in. Upon bringing Logan back into close proximity, the ninja impales him through the back and the blade sticks out of his chest (adamantium sternum be damned!). Tis but a scratch for Mr. Howlett, though! He then claws a power device on the ninja's wrist and the damage causes a massive outburst of energy. Soon enough, they all get Michael Bay'd.
So much better than the time he walked away from an explosion in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, right?
Honorable Mentions
- Batman vs. Talia al Ghul
- Venom vs. Jack O'Lantern
- Batman vs. Jane Doe
- Hulk vs. a plane
- Gamora vs. Angela
- Thanos vs. a growth spurt
Don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell Gregg via Twitter.
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