Welcome to the latest 'Best Battles!' A rich story packed with character development is good fun and all, but sometimes you just want to put your brain on hold and enjoy some senseless action. Well, 'Best Battles' has your back on this one. Every week our favorite fictional characters tend to solve their problems with their fists and it's all for amusement. So every Friday I'll narrow down the assortment of new fights to my 3 favorites and then share images of them for your entertainment. There's a few words thrown in the mix, too!
Without further ado.. Let the games begin!
WARNING! MASSIVE SPOILERS BELOW!
Robin vs Heretic
Grant Morrison, why must you make me shed so many masculine tears? We've known this moment was coming for quite some time, but man, that really didn't make it any easier to witness. There's a beyond heartwarming moment between Nightwing and Damian (knowing his demise is near makes this so much harder to read, too), but then Damian's big ol' clone of a brother enters the room. Mister sociable takes out Nightwing with one move. ONE MOVE!
Damian arrived in hopes of talking his mother -- Talia al Ghul -- out of this madness. But the Heretic isn't one for talking. The massive brute attacks Robin, despite the child's pleas for his mother to cease the assault. Grant Morrison then rips out my heart and stomps on it... he makes Damian scream for his father's help as he begins to take on a character he clearly cannot defeat.
Damian's cries for help will go unanswered. Talia will not cease, Batman is too far away, and Tim and Dick are still knocked out. It's you against impossible odds, Damian. I believe in you little dude. If you're going to go out, at least you'll go out like a champ... and he most certainly does.
If you want to see the rest, you'll just have to buy the issue. And yes, it's absolutely worth buying.
Punisher vs. Avengers
Greg Rucka departs Punisher with one helluva bang. We all know Frank Castle can't go toe-to-toe with these heavy hitters. Iron Man, Thor... these are dudes that would mop the floor with Frank. But luckily for him, they're looking to take him in alive. Rucka's writing makes us believe Frank can give this team of A-listers trouble, and he most certainly does!
Frank does what he can to simply survive and uses his prep time masterfully. He shoots a trip wire near Iron Man, humiliates Thor with Spidey's stolen web-shooters (how embarrassing), but despite being able to toying with these heavy hitters, it's Black Widow that gets in close and knocks Frank about a bit. Based on the image below, I sincerely hope Mr. Castle is wearing a cup.
Frank was never really in it to win it. He does what he can to buy as much time as possible (if you want to know why, READ THE COMIC!), but ultimately his luck can only last for so long against this team. They all regain their composure and each get their chance for a little bit of payback. Thor takes out Frank's gun, Iron Man gets a blast in, and then Black Widow goes ahead and kicks Frank while he's down! That's just cold, Natasha.
Up next: PUNISHER: PRISON JOURNAL.
TMNT vs. Foot Clan
If you even remotely like the Turtles you need to be reading this limited series (Secret History of the Foot Clan). It's directly connected to the IDW ongoing and is shedding so much light on the franchise's rich history. Oh, and did I mention it looks awesome and is superbly written? Because it is.
Mateus Santolouco is clearly giving these panels all he's got. The fights look terrific and I love the blur effects being used to illustrate how fast their actions truly are. Raph of course relishes the opportunity to fight overwhelming odds, but the real treat is seeing Leo and Karai face off. It's not the longest battle around, but it's safe to say this won't be the last time we see these two go at it.
Even more fights break out, but again, the best part is the clash of katanas taking place between Karai and Leo. Once more, it's the motion that really sells these scenes and makes them tremendously fun. Better luck next time, Karai.
There's a spectacular chase sequence immediately after and a vicious sword fight during one of the past segments... but showing you everything would be no fun. Now, do yourself a favor and go buy this issue!
Honorable Mentions
- Thor vs. Scarlet Witch & Havok
- Sif vs. "Spider-Man"
- Hawkeye vs. Tracksuit bros
Gregg Katzman is a freelance writer for Comic Vine and IGN Entertainment. This is the part where he shamelessly plugs his Twitter page in hopes of getting a new follower or two.
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