Before you step away from your computer to enjoy Halloween, let's take a few minutes to celebrate some of the excellent action scenes that happened in the latest round of new comic books. As usual, there were a lot of battles to choose from, so narrowing down the options to just three took a good amount of consideration. That said, we're pretty happy with our choices. We have the brutal return of Deathlok, magnificent chaos from SAVAGE DRAGON, and Elektra being all kinds of awesome.
If your top choice isn't below, go ahead and show it some love in the comments section. That may convince someone else to buy the issue. Seems like a more effective way to support the comic than just complaining it wasn't highlighted, right? As for WONDER WOMAN #35, that would have been a pain to highlight without spoiling some big developments. So, click here if you want to talk about the end of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's time with Diana. Now, let's revisit some of this week's best battles!
DEATHLOK #1
Our first highlight comes from writer Nathan Edmondson, artist Mike Perkins and colorist Andy Troy. There's a new Deathlok in the 616 universe and his name is Henry Hayes. Except there's just one catch: he doesn't know he's Deathlok. In the field, he's "Mustang" and he's a killing machine. Hayes thinks he's part of medics without borders and he's traveling the world to help people. He's totally oblivious to the fact some shadowy people are taking control of his mind and order him to fire a whole lot of bullets at some very unlucky people.
This poor dude thinks he's helping people in need when he's actually slaughtering designated targets with zero remorse. I mean, did you see how quickly he decided to kill that guy in the above page?! The mission on the train seemed effortless for him and it isn't long before the people controlling him send him on yet another mission. This time, he heads to Venezuela where Black Tarantula is leading a group of rebels and Deathlok's puppet masters want it shut down (they owe its government a favor). Black Tarantula vs. Deathlok? Yes! That guy's awesome and he's given Spidey some crazy fights.
Well, it was cool seeing him in a few panels, I guess? After Deathlok literally rained death upon them, he took aim with his assault rifle and began to do what he does best: shoot people. Like, a lot. What's especially cool is they show how precise and lethal this new Deathlok is. He's not unleashing and screaming as bullets rip into people at random locations. The angles put an emphasis on just how accurate each shot is and how a single bullet is being used to drop each and every target. It's scary how effective this character is.
If you're a fan of Black Tarantula, you probably know the guy has an accelerated healing factor. So don't be surprised if we see more of him down the road. Here's hoping the two have a more balanced fight the next time they meet. We'll definitely stick around to see how everything unfolds because this debut issue was pretty good and we absolutely recommend checking it out.
SAVAGE DRAGON #199
Our next highlight comes from Erik Larsen and Nikos Koutsis' and it's an issue that consists purely of double page spreads. That's right, pretty much every single (double) page is something that'll keep you looking at it for several minutes. The plot's simple enough: Savage Dragon finds himself being confronted by the Demonoids in the underworld. He's way outnumbered and things aren't looking good for him, so he points out that backup should be arriving any minute now. It turns out he wasn't lying and the Special Operations Strikeforce busts into the scene and we're treated to all kinds of madness. Seriously, take a look at everything going on.
Glorious, isn't it? The plot is as simple as it gets, but this is all about the visual ride. Just like with every other highlight, we're only going to show you three pieces of the issue, but every single (double) page kept us staring for a decent amount of time. Anyway, even though the Special Operations Strikeforce is able to pull Savage Dragon's butt out of the dangerous situation, all of the craziness follows them back to the surface. Get your eyes ready for another cool double spread page.
It's not just the big fellow that broke through, either. All of the little dudes come crawling to the surface. You know what that means, right? It's time for more fighting! There's everything from punches to kicks to Demonoids getting riddled with bullets. But before we shift our focus to the next image, take another moment or two to gaze at the one above. Impressive, isn't it? Anyhow, prepare for more eye-catching art!
If you just want to look at a ton of hugely detailed artwork and a whole lot of action, it doesn't get much better than SAVAGE DRAGON #199. It's terrific artwork and battling the entire time, so it's obviously more than deserving of being included in this week's edition of Best Battles. Be kind to your eyes and check this one out.
ELEKTRA #7
This week's final highlight comes from W. Haden Blackman, Alex Sanchez and Esther Sanz. Previously, Elektra viciously defeated Lady Bullseye. While at death's door, the Assassins Guild offered her an experimental procedure. It would grant her new abilities, but it also means she'd have a limited amount of time left on this Earth and she'd need to use it to take down Elektra. Naturally, Lady Bullseye accepts and now it's time for round two! The new ability? Intangibility. That'll be a bit of a problem for Elektra, won't it?
We won't spoil how Elektra wins (come on, you know she wins), but we will say it's brutal and an impressive feat for the assassin. Even though she suffers a couple of injuries, she soon finds herself in yet another fight. This time, she's squaring off against upgraded versions of Whiplash, Jack O'Lantern and Tiger Shark. For many, this would be an intimidating sight and an uphill struggle. For Elektra, though? She kicks one of Jack O'Lantern's projectiles right back at them and then jumps right into action.
Even though Whiplash has four arms, the nimble assassin dodges all of the attacks with ease and jams her two weapons into the guy's spine. Some may open with a kick to the body or a punch to the face, but Elektra stabs a dude in the spine. Harsh but effective. Now that the biggest challenge is out of the way (according to her, that is), she has no trouble handling the remaining duo. Jack O'Lantern? She tackles and pummels. Tiger Shark? Well, let's just say he suffers a more savage defeat.
ELEKTRA #7 does a brilliant job showing how deadly, swift, and tough Elektra can be. From the opening sequence until the very last page, this issue either demonstrates why she isn't a pushover or gives us a nice insight into her psyche. And the ending? It promises even more action in the next issue.
What are your top three fights from this latest round of new comics? Support what you love and tell the world below. 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!