Hey, thanks for taking some time to check out our latest edition of Best Battles in New Comics! This week, we're highlighting an impressively presented fight between two deadly humans, the conclusion of a huge storyline, and some oh-so-sweet lightsaber action. So, grab a drink, get cozy, and enjoy all of the brawls!
BUCKY BARNES: THE WINTER SOLDIER #5
Bucky Barnes and Brock Rumlow, a.k.a. Crossbones, don't exactly have a peaceful history. Now, that dynamic is being brought back to the spotlight in Ales Kot, Marco Rudy, Langdon Foss, and Jordan Boyd's latest issue of BUCKY BARNES: THE WINTER SOLDIER. As expected, Rudy has some elaborate layouts and the choreography makes fight feel fluid.
Fights between these two are always savage. Sure, Brock's track record against Cap's former sidekick isn't flattering, but the tough villain has what it takes to make Bucky work for the win. Here, it immediately gets intense as Crossbones is able to counter Bucky, smash him on the floor, and then attempts to shove a knife into the anti-hero's face. There's no messing around or quips here; just gripping action.
What makes this fight even more interesting is Kot teases that something much bigger is going on with the foe. He's mumbling certain things and, as you'll see in a moment, he's faster than he used to be. Could this be future Mr. Rumlow? That's probably a very confusing statement for people not following along, but we're not here to spell out the plot. So, read the series if you want all of the details!
We can pretty much guarantee you won't guess how this ends. Seriously, just when you think something wraps up the fight, another huge thing happens. And then another huge thing happens. So yeah, it's a pretty crazy final set of pages.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14
The end of Spider-Verse is finally here In Dan Slott, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Olivier Coipel, Wade Von Grawbadger, Cam Smith, Livesay, and Justin Ponsor's new issue of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, team Spider is bringing the fight to the Inheritors! They've spent so much time running and hiding, but now they finally have the opportunity to bring this conflict to a close. Before things get hectic with Morlun and his lethal allies, we chime in on Spider-Gwen and Spider-Woman taking on a variety of Green Goblins. This time, Gwen isn't totally helpless against the maniac.
Thankfully, the Spiders are walking web-slinging away from that encounter with zero causalities. But Green Goblin is a cakewalk compared to the Inheritors, and now the Spiders have to deal with multiple enemies from team Morlun and they need to stop the villains from fulfilling their prophecy. It's just another ordinary day as Spider-Man, right?
Peter Parker's crew may have the numbers and a solid plan, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy to save the day. I mean, do you recall just how hard Peter struggled with Morlun way back when? The Spiders are agile and fast, but they're taking on impressively strong and durable fiends. They can't dodge the villains forever and eventually, Morlun gets his hands on Peter. Is that all part of the plan, though? Spidey surely knows he can't take Morlun in hand-to-hand combat, yeah?
Did Uncle Ben seriously bail on them? Does the team suffer any more losses? We all know Peter Parker will find a way to save the day, but how do they accomplish it and what does that mean for these deadly enemies? And yes, that's a naked Spider-Ham.
DARTH VADER #1
Kieron Gillen, Salvador Larroca, and Edgar Delgado's are bringing the Sith Lord, Darth Vader, back into our lives. Okay, he's appearing in Jason Aaron's STAR WARS, but now the iconic villain is front and center! Before we get too deep into the story, the series offers us a huge amount of fun. It isn't that long, but watching Vader confidently walk up to Jabba and make demands is a great way to begin the series. Once he breaks out the lightsaber, you know it's on and you definitely know everyone around him doesn't stand a chance.
I love how Darth Vader doesn't even look like he's trying and he refuses to put forth any effort into a fight with opponents that are obviously beneath him. "Fools attempting to fire at me? Ha! Pitiful. I'll block those blasts with ease." What follows is more blocking, slicing, and use of the force. It just doesn't get old and I suspect it never will. The character work makes it blatantly obvious that the Sith Lord doesn't even need to use a fraction of his energy for this obstacle.
Well, at least we know the rancor will have something. As more and more careless aliens rush at Darth Vader and fire their weapons to no avail, we can't help notice that Boba Fett -- a bounty hunter who was spotted in a previous double-page spread -- is pretty much the only wise one here. As everyone foolishly attempts to fight way above their weight class, the Mandalorian doesn't get involved. It's smart choice because, as talented as Fett may be, the room would heavily restrict his movement and he'd probably end up like his father: killed by a lightsaber.
Are you a Star Wars fan? We're guessing most of you said "yes" and if you're one of those people, we strongly encourage you to check out this first chapter. Yes, the $4.99 cover price isn't appealing, but you're definitely getting your money's worth with this one. Click here to read Tony's 5-star review of the issue.
Honorable Mentions
- INJUSTICE: YEAR THREE #20
- THE 7TH SWORD #7
- Absorbing Man vs. Girl-Power (THOR #5)
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. Check back next Friday for a new edition of this segment. Have a good weekend!