Let's get ready to rumbllllllllllllllllllllllllllllle! What good are all of those powers and skills if they're never put to use, right? Thankfully, every now and then comic book characters find ways to solve their problems with violence, not words (don't do that, kids). Seeing as I'm a huge sucker for comic book battles and character stats, this is often something I enjoy way more than I should. So, every Friday I decide to share my passion with you guys as I select my three favorite battles from the latest round of comics.
Did a battle you like not make it? Well, odds are I didn't read it. Instead of asking "WHY ISN'T IT HERE?" maybe next week you'll suggest it in the discussion thread made just for this weekly feature. That way I'll have the chance to check the issue out before writing the segment!
Without further ado, enjoy my favorite slugfests from this week's new comics!
TMNT vs Krang
Listed as an honorable mention in Battles We Want to See in 2013, the Heroes in a Half Shell finally take on General Krang... well, half of them do. It's up to Leonardo and Michelangelo to stop the warmongering Utrom and his powerful mech. Luckily for us, the battle is well worth the wait..
Despite Leo having no trouble cleaving one of Krang's huge arms off, the duo can't seem to drop him. They evade plenty of his blasts yet their follow-up attacks do no lasting damaging. Especially Mikey... poor dude is trying to take down a super advanced mech with nunchucks. Anyway, there's plenty of cool dodging and punching, but my highlight was this super sweet ninja star toss from Leo.
Ben Bates rocked these pages and made the throwdown a total blast to look at. Seeing Krang backhand the team was crazy powerful, but the real treat was this huge panel of the duo going to town on their enemy. Seriously, on a scale from 1 to "OH MY GOD, THAT'S AMAZING," how awesome is that?
So how does the fight turn out? Go buy TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #20 to find out. There's no way I'm spoiling it for ya. Support the franchise you love and buy the comic, foo!
Deadpool and America vs. Undead Presidents
Marvel Now's DEADPOOL isn't big on story, but it makes up for that with some gut bustingly hilarious action complimented by Tony Moore's ridiculously good artwork. It's a shame he's leaving the title, but replacement Mike Hawthorne's got more than enough talent to keep this book looking wonderful. Wade's been doing a grand job putting those undead Presidents six feet under (again), but five slipped through the cracks. Co-writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn provide a beyond hysterical way to tie up those loose ends. Complimented by Moore's art, words cannot describe how hard I laughed at the following scene.
There's a disturbingly detailed fight with Taft, but it all comes down to the main event: Deadpool vs. George Washington. Even though he wants to be all serious business, Wade still delivers a solid joke with a Princess Bride reference (if you don't know what that movie is, resolve that this weekend).
Deadpool hasn't exactly been the most skilled combatant in this run thus far, so it was a pleasure seeing him systematically take down the first President with those blades. The Merc with a Mouth has displayed the skill to give the likes of Wolverine a tough time, so here's hoping we see him continue to get respect in this regard.
It's clear Deadpool saves the day, but if you want the full dose of laughter and fun, I recommend picking up DEADPOOL #6.
X-O Manowar vs. The Vine
What is this, like the third issue in a row where X-O has been featured on this segment? It's here for a reason, folks, and that reason is because it's an extra large serving of awesomeness. X-O is not only my favorite book at the moment, but it's also the perfect sci-fi/action tale. Robert Venditti has been working wonders with this title, so if you're curious about the upcoming GREEN LANTERN writer, I simply cannot recommend this series enough.
Anyway, enough general praise -- let's dive into the actual issue at hand, shall we? This is just a downright brutal scene. Basically, It's like Jesus coming back, but instead of giving his followers love and knowledge, he's in a powerful mech armor and starts slaughtering all of them. On one hand, I feel terrible for the Vine he was slaying. They're helpless against Aric's ruthless might and, as far as we can tell, aren't terrible people (the leader does have connections to enslaving the humans, though...) But on the other hand, seeing him PAFF PAFF all of them into oblivion is just too much fun.
I don't know how he does it, but Venditti manages to make us root for a guy who's trying to commit genocide. He opens the book with an engrossing tale about the Vine's origin, and then pages later he has us cheering when they're being horrifically destroyed. It's a true credit to his abilities as a writer. I mean, we're rooting for a guy who says he'll reduce a populated planet to a "smoking ruin." Yeesh.
The Vine tries to stop him with a few ships, but as expected, they pale in comparison to the Shanhara's abilities. This is just the beginning of 'Planet Death' and I'm sure there's much more captivating craziness on the way.
Honorable Mentions
- Splinter vs. Shredder
- Hulk vs. Attuma
- Renegades vs. Project Rising Spirit
- Platinum vs. Justice League
- Young X-Men vs. The Danger Room's Times Square Program
- Rocket Raccoon vs. Hospital Pillow
- Deadpool vs. Gorman's mustache
- Spider-Man vs. Jester & Screwball
Gregg Katzman is a freelance writer for Comic Vine and IGN Entertainment. This is the part where he shamelessly plugs his Google+ and Twitter page in hopes of getting a new follower or two.
