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Best Battles in New Comics: 8/1/14

Check out awesome action scenes from the latest issues of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER, and UNCANNY AVENGERS.

The highlight-worthy options for this segment are often pretty clear. Sure, there's usually more than a handful of great action scenes, but it tends to be pretty obvious which ones really deserve being featured on Friday. This week, however, was ridiculously tough. There are a more than fair amount of very impressive action sequences in this week's new comics, so narrowing it down to just three wasn't easy at all. We were able to do it just for you, though, and hopefully you'll enjoy the ones we've selected. Yes, they all happen to be from Marvel. The publisher produced some awesome action scenes this week and these battles deserve the recognition. And hey, if your favorite one isn't included, go ahead and tell the world why you thought it was excellent in the comments below. Now, who's ready to check out some brawls?!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #17

Guardians of the Galaxy is now in theaters, so we couldn't help but be all kinds of topical when writer Brian Michael Bendis' latest issue of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY had an intense melee between two titans. In one corner, we have Drax the Destroyer. The green dude loves to stab stuff with his blades and is sporting superhuman attributes. He regularly oozes coolness, but he truly dropped our jaws when he took on a wave of aliens all by his lonesome back in ANNIHILATION. In the other corner, we have Gladiator, a powerhouse whose immense abilities fluctuate based on his confidence. Also worth noting: he has a giant mohawk, so that gives him the automatic advantage. So, what happens when these two are at odds? They rush at each other and don't slow down, of course!

Place your bets!
Place your bets!

Like countless others, Drax holds a special place in our heart and many of us out there are rooting for the Guardian of the Galaxy to knock Mr. Mohawk's lights out. But as dangerous as he may be, Kallark, a.k.a. Gladiator, is an incredibly formidable character. Even if Drax is going to emerge as the victor, he by no means has an easy fight on his hands and it's certain to be an uphill struggle. Despite Gladiator's might, Drax is able to hold his own as the two scuffle and he even draws first blood.

Gladiator's just jealous he doesn't have a movie in theaters right now.
Gladiator's just jealous he doesn't have a movie in theaters right now.

Needless to say, it's pretty surprising to see Drax is not only holding his own, but seemingly taking the edge over the cosmic heavy hitter, too. We all know Drax is one tough dude, but to humiliate and then defeat the likes of Gladiator would be a huge win for the alien. Will he continue to take the edge, though? Gladiator certainly looked pretty upset in that last panel and it definitely looks like he wants to put a major hurting on Drax. Surprisingly enough, Drax continues to smack his opponent around!

Spoiler alert: this bit couldn't be cropped without potentially including big spoilers.
Spoiler alert: this bit couldn't be cropped without potentially including big spoilers.

Man, that's a whole lot of punching, isn't it? So, did Bendis take it easy on Drax and give him a chance to shine because he's currently appearing on the big screen? Or perhaps there's a reason why Gladiator isn't faring so well? Or is there more to this fight than meets the eye? Let's just say a clear winner is eventually determined and it's done in an impressively cool fashion.The loser has a humorous line when all is said and done, too.

ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER #5

Robbie Reyes doesn't live in the safest place around, but now his neighborhood has been abruptly transformed into a big, bloody, and crazy war zone. There's a giant shootout taking place and a school bus was unfortunate enough to crash right in the middle of all the madness. It just so happens that the school bus has Robbie's brother, Gabriel, inside of it. Our new Ghost Rider has been torn on how he should handle the criminals in his community, but now that his disabled brother is in immediate danger, he quickly leaps into action and begins to take down everyone that's in his path.

ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER is good for your eyes.
ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER is good for your eyes.

As you can blatantly see above, artist Tradd Moore and colorist Val Staples make sure this book is loaded with adrenaline. The character work is supremely energetic, the way motion is displayed is ridiculously fun and cinematic, and the pages are just exploding with bright shades of orange and red. It's a real treat for the eyes and writer Felipe Smith gives this art team some ridiculously exciting sequences to bring to life. Observe as something as simple as Ghost Rider destroying a projectile and smashing a group of enemies is presented in a way that allows us to appreciate each and every action.

Knife > Rocket
Knife > Rocket

This new volume makes one thing crystal clear: no amount of goons with guns stands a chance against this new Ghost Rider. But what about Mr. Hyde? Earlier in the issue, the muscular fiend showed a massive display of strength (don't worry, we won't spoil it). Well, it isn't long before the behemoth leaps into the battlefield and squares off with Ghost Rider. Seeing as Reyes has been able to embarrass everyone else with his chain, it's understandable he'd open with that attack against this brute, too. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't go so well.

That's what he gets for trying the same trick three times in a row.
That's what he gets for trying the same trick three times in a row.

This fight gets pretty savage pretty quickly after that first hit. We won't ruin any of the fun for you, but we will say there's some totally brutal and over-the-top moments thrown in there. ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER continues to be an absurdly thrilling and fun series.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #22

It's the last chapter of Rick Remender and Daniel Acuña's huge UNCANNY AVENGERS story! The heroes thought they were saving Earth from a Celestial, but all they were doing was falling right into Kang's trap. The classic villain has been pulling everyone's strings since the very beginning and now there's two sides in this fight: people brave enough to stand against Kang, and people too afraid to possibly die by his hand. Why are so many giving up against Kang, you ask? It's because he's absorbed a great amount of the Celestial's power. In fact, he's become so powerful that he's now going by the name Kang, conqueror of the universe. While Iron Man refuses to quit in the face of impossible odds, Arno Stark thinks bowing to the villain's newfound might is the logical thing to do.

A lovely family reunion.
A lovely family reunion.

Thor isn't known for backing down from a fight, so Kang's new level of power won't faze his determination. The God of Thunder gives it everything he's got and attempt to bring down the enemy, but it just isn't enough. Sadly, it isn't one of Thor's finer moments and he's effortlessly cast aside with two moves. In all fairness, none of his allies are really doing much better in this massive struggle.

Avert your eyes, Thor fans!
Avert your eyes, Thor fans!

As the Infinity Watch comes to the aid of our heroes on the ground (Captain America, Iron Man, etc), two characters are off battling Kang: Havok and Sunfire. Now, you should more than know by now we won't spoil any big twists in this weekly segment, so let's just say Sunfire is somehow removed from the picture. Then it's down to just Havok and an incredibly arrogant Kang. On paper, this obviously sounds like an unfair fight. However, Kang isn't the only one to give himself a boost with the Celestial's energy. Knowing he'd stand no chance otherwise, Alex Summers also enhanced his abilities by absorbing the Celestial's power and is prepared for one heck of a showdown. Prepare for epicness.

Scott Summers would be proud of that blast, Alex.
Scott Summers would be proud of that blast, Alex.

Kang attempts to manipulate Alex by discussing the fate of the mutant's daughter, but Alex realizes the villain cannot be trusted and the fate of the universe is in his hands. No pressure, right? Can Alex save the universe from Kang all by his lonesome or will he need some major help to save the day? There's a thorough recap page, so if you've fallen behind, you technically could jump back on with this one. However, if you have the extra cash, we obviously recommend reading the whole story so you can establish a way better connection to all of these events.

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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!