The latest new wave of new comics has come and gone and now we're left reflecting on all of the glorious moments that went down. Compelling developments in the narrative and engrossing handling of characters is good and all, but you're here for one simple reason: to check out the battles. Thankfully, the latest round of new comics presented a whole lot of fantastic action. It wasn't easy narrowing it down to just three, but we think this trio offers a fair amount of variety. And hey, if you're not happy with these picks (please accept our apologies in advance), then go ahead explain why another fight was awesome. Maybe it'll motivate more people to buy the issue! Are you ready to check out all of the action goodness? Of course you are, so let's go!
"Hey, why isn't a battle I love being highlighted and/or listed in the honorable mentions? What gives?!" It's possible we didn't read that issue (A LOT come out each week, after all), 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.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #21
Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Ran Shen has become the Iron Nail... and he's kicking Captain America's booty all across the Gungnir helicarrier! Oh, and the Gungnir? It's a humongous killer robot that's wiping out anything in its path. In case you're wondering, the villain's grand plan is to destroy the powers that be (he calls them oppressors and tyrants) with their own seemingly indestructible weapon. The super soldier is getting smacked around, but he gets a window of opportunity when S.H.I.E.L.D. blasts the Gungnir with an orbital cannon. The attack knocks the foe off balance and you can bet Steve "I'm a tactical genius" Rogers will take advantage of it.
Boom! The villain is under a pile of rubble and the day is saved, right? Of course not. The giant robot swiftly destroys the orbital cannon with a blast of its own and it's not long before the Iron Nail breaks free from the debris, too. Once he's back on his toes, he proceeds to embarrass Captain America. The Avenger gets a green (or is it technically teal?) foot to the face and then gets yanked in for even more pain. This super soldier is getting super stomped, unfortunately.
Fear not, true believers! Cap is able to give his foe a much-deserved wallop across the face and then makes a run for it. You see, fighting this evil dude is pointless if the 'bot they're in proceeds to slaughter innocents. In order to prevent this, Rogers knows he has to destroy the core reactor. Sadly, villains are, well, villainous, and have no problem shooting good people in the back. That's a cheap move, Ran.
Sure, Steve's sporting impressive physicals and does indeed heal faster than regular humans, but being stabbed in the back multiple times and then taking a fall like that? That's got to hurt, even for a Star-Spangled Avenger. Look, we all know the Iron Nail doesn't achieve his ultimate goal, but what leads to his downfall? Does Cap make a glorious recovery and give the dude a red, white, and blue beatdown? Or does something else happen -- something that I totally don't want to spoil for you? Guess you'll just have to check out Rick Remender and Nic Klein's issue if you want all of the details!
TMNT #34
Donatello and April O'Neil have new information about the Technodrome -- a vehicle that will change the planet's atmosphere, killing its current residents -- so they're bringing it to the smartest man they know: Harold Lillja. Angel has tagged along with Casey and April, and it turns out that she and Harold really don't get along. Like, not at all. Although, to be fair, Harold probably doesn't get along with... well, anyone. Instead of finding a way to prevent General Krang from terraforming the Earth, they get sidetracked when they spot one of his latest inventions: Metalhead! Unfortunately, the little robot still has a few glitches and goes on the offensive shortly after its activated! It does an adorable impression of Cyclops and Angel's barely able to dodge the optic projectile. Donatello rushes in, but the mutant is bringing a bo staff to a lasers, bullets, anti-gravity gauntlet and flamethrower fight. Needless to say, it doesn't go too well for Donnie.
The next few moments are basically Donatello trying not to die -- don't worry, he doesn't -- so let's take a break for a second or two to appreciate artist Mateus Santolouco and colorist Ronda Pattison's visuals. It's stunning how they've taken a character with a lovable design and managed to make it look formidable and even badass at times (you'll see in the next image!). They've taken an adorable little dude and made it feel like Donatello's facing something so fearsome that it could have been created by Skynet. Anyway, let's chime back in on the hero in a half shell as he realizes he's basically helpless.
"Donatello's in a tight spot, but what's going on with Angel and the rest of them?" Great question, random reader! Before Metalhead went all T-1000 on them, it was revealed Harold's also working on an exo-suit. And said suit is all kinds of awesome because it has several enhancements and weapons. Angel gets the wee robot to shatter the exo-suit's display case and then she slips into the suit. Now we have a fair fight!
Was Metalhead brought into this universe just to be destroyed after only one issue? And how does Harold react to Angel stepping into his invention? He's a grumpy fellow and doesn't like people touching his things, after all. Get all of the answers and see even more of the fight in the full issue!
THE PUNISHER #6
The Dos Soles gang has begun their plan to take over Los Angeles and Frank Castle won't stand for any of that nonsense. But before he can teach them a lesson, he has one man standing in his way: Electro. The previous encounters between these two had Frank at a serious disadvantage, but this time he's prepared. No, he didn't bring a rocket launcher or anything like that. Instead, he's unleashing something far more humiliating yet still effective: rubber bullets. Well, there goes Electro's arrogance.
Punisher finally gets some overdue payback against the Spider-Man villain, but, obviously, something happens to prevent him from killing Max Dillon (come on, he currently has a story going on over in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN). Even though the conclusion with Electro was pretty sudden, Punisher still has a lot left on his plate. First up, he has to stop Dos Soles from releasing gas across the city. He's able to take out their vehicle and shoot the detonator, but then a drone rudely interrupts and kills the bad people with a big ol' boom.
Okay, so now the Dos Soles threat has been harshly eliminated and Electro isn't an immediate problem. But Frank still has an enemy that he isn't even aware of yet: the Howling Commandos! The anti-hero makes his way back to his base, but the commandos have rigged the location with an explosive. That's right, Castle gets hit by another explosion! Poor guy can't catch a beak, can he? Punisher is barely able to escape, but the armed team eventually catches up. They open fire and Frank gets tagged, but we all know he can take it and dish it out.
Punisher's able to tag one of them, but can he escape or even defeat the whole team? I mean, we're talking about a group that has him outgunned and they've been hunting him for several issues now. And the last page? Oh yeah, it's guaranteed to make you stick around for the next issue.
Honorable Mentions
- GREEN ARROW #32
- AMAZING X-MEN ANNUAL #1
- PAINKILLER JANE: THE 22 BRIDES #1
- FIVE WEAPONS #9
- IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON #3
- SWAMP THING #32
- BATMAN ETERNAL #9
- ORIGINAL SIN #3
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!