Comic Vine News

67 Comments

Best Battles in New Comics: 3/7/14

Come feast your eyes on awesome action scenes from the latest issues of FOREVER EVIL, VELVET, and ARKHAM WAR.

Hey there, action junkies. Week after week, new comic book issues find ways to make our favorite heroes and villains solve their problems with their fists, heat vision, firearms and more. Sure, we all love a good story and an emphasis on character depth, but what's the point of these characters having all of these superb talents and powers if they never get to use them?! This week had quite a few entertaining brawls, but we've managed to narrow it down to three that we really enjoyed. Hopefully you'll get a kick out of them, too. If not... well, maybe we'll win you over with next Friday's picks!

"Hey, why isn't a fight I love being highlighted and/or listed in the honorable mentions? What gives?!" It's possible we didn't read that issue (not sure if you noticed, but A LOT come out each week), or we didn't dig it as much. So, be sure to make suggestions in the official Best Battles Discussion Thread from now on to put this stuff on our radar. We review that before writing this weekly feature and do our best to get our hands on the issues suggested.

No Caption Provided

FOREVER EVIL #6

Lex Luthor, Batman, and their new allies are prepared to bring the fight to the Crime Syndicate of America. If you've been following along, then you know the Dark Knight's first order of business should be obvious: rescue Nightwing. Luthor, Catwoman, the Caped Crusader and Bizarro are able to locate Dick Grayson, but you're crazy if you think we'll spoil what goes down in that part of the story. That's something you've gotta read for yourself, friends. As they work to save Nightwing from the dictators from an alternate Earth, some of their teammates (Sinestro, Black Adam, Deathstroke) are unlucky enough to bump into a few of the heavy hitters from Earth 3. Sinestro is able to momentarily save himself from Ultraman's grip, but despite the Lantern's power, it's safe to say we all know who should eventually win a fight between these two (unless we soon witness a huge power boost because of Parallax, that is). Fortunately for Thaal Sinestro, he has teammates by his side... and one of them wants nothing more than to pummel Ultraman into oblivion.

Sinestro's
Sinestro's "talk to the hand" > your "talk to the hand"

"Round two of Black Adam and Ultraman?! HELL YES! Bring it on!" That's probably what quite a few of you out there are thinking after seeing Black Adam tackle the villain. Unfortunately, there isn't really a big rematch between these two titans. The book chimes in on it later, but we only get a glimpse of it. Don't be sad, though, because the rest of the issue is still really, really cool.

Seeing as we want to keep things mostly spoiler-free in this article (you're welcome, person who came in here despite not reading the issue), we can't tell you why Bizarro has decided to throwdown with Batman and Catwoman. However, we can tell you that it's a rad moment for Batman fans. Bizzaro, say hello to Batman's glowing green fist.

Holy redacted, Batman!
Holy redacted, Batman!

Meanwhile, Johnny Quick and Atomica set their sights on Black Manta and Captain Cold. As Atomica tries to find a way into Manta's suit, Quick arrogantly disarms Cold and begins to mock him. Quick is certain Cold is helpless at this point, but the Rogue then states an amusing little jingle (okay, maybe Batman fans won't like this one). Why'd Captain Cold say the random rhyme? Well, it turns out his gun can be voice activated. Needless to say, this wasn't the best time for the speedster to have the weapon pointed right at his own leg.

Okay, so it's technically a spoiler. But COME ON. How awesome was that?
Okay, so it's technically a spoiler. But COME ON. How awesome was that?

Watching Quick unleash has been a fun experience (see ROGUES REBELLION), but we all knew this cocky jerk had something like this coming his way. Now that the super-speeder is sans a leg, what happens next to him? And what's even going on with Nightwing?! DC fans, do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this event.

VELVET #4

Velvet Templeton wants to locate a double-agent named Roman. Luckily for her, he's pretty easy to find because it turns out he just can't resist attending the Carnival of Fools in Monaco. So Velvet puts on a mask and you can bet she heads to the event. As Roman gambles, Velvet scans the room and realizes three men stand out. After a little research, she quickly realizes they're Russian assassins from the KGB and they're looking for the very same man she is. The trio of deadly men manage to get the jump on Roman first, but Velvet leaps into action. The fight begins with her jump kicking one of the gunmen, but now that her surprise advantage is gone, it's time to see how she plans to beat the odds and take 'em all on.

That guy was so happy about his new suit and now it's ruined with a hole and blood stains :(
That guy was so happy about his new suit and now it's ruined with a hole and blood stains :(

Writer Ed Brubaker has the formidable spy narrate during the fight and she reveals that she actually isn't all that fond of close combat that lasts more than five seconds. She elaborates about how the longer a fight goes on, the more violent and unforgiving it becomes. This specific fight may not be anything out of the ordinary just yet, but trust us, you'll soon understand why she feels this way. Before things get particularly cringeworthy, Velvet's able to disarm the enemy that's still standing in her way. However, the KGB agent is every bit as deadly with just his bare hands.

That face will probably haunt your dreams tonight. You're welcome.
That face will probably haunt your dreams tonight. You're welcome.

Remember how Velvet talked about hating fights that last more than five seconds because they turn ugly? Of course you do, that was just one paragraph ago. Well, it's about to come full circle and she makes sure this fight takes just about the ugliest turn it could possibly take. We're not talking about a simple kick to the head or a gunshot wound to the chest. No, Velvet's in a dire spot as she's being viciously strangled, so she does what she needs to do to survive. Basically, if you're not cool with painful looking things, you may want to scroll down as quickly as possible. Seriously.

I... I don't even know what to say. That's just... jeez.
I... I don't even know what to say. That's just... jeez.

Obviously, the last panel spells bad news for that dude, but you still have no idea what happens with Roman, do you? There's a huge development here, folks. If you've been digging this book, you better not miss it. Don't be a slacker and go read it right now. Just come back later to read the rest of this article, okay?

FOREVER EVIL: ARKHAM WAR #6

The war between Bane and Scarecrow has been spilling across the streets of Gotham. Both sides fight for control of the city and Bane, William Cobb and Blackgate's forces have been taking the edge over Jonathan Crane and his allies from Arkham Asylum. Bane has been a step ahead of his enemies, but Scarecrow and his allies are now enhanced with venom and they're hoping brute force will allow them to finally defeat the man who broke the Bat's back. Prepare yourself for Batman's villains on venom versus Bane on venom. Overall, it's a lot of muscles and a lot of big fists being tossed around.

Killer Croc takes a note from Bane's playbook and decides to throw a really hard punch. TACTICS, YO!
Killer Croc takes a note from Bane's playbook and decides to throw a really hard punch. TACTICS, YO!

You'd think Scarecrow could come up with a better plan, but hey, punching things has worked for Bane in this war, so why wouldn't it work for these villains, yeah? The group is able to swarm Bane, but with one swing of the Arkham Asylum sign, the man from Santa Prisca evens the odds and swats them all away. Previously, the Talons were able to overcome Bane because of their blades, but these fiends are trying to best him with blunt force. If you know Bane well enough, then you know the dude can take a substantial beating and keep on trucking... especially on venom.

Such a mess... but it's a gorgeous mess thanks to Scot Eaton and Andrew Dalhouse.
Such a mess... but it's a gorgeous mess thanks to Scot Eaton and Andrew Dalhouse.

Even though team Arkham has the clear numbers edge and even variety (e.g. Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy) on its side, the big man is able to hold his own just fine and tackle every obstacle they put in his way. If you read DC's solicitations, then the upcoming one-shot gave away the outcome of this war months ago. That said, the combination of solid art and mindless action still made this a pretty amusing time.

As his allies get demolished, Black Mask goes for his signature move: the piggyback.
As his allies get demolished, Black Mask goes for his signature move: the piggyback.

We all knew Bane would win this war (Scarecrow fans really do have my sympathy), but how does it wrap up once the sea of punches comes to an end? This was hardly the best story around, but if you're in the mood for some popcorn entertainment and love seeing Bane act like a total badass, then you should dive right into this issue. Now we just have to wait and see what Peter J. Tomasi has in store for us with the upcoming one-shot.

Honorable Mentions

  • Bloodshot vs. Archer (ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG #18)
  • Superman clan vs. Batman clan (BATMAN/SUPERMAN ANNUAL #1)
  • Deadpool vs. Zombies (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #4)
  • Punisher vs. Dos Sols gunmen (THE PUNISHER #3)
  • Green Arrow vs. Spear clan (GREEN ARROW #28)
  • Atom's arm vs. Atom's face (EARTH 2 #21)
  • Archie vs. Zombie dad (AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #4)
  • Punisher vs. Electro (THE PUNISHER #3)

No Caption Provided

What are your top three fights from this week's new comics? Also, don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell Gregg via Twitter.

67 Comments

Avatar image for nick_sv_ril_
Nick-SV(ril)

721

Forum Posts

90066

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Edited By Nick-SV(ril)

@colanicole: Which doesn't really help since Bizarro isn't vulnerable to green K. At least that's the way things were anyway. No idea if that still applies.

Avatar image for sawcesome
Sawcesome

149

Forum Posts

16

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Avatar image for jonny_anonymous
Jonny_Anonymous

45773

Forum Posts

11109

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 32

Edited By Jonny_Anonymous

@jonny_anonymous said:

@avenging_x_bolt Doesn't Sinestro have Parallax now? Shouldn't he be wrecking everyone?

I'm glad it was Cold you got to take out Johnny Quick in the end.

What you have to remember though, is Ultraman isn't exactly Superman's opposite in the power department. I think it's clear that the Syndicate are likely far stronger than their counterparts.

Yea and he's done nothing on Parallax level

Avatar image for deactivated-5c901e667a76c
deactivated-5c901e667a76c

36557

Forum Posts

10681

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By deactivated-5c901e667a76c  Moderator

Green Arrow only gets an honorable mention? That umbrella arrow was awesome!

Avatar image for pokergeist
Pokergeist

23176

Forum Posts

801

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@dondave said:

@colanicole: Ultraman really shouldn't beat Sinestro. He's possessed by a Cosmic Entity that's allowed Hal Jordan to fight the Spectre

@avenging_x_bolt Doesn't Sinestro have Parallax now? Shouldn't he be wrecking everyone?

I'm glad it was Cold you got to take out Johnny Quick in the end.

Its called Plot boys :) its called plot.

The Arkham War looks the best to me personally.

Avatar image for entropy_aegis
entropy_aegis

21789

Forum Posts

420

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 7

Edited By entropy_aegis

Gotham in now fully lunatic free REJOICE.

Avatar image for fallschirmjager
Fallschirmjager

23432

Forum Posts

1162

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 32

User Lists: 16

Really great fight in Velvet. Glad to see it here.

Avatar image for colanicole
ColaNicole

683

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

@avenging_x_bolt Doesn't Sinestro have Parallax now? Shouldn't he be wrecking everyone?

I'm glad it was Cold you got to take out Johnny Quick in the end.

What you have to remember though, is Ultraman isn't exactly Superman's opposite in the power department. I think it's clear that the Syndicate are likely far stronger than their counterparts.

Avatar image for squalleon
Squalleon

9994

Forum Posts

3193

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 7

@avenging_x_bolt Doesn't Sinestro have Parallax now? Shouldn't he be wrecking everyone?

I'm glad it was Cold you got to take out Johnny Quick in the end.

Considering in GL 20 he was on par with Hal....I don't really know what is going on. It seems Sinestro can't access all of Parallax's powers, maybe because he doesn't let Parallax control him?

Avatar image for colanicole
ColaNicole

683

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Avatar image for jackbensley777
jackbensley777

810

Forum Posts

51

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 1

Batman punches bizarro in the face...

Avatar image for dondave
dondave

41764

Forum Posts

345855

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@colanicole: Ultraman really shouldn't beat Sinestro. He's possessed by a Cosmic Entity that's allowed Hal Jordan to fight the Spectre

Avatar image for jonny_anonymous
Jonny_Anonymous

45773

Forum Posts

11109

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 32

@avenging_x_bolt Doesn't Sinestro have Parallax now? Shouldn't he be wrecking everyone?

I'm glad it was Cold you got to take out Johnny Quick in the end.

Avatar image for life_without_progress
life_without_progress

34034

Forum Posts

5563

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 10

Captain Cold has now earned the title of " most bad*ss Flash rogue"

Avatar image for noj
noj

1400

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 13

User Lists: 0

Forever Evil was just plain AWESOME! Captain Cold is a freaking boss! Geoff Johns seriously writes the best Cold. I am beyond excited that he will remain under his pen for the forseeable future in Justice League! Plus someone PLEASE write a Rouges book!

Avatar image for colanicole
ColaNicole

683

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

I was hoping to see Ultraman beat the crap outta Sinestro, but I'm sure we'll see more from "Ultrabro". I actually like how Johns writes Batman, I think he makes him more human than some writers do.

Avatar image for papinacho
PapiNacho

2295

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 8

I would have picked the Superman clan vs the Batman clan, but these were all excellent. That activation code was pure Geoff "I love mocking Batman" Johns, but at least he made up for it with the Bizarro punch. Best Forever Evil issue so far.

  • 67 results
  • 1
  • 2