DC obliterated the competition this week, earning all three spots in this feature. That said, the other publishers certainly weren't slacking. They had some great action scenes and, as you'll see, the honorable mentions section is packed with quite a few rather awesome options. But enough babbling! Let's dive right into the brawls.
Bruce Wayne vs. Jason Todd
What seemed like a legitimate bonding experience between the two was shattered when Bruce revealed his ulterior motive: it was all about bringing Damian back, not spending quality time with the second Robin. Bruce 'Buzzkill' Wayne strikes again. Todd just wanted to enjoy connecting with Bruce and feeling like a part of the family again as they took down mercenaries. Instead, he was heartbroken to find out Wayne was using him when he took him to the site of his brutal demise. Batman was hoping Todd could remember how he came back and maybe -- just maybe -- that could help him revive his son. Needless to say, Todd didn't take too kindly to it and fists began to fly. You done goofed up, Bruce!
Now, if you've been reading the entire issue, that "Because I want to watch Damian grow up, damn it!" delivered some heavy feels -- and that's exactly what I've come to expect from BATMAN AND ROBIN. Sure, the series hit a rough patch in the middle, but it's been back on track and consistently proving it's one of the best Bat-books on the market. It's such a shame that right as Todd is easing his way back into the family he's hit with a moment like this one. But hey, hopefully it'll generate some fascinating stories over in RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS.
The cover had me concerned Bruce would take his anger out on Todd, but the fight takes a turn and it's clear Batman's taking it out on himself. There's no doubt Bruce could wreck Todd if he wanted to -- but he doesn't want to. Instead, he feels like he deserves punishment for what happened to his son, and I can't blame the poor guy.
I know Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are doing great stuff with the main title, but Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason (though he's not on art duties above) have turned BATMAN AND ROBIN into my favorite Bat-book.
Superboy vs. Dreadnought
When The New 52 first hit, I did my best to give a majority of the books an honest shot. SUPERBOY was part of that, but in time I decided to drop it. However, now that Justin Jordan is on the book (Luther Strode, y'all), I simply had to give it a chance. While I don't find myself completely drawn into the book yet, there's no denying that it had quite a sweet fight. It's time for Superboy to battle in the streets with a big ol' purple monster named Dreadnought. As you can see from the first image, it's not going that well for our protagonist.
The longer Superboy stays in the fight, the more powerful his opponent becomes. Superboy aims to swiftly drop his opponent, but the massive creature pulls a combo breaker and once again shifts the odds in his favor. In the meantime, enjoy a scan of Superboy turning the tide -- even if it's just for a moment.
This segment usually has a focus on street level battles, but every now and then it's nice to sit back and enjoy a battle between powerhouses. I mean, just look at the scan below. Slamming Superboy is destroying the freaking surface!
If you want to know who wins and how it concludes, pick up Jordan's first issue on the book!
Deathstroke vs. Jericho/Terra/Majestic/Ravager
Stop hogging the spotlight, Justin Jordan! Jordan is just starting his tale over in SUPERBOY, but he was also wrapping everything up over in the pages of DEATHSTROKE with co-writer Tony Bedard. It's a family reunion like no other as Jericho takes control of Majestic and tries to kill his father. Ravager weakens the powerhouse and Terra holds him in place, but that just ain't going to cut it against someone on his level.
Rose may not have any luck keeping Majestic down for the count, but Slade's got no problem with making the heavy hitter count sheep. It hasn't been a good day for Majestic, has it? First he gets hit in the face with a nuke, next he gets teamed-up on and smacked in the back of the head with some rubble. Certainly not one of his finest moments.
Jericho's lost control of Majestic, but everyone else (Slade and Rose aside) is still at his disposal. First up, he takes over Terra and launches her at Slade. Unfortunately for Terra, she's not even a minor obstacle and the mercenary takes her out with a single palm punch. ONE PUNCH! ONE PUNCH!
The only people left standing are Deathstroke and his three children. What happens next... man, I can't ruin it. It's one helluva finale, so shell out the cash if you're interested.
Honorable Mentions
- Batman vs. Clayface
- X vs. Security
- Shang Chi vs. Assassins
- Cap vs. Militants
- Hulk vs Iron Patriots
- Unknown Soldier’s brutality vs. Voltaic’s face
- Deadpool vs. Arthur --- er, Artie
- Michael vs. NYPD
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.