There's always a fair selection of compelling stories and engrossing moments of character development to be found in every wave of new comics, but you didn't come here to talk about those scenes, did you? No, you came in here to enjoy some of the craziest action scenes that went down in the latest issues and that's exactly what we're going to deliver. What's the point of all of those characters having such immense powers and impressive fighting skills if they aren't put to good use every so often, right? It's worth noting that we strongly considered selecting KICK-ASS 3 #8, but seeing as that's the franchise's last issue, we didn't want to spoil any of the moments for you. Anyway, let's get right to the battles!.
*If your favorite new battle didn't make the cut, go ahead and tell the world why it's awesome. That's way more productive than just posting something like "why isn't ___ in here?!" Why is it better, you ask? Because promoting what you love has the potential to actually make someone else purchase the issue and hopefully they'll become a fan of the series! Now, let's get to the good stuff.*
MILES MORALES: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #4
Our first highlight is from the latest issue of MILES MORALES: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist David Marquez, and colorist Justin Ponsor. In this fourth chapter, the latest ultimate Spider-Man, Miles Morales, takes on the ultimate universe's version of the Green Goblin. While the 616 Green Goblin usually needs to rely on his wit and technology to get the better of the wall-crawler, the ultimate version is a total beast. His durability offers an insane amount of protection from physical attacks, he can produce his own projectiles, and he's all kinds of relentless in fights. Needless to say, it's not going to be easy for young Miles and he quickly sees that even a fierce punch to the back of the head won't put this dude down.
Seeing as Miles just smashed his fist into what should usually be a weak spot and it accomplished basically nothing, the kid knows he'll need to use more than his might. After using his impressive reflexes and agility to dodge a tossed SUV, Miles turns invisible and fades away. But leaving this behemoth to do whatever he wants in this neighborhood would be terribly irresponsible of him, so instead of making a run for it, Miles uses his camouflage to sneak up on the villain and unleash some major pain.
As you can see above, Norman's still kicking after those two massive wallops and he responds with a punch of his own. Don't worry, Miles is a tough kid, so he's able to get back up pretty swiftly. And it's a good thing, too, because otherwise he wouldn't be able to dodge all of the blasts of fire that are heading in his direction. Even though it's pretty clear Miles is physically outclassed by his opponent, he doesn't let his willpower falter and he continues to clench his fists and go all out. Luckily for us, the art team makes this a thoroughly cool experience as they offer some great angles and properly convey all of the motion and force behind the numerous hits.
Now, in the event you avoid previews and solicitations, we won't show you the big twist that causes this fight to become more balanced. That said, it is a pretty cheerworthy turn of events and the brawl wraps up on a very entertaining and even humorous note. So, if you want more Miles Morales goodness, you should really get your hands on this issue.
GREEN ARROW #34
Our second highlight is from the finale of GREEN ARROW's latest storyline, Broken. Created by writer Jeff Lemire, artist Andrea Sorrentino, and colorist Marcelo Maiolo, this last chapter delivers a ridiculously epic fight as Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow, and John Diggle, a.k.a. that awesome guy from Arrow, attempt to take down Junior Diaz, a.k.a. Richard Dragon. If you've been following along, then you know Diaz has the ability to read his opponents and knows where to strike to do maximum damage. His reflexes aren't shabby, either. So yeah, you can bet things don't go all that well for our heroes.
That kick and that stab? Yeah, Dragon's just getting started with the Emerald Archer and his former partner! What happens next is totally savage and really drives home the point that Dragon is a titan when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. He continues to smack these two around with precise and tactical hits and it isn't long before he goes for the really damaging attacks. Green Arrow fans, you may want to look away.
Aren't Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo's panels such an amazing sight to behold? They make the fight spill across several pages and skillfully place our focus on each and every devastating attack. The emphasis on highlighting where each strike impacts and using such bold colors really allows us to appreciate just how intense and painful this fight has become. Even after enduring all of those ridiculously effective blows, Oliver's willpower shines through and he tries his best to overcome the skill gap and tell himself he can win because he's the good guy. It's a moment that would definitely make Hal Jordan proud. Is it enough to overcome the villain, though? Sadly, no.
We all know Oliver Queen will make it out of the fight in one piece (we've all read about the new team jumping on with the next chapter, and, if not, surprise!), but how do he and Diggle survive against this absurdly dangerous character? Plus, don't you want to see how this creative team departs the series? Spoiler alert: it's a satisfying end and they'll be missed!
NEW AVENGERS #22
Our final highlight comes from writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Kev Walker, and colorist Frank Martin Jr. If you're not current or trade waiting, you should know that this highlight has spoilers from the last chapter of NEW AVENGERS!
Are the slackers gone now? Okay, great. So, Namor did what no one else on the team was capable of doing: he destroyed an alternate Earth to save 616 Earth. The rest of the team hoped to find an alternative, but realizing how bleak the scenario is, the Sub-Mariner took it upon himself to annihilate another world. To top it off, his arrogance shines though as he takes credit for doing what the others couldn't do. If you've been following along, then you know there's some major tension between the powerful character and T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther. Well, that anger has reached a boiling point and the King of the Dead is the one to throw the first punch.
T'Challa has always had praiseworthy gear, but Hickman's run has brought his technology to a whole new level. If you look closely, you can see his knuckles are glowing purple and giant, vivid gauntlets soon appear on his hands. We all know Namor has commendable durability, but T'Challa's gear allows him to bypass the King of Atlantis' physical advantages. One punch later and T'Challa's damaging Namor's face with his advanced weaponry. It's brutal stuff and certainly well-earned considering how high the tension and drama has been. A conflict has been brewing between these two and Hickman properly uses the latest big incident to set it off.
As you can tell by Reed Richard's approaching hand in the last panel, he's able to separate the two, but not before Namor finally lands a hit of his own! The strong member of the Illuminati backhands T'Challa across his unprotected face and it causes him to fall to the ground. But luckily for Black Panther, Reed now has Namor restrained and he can't take advantage of the moment. However, Namor then decides to run his mouth yet again. He once again boasts about his decision and -- get this -- demands for them to thank him. Yeah, T'Challa isn't cool with that and throws some purple projectiles right at his teammate.
Before anyone can get in between the heated heroes, the two are able to clash once again. Which member of the Illuminati seems to take the advantage before being stopped by their allies? And, how do their allies manage to break up this bloodthirsty battle? Last but not least, you won't want to miss how the dialogue ends between these two. Did you think the above conflict was intense? Yeah, Hickman manages to turn up the intensity even more before the chapter ends!
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!
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