Hey there, thanks for taking some time to check out our latest edition of Best Battles in New Comics. This week, we're taking a look at a slugfest between two titans, a tense hand-to-hand encounter, and plenty of chaos going on in the Star Wars universe. So, let's quit babbling and get right to what you came here to see: fun action! Oh yeah, and if your favorite battle isn't below, give it some love in the comments.
SUPERMAN #38
The first highlight comes from Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Laura Martin, Ulises Arreola, Dan Brown and Wil Quintana's latest issue of SUPERMAN. Without giving away a huge spoiler -- some people may not read comics right away or wait for trades, after all -- all you really need to know is Ulysses is really mad at Superman right now. The gloves are off the dude wants nothing more to obliterate the Man of Steel. That point is made crystal clear with a couple of epic punches -- punches that would more than likely turn an ordinary person turn into a mushy mess.
A fight between two absurdly strong and powerful characters is rarely contained, so, of course, it isn't very long before this one comes crashing back into the city. With someone like Ulysses full of rage and refusing to hold back, there's only so much Kal-El can do to contain the damage.
Don't worry, Superman doesn't laugh as the building crushes people and then goes on to smash through other structures. Big Blue's able to save onlookers and even takes a moment to offer a little piece of advice. No, he doesn't say, "Why are you watching this? Run you fools!" He instead drops something a little inspirational. That's right, even during a brawl with an insanely strong opponent, Kal-El's able to remind people about hope. Not shabby, right? Thankfully for everyone on the ground, Superman is able to bring the fight outside of the city and that's where the two begin to really unleash. After a little bit of heat vision, Superman discovers he has a nifty new power.
So, the new power wasn't exactly a surprise. I mean, they made it news before the issue was even released. But just how devastating is the attack and how does it impact Superman? Johns makes sure to address both of those questions before the end of the issue and even gives us a huge development. It's a cliffhanger that'll definitely make you want to read the opening pages of the next issue to see how the follow-up is handled.
LADY KILLER #2
Our second highlight comes from Joëlle Jones, Jamie S. Rich, and Laura Allred's second chapter of LADY KILLER, a limited series being published by Dark Horse Comics. Taking place in the 1960s, the story follows Josie Schuller, a seemingly perfect homemaker, wife and mom. When she isn't taking care of her family, she's running around as an assassin. In this chapter, her target is heavily-guarded, but if he thinks he's going to get some alone time with someone, the guards hang behind. So, Josie lures the sleazy fellow into the back of the club and makes her presence known with a brutal kick.
Off to a pretty cool (yet unfair) start, isn't it? We can't help but adore the handling of the colors. The shades of red and black silhouettes makes for a striking panel and the look on that goof's face as he has no idea what hit him and then the look as he gets his face smashed (ouch) are pretty priceless.This guy is no pushover, though.
The big villain lands some brutal hits, but it's more than apparent that Josie doesn't have a glass jaw. She doesn't cry out in pain or lose composure. Instead, she focuses, lands a retort and a vicious kick to the man's face. Unlike her, he's not the best around when it comes to keeping his head in the game. Instead of rolling with it, he decides to take a moment and dish out a threat when he should have been on alert. Since he couldn't recover quickly, Josie takes advantage of the opening. It's what any good assassin would do.
The look at that guy's face is brutal, isn't it? Obviously, things don't end well for this guy, but that by no means spoils the rest of the issue! What's going on with her life as a killer for hire? Who's her next target? Does her mother-in-law continue to snoop? Do yourself a favor and check out this limited series.
STAR WARS #2
Last and obviously not least (unless you're somehow not all that fond of Star Wars), let's check out Jason Aaron, John Cassaday, and Laura Martin's latest issue which takes us to a battle going on a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Rebel Alliance's strike against one of the Empire's largest weapons factories was going mostly as planned -- well, at least on Luke, Han and Leia's end -- and they were even able to free some slaves. But then an unexpected guest showed up: Darth Vader. Luke is able barely escape the encounter (we're all shocked he got out of that in one piece, right?), but that doesn't mean the team is out of the Sith Lord's sight. We may know what the future has in store for these characters, but watching all of the chaos play out is still incredibly entertaining. Now, it's time for the Rebels and the slaves to take on Vader and Stormtroopers! The Empire's soldiers may be all kinds of useless, but Darth Vader most certainly is not.
Luke just did something very few can say they've accomplished: he survived a close encounter with Darth Vader. No one is crazy enough to get close to him (Chewie couldn't even get the edge when he attempted to snipe Vader from behind the sith!), but who says they need to get close to the villain to hold him back? Luke may not be skilled with a lightsaber just yet, but he has no problem with vehicles!
Man, watching Vader stand tall as everyone around him falls is seriously badass, right? The Rebels are in trouble, but if you read the first issue or if you were paying attention in the first highlight image, you know there's an AT-AT in the battle and it's being piloted by Han! There's just one little problem: the guns are offline. Well, AT-AT's have big feet, so why not stomp on the foe? One doesn't simply squash Lord Vader like a bug, though!
Does Vader show the Rebels the power of the Dark Side and he makes the towering vehicle come crashing down? We know the heroes have to get away from this lethal and iconic villain, but how? Even if someone spoils it for you, this series is well worth your money. Star Wars is back at Marvel and, luckily for us, it's great.
What are your top three fights from this latest round of new comics? Support what you love and tell the world below. Also, don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell us via Twitter. Check back next Friday for a new edition of this segment. Have a good weekend!