DAREDEVIL versus TOMBSTONE
The Devil Takes a Ride Part 2 of 5 (Marvel comics)
Where: Daredevil #90 When: December 2006
Why: Ed Brubaker How: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano

The story so far...
Having escaped jail, Matt Murdock is on the trail of the mysterious Alton Lennox in an effort to discover the identity of the person who has been toying with his life, and is responsible for the near-fatal attack on Foggy Nelson.

His travels take him to Europe, specifically Portugal, where DD finds himself sidetracked into helping a damsel in distress with a familiar scent.

When Tombstone intervenes, DD is stretched to the limit, but things may not be as they seem.

Previous Form:
Daredevil (#5): Daredevil has faced Wolverine, Hulk and Bullseye in one-on-one competition.
Tombstone: Tombstone has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Tombstone 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Daredevil 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympic Sprinter)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathon Runner)
Agility: Daredevil 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Tombstone 2 (Projectile Weapons)

I'm just going to say it straight up. Yes, Tombstone's mugshot looks kinda crummy compared to the usual, but damned if I didn't go straight for that issue just to scan a John Sal Buscema Tombstone. Nobody does it better than JB!

So anyway... Tombstone V Daredevil.
Well, it's probably at least worth noting that in this particular circumstance, Daredevil is carrying injuries relating to earlier confrontations with Iron Fist and more specifically, an unnamed Matador.
Not that injuries are exactly strange for Daredevil...

Tombstone hasn't gotten a great deal of respect over the last decade or two, but at the very least his purpose remains constant. He's a high-rating street level bruiser, who can take as much as he dishes out -- and as a kicker, is fast.
I wouldn't go so far to rate him in Daredevil's league in terms of speed and agility, but he has been known to give even Spidey a good run for his money.

Daredevil certainly can't match him in strength, and as a hand-to-hand fighter, Tombstone's physical strength poses a significant obstacle. The equalizer is DD's maneuverability, and generally broad skills in fighting, and fighting logistics.

Tombstone's greatest chances lie with blunt and immediate attack.
Time gives Daredevil the edge to familiarize himself with the scene, and develop a logistic attack. Likewise, though formidable, Tombstone is not invincible, and even a duke-out could swing DD's way given the nature of Daredevil's technical skill.

Overall: Daredevil 26 (+5)
The Pick: Daredevil

What went down...
With Alton Lennox dead, DD follows Lily Lucco's scent to the street, where he spies a car that contains Lily. The car swerves hard, and heads straight for the costumed crusader. The driver is an unlikely foe to come across in Portugal.

Tombstone wastes little time throwing the first punch, and though DD avoids it easily, he follows it up with a clubbing polish hammer. It puts the rain soaked hero down on the wet ground.

Tombstone tells DD to stay down. That he hasn't been paid to deal with him -- but Daredevil doesn't back down.
Clutching his billy club, he throws a left that hits hard.

Tombstone takes it and dishes out his own fists of fury, knocking Daredevil around like a ragdoll. "Maybe I'll just do you for nothin'!!," he says.

DD kicks back, springing into a defensive whilst using his trusty billyclub for an offensive.
The red fighting stick ricochets off a chimney, the car, and... Is caught by the surprisingly agile and quick Tombstone. Possibly a little too agile for my tastes, but fair enough.

Tombstone further menaces the out-of-town hero, slapping him around with another right as DD tries to hit a pressure point on the concrete stomached villain.
Still silly from the punch, Daredevil falls into Tombstone's arms, and he repays the close quarters situation with a headbutt. DD goes down hard again.

Lily Lucco comes at Tombstone from behind with a tyre-iron, but it has little effect on the stoney bulk of Tombstone's mighty shoulders.
He backhands the girl, knocking her stupid. Daredevil watches from the cobblestone road, unable to intervene.

The hammer...
Well, though a site favourite, we've discussed before Daredevil's penchant for loss. Continuing the Spidey kick, I'm just kinda glad the defeat goes to Tombstone.

To any mystifyed readers, I'm typing up this update December 28. I'm still kinda bouncing around based on interest. With Christmas just passed, I figured it was a good time to go with a new issue that I'm into right now.

I mentioned Sal Buscema earlier, and no doubt an issue of Spectacular will show up with Tombstone in the near future. That run in the eighties is one of those things that is comics to me. Sal Buscema is probably to me, what Mark Bagley now is to a lot of people through Ultimate.
I was a big Erik Larsen fan too, and McFarlane's Spider-man is very important to me, and even Romita Sr is a very familiar Spider-artist for my eye. But Buscema just has a special little corner. Something about his characters really popped, and I'm not sure anyone has ever drawn Tombstone with as much menace and personality as Buscema.

Tombstone's a character I have a great affection for, too.
I kinda feel silly claiming all these characters as my own. I can't really do that, because they're not really obscure characters. They've just been a little down on their luck lately.

The last time I saw Tombstone he was a pawn of Hydra, and for the decade before that he's pretty much been relegated to whipping boy of guys like Punisher and Luke Cage, getting thrown off bridges and generally being a schmuck.
It's perhaps this that makes Brubaker's respectful take on the character a little jarring. He almost goes too far, making Tombstone a very impressive threat.

I love that he's gotten a solid treatment like this, though.
I've alluded in the past to various ideas here and there, and I have to say a lot of those street level characters, and assassins, and hired thugs just haven't gotten the world they deserve. They really do deserve to occupy their own world.
I think we've seen ideas like this in Daredevil stories of the past, and certainly Joe Kelly's early Deadpool and the recent mini-series Underworld, too.

It's great to see a Tombstone show up in the super-hero action epic like Enemy of the State, but at the same time, these guys aren't quite like Dr. Octopus or the Mad Thinker. These guys feature in a similar villain-of-the-month format, but their characters depend more on having an on-going life.
Guys like Tombstone don't go back to the drawing board to cook up their next big scheme. They lick their wounds, and then go back to the dives to look for jobs.
Presumably these characters would be involved in street crime and gang conflict far more regularly than we ever get to see.

In this respect Ed Brubaker probably writes catered to me.
His is perhaps a more subtle, less overtly superhero take on the formula than say, Judd Winick's Batman run. It's playing an on-going reality, but doesn't reveal itself through cut-scenes, or co-feature more superheroey obstacles.

A similar style of story can be seen in Captain America, and I actually think, as great as it is, it's why I lost interest in the Cap book, and haven't enjoyed this second storyarc as much as Bendis' work.
I think Brubaker has a tendency to meander, focusing a little too tightly on very small moving parts. This perhaps falls most notably in an issue like this, where there is an indulgance in more gratuitous superhero action.

I think even with five-issue storyarcs, Brubaker's stuff just gets a little lost in itself. It was this subtlty that I found most surprising in Gotham Central, which was a book that came heavily recommended, but did not, in my opinion, live up to the hype.
It has a suitable grounded nature, but unfortunately doesn't marry that to the paced of fiction we're perhaps used to otherwise reading.

Obviously a lot of people are enjoying it, and Brubaker's star continues to rise with titles like Daredevil, deservedly so. I just hope his subdued style will sustain my readership on Daredevil.
Perhaps most telling will be Brubaker's management of story beyond this current period, which is filtering on from Bendis' run, and centered by a constant reference. I think the next big story will be where Brubaker sinks or swims for me.

Though sometimes a little vague, Lark is Lark, and that's okay with me.

EDIT (Nov 26, 07): Well, it only took a year to catch the mix-up of John/Sal Buscema. Which tragically undermines my credibility, but has been corrected for all you info hounds! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lash myself fifty times with a car battery tied to a power chord...

The Fight: 5 The Issue:6

RAYDEN versus SCORPION
Tao (Malibu Comics)
Where: Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #5 When: November, 1994
Why: Charles Marshall How: Kiki Chansomone

The story so far...
For centuries the purity of Mortal Kombat has preserved peace and order among the realms, requiring ten tournament victories of any invading force.

Each tournament spans a generation, and after nine victories, the Shokan champion Goro was defeated by Earthrealm champion and descendant of Kung Lao - Liu Kang. Thus, Shao Kahn and the forces of Outworld are thwarted.

The chosen warriors of Mortal Kombat exist beyond the tournament, and when Kano steals a powerful mystical book known as the Tao Te Zhan, it begins a new battle for omnipotence.
When Scorpion steals the book one of seven riddles has already been solved, and he has just solved the second...

Previous Form:
Rayden & Scorpion: Neither character has been featured previously.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Rayden 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: Rayden 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Rayden 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Rayden 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Rayden 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Scorpion 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Rayden 6 (Mass Destruction)

Avid followers of Secret Earths will be at least loosely aware of my love for beat 'em up video games. In the past, MK's rival, Street Fighter, has been twice featured based upon it's comic book escapades, from Tokuma and UDON respectively.

Even though I probably fall on the Street Fighter side of the fence, I've been with Mortal Kombat from the first video game, and have a great affection for the relatively unique and extensive story and characters they have cultivated.

The latest wave of Mortal Kombat games have been a tremendous step forward, and while Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has been quite disappointing in contrast, it's still compelled me to grab a taste of these characters.
These two in particular are very great representations of the MK franchise, and two of the more interesting of the mainstream exposed characters.

In terms of the usual statistics, Rayden raises some interesting questions.
He himself is a God, and within the context of the storyline, he does not really take an active role, pledged to instead maintain a non-intrusive advisory vigil.
His powers are certainly extensive, and for example, while I did not feel it would be accurate to represent his fighting speed excessively, he can travel from one point to another in an instant.
Likewise, Rayden can die, even though he is a God. It is just quite unlikely.

Scorpion, for those who don't know, is an undead spectre from the Netherrealm. Which means he has a lot of nasty, spooky, hell-related powers.

Unlike a character like Ghost Rider or even Spawn, Scorpion differs in that much of his arsenal existed prior to becoming a hellspawn. Scorpion was simply unable to rest due to the circumstances of his death, and thrived as a spectre of vengeance.

As a spectre, he doesn't really die, which is pretty handy when running head long into "mortal" combat. Death is the kind of stress that can cost you the match, and that's something he doesn't have to worry about, and makes him hard to intimidate or stop.

Ultimately, while Scorpion has a range of powers revolving around teleporting and summoning hellfire -- Rayden is a god of thunder and lightning. Being a God kinda trumps even a character as powerful as Scorpion, based purely on the nature of the beast, and the energy at his disposal.

And in closing, for anyone wondering, yes -- I realised Rayden was only spelt with a Y in home versions. I just have a problem with the pronounciation if it's spelt Raiden -- which is specifically derived from the Japanese Rai.

Overall: Rayden (+4)
The Pick: Rayden

What went down...
Having come into posession of the Tao Te Zhan, Scorpion retreats "many miles away" to a cliff face where he examines the mystic text. Troubled by his own inner demons, Scorpion is distracted by lust for revenge against the Lin Kuei warrior that killed him - Sub-Zero.

Desire to drive his roped spike into the throat of his nemesis presents an unlikely answer to the riddle, "Ten men's length, ten men's strength. Ten men can't tear it, yet a little boy walks off with it." The answer being: Rope!

The mysterious book turns another page, and with energy glowing across his face, Scorpion gets a special taste of electric energy from a true God!

Scorpion assures he will fight for possession of the riddle book, and tosses his modified trademark spear (with spiked ball) into the air in declaration of kombat.

The thunder god evades the attack, disappearing in a swirl of crackling electric energy.

Scorpion scowls the act of cowardice, and demands Rayden return to face his attack. Rayden's teleport proves to be a maneuver of tactic, rather than fear.
He emerges behind the ninja spectre, and blasts him with a hail of electric energy - promising Scorpion a new meaning of pain, unescapable through death.

Toasty!

The hammer...
Rayden wins! Flawless victory!

There're a lot of peculiarities about Mortal Kombat, but I think one of the greatest has to be it's overall popularity and longevity.
Granted, there have been quiet patches, notably around the release of the mediocre Mortal Kombat 4, but somehow MK has managed to stay relevent in the Western world of gaming.

The gimmicks of gore and violence probably played their crucial part, but I would probably say the saving grace of Mortal Kombat has been the characters, and notably their growth and evolution in an expanding universe of characters. Without those, I just don't see how it survived. Until Deadly Alliance, I don't think anyone could accuse MK of having extraordinary graphic and gameplay advantages, and in a world of Tekken and Virtua Fighter, they were just arcane.

The Mortal Kombat comics kind of bring together the lesser qualities of nineties comic books and the MK video games of the same time. In fact, peculiarly so, two years after the release of Mortal Kombat II, the comic book still uses the economically designed sprite costumes of the first game. Costumes that are far less designed and interesting.

Presumably this is to better connect the timeline of the comic's story, but really, this just adds to what is already a fairly uninspired visual experience.
One certainly notes the extreme Image Comics style clear and present in these books, with emphasis on extravagent, if sparsely detailed, action splash pages.
Dialogue is wooden and clunky, and story is just too generous a word to use for what is essentially an opportunity to string together licensed characters in various fighting combinations.

It's in this respect that the Malibu MK comics fail in much the same way other licensed trademarks disappoint. They truly were an exercise in capitalism. I remember the comics ack being dominated by MK comics, and even an entire table section mapped with the various series and mini-series and spin-offs and one-shots... Each even less connected to the property than the last.

The books, like many unsuccessful licensed efforts, also features a variety of characters and concepts 'original' to the comics. Among the better known ideas is the light-blue Lin Kuei ninja Hydro, and Shao Kahn unmasked as a Tarkatan mutant, rather than something entirely different all together.

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, though, and it's easy to forget that Mortal Kombat has since produced around ten additional videogames that further the Mortal Kombat story and legacy. Which is perhaps why these characters have been able to be identified and characterized so vidialy.
It's disappointing, with that in mind, to see a recent effort to create MK comics go southbound in a similar fashion. Stories revolving around the release of Deception were to be released by a small publishing company, but unfortunately they allowed the license to expire before producing finished material.

I know as both a fan and writer, that's a license I would love to get a hold of.
I'm not quite sure what the circumstances of the recent effort's demise were, but I wonder how it may be similar to the likewise mysterious disappearance of the ill-fated Tekken comics. If anyone has info, be sure to drop a comment.

I have to say I do still regret passing thes Malibu books up.
I'm pretty accepting of any half decent adaptation if I at least get to see the characters moving around in full colour, and participating in some kind of story, and like many nineties comics I missed, these truly were fun.

I imagine as I indulge in my ever changing fad-like interests, you'll probably see more of the three issues of Blood & Thunder I have in my boxes. Prized $1 box finds that occurred months apart.

On a slight note, I am doing this entry on the fourth and fifth of November.
People reading will know I was stuck on the end of August's entries in November, so this might be a little odd. Hopefully I haven't left any gaping contextual snafus that will ensnare me in the future during past entries.

This was just a way to curb falling further behind, by using current interests.
From this point on, you'll probably be seeing more like this, avoiding my usual month-by-month forward planning.
Likewise, you'll notice I'm including more images in entries. Hopefully this makes it a more complete experience in enjoying and lightly reviewing these past comics. I'm using these as more fluid visual aids than the previous 'two highlights' method.

Anyway, see you in the future-past! :-D

The Fight: 1 The Issue: 2.5

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #11 (November, 2006)
BATMAN versus CATWOMAN
Dark Moon Rising
Where: Batman: The Mad Monk #1 When: October 2006
Why: Matt Wagner How: Matt Wagner

Quick Fix...
Alright, I didn't get a lot for Christmas, but among the few comics I got were four issues of Batman and the Mad Monk. I haven't had the chance to read through them all yet, but this issue caught my eye straight away for the opening pages, which detail the fight we're discussing here.

The general gist of these Wagner mini-series [the previous being Batman and the Monster Men - Speak to the Manager, Mike] is to canonize stories inspired by the Golden Age of Batman, whilst placing them in a contemporary interpretation; ala Year One.

I have to admit, I'm a fan who's pretty content with a too-serious-for-his-own-good take on the Batman, so a more transparent Batstory about monsters and cults isn't usually my cup of tea. I can appreciate these pulpy Golden Age stories for what they are, but prefer to leave them there.

That said, Wagner's pencils look great, if a little shakey in a vein not dissimilar to Howard Chaykin at times. This is particularly noticable against a Chaykin-esque eighties colour palette, although, Cameron Stewart's colours are generally more diffused and mat, which is much more to my liking. This rings true of the Year One inspirations.

Anyway, the opening four pages of Batman and the Mad Monk are dedicated to a delightful exchange between Batman and Catwoman, which presumably refers to something from Monster Men, or at the very least, pursues the relationship as it is seen in works like Year One or The Long Halloween.

Caught in the act, Batman accosts Catwoman during a night of thievery in a jewellery store. His intent to take her into custody is an unwanted advance, and she makes a preemptive strike, wrapping his feet up with her cat o nine tails.

The Bat goes down hard, clunking his head as she drags him in.

Ever the perveyor of innuendo, Catwoman slinks over her fallen foe and gets inside his head, quizzing him on a relationship with "Li'L Miss "Chanel No. 5"."
He doesn't take too kindly to the personal attack.

Catwoman gets off, but not without leaving an impression, raking her claws through the Batman's chest as she leaps and flips her way for the exit.
"Her claws... Must've been drugged," Batman thinks, whilst considering wearing armor beneath the costume. Something he comes to do, I'm sure.

But did someone say drugged? Why, could that be a plot point of significance later in the story? I don't actually know, and if it isn't, the sarcasm with which that remark was made will be proverbial yolk on my face.

So, what's interesting about this quick fix?
As always, I make an assurance that there is no conceited effort to manipulate events on the site. This book was new and attractive, and it just happened to present the first defeat of Batman listed on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
Thus, it is quite a monumentous Punch-Up.

What is particularly interesting about this is that it was Catwoman that took the Batman down. Considering he was just previously featured fighting Amazo, and has taken down foes like Captain America, Captain Nazi and Superman on two occasions, that's pretty spectacular.
I guess this is what makes the site interesting. Batman might tag Elektra, and Elektra might tag Catwoman, but that doesn't mean Catwoman doesn't have an edge over Batman!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4.5
Winner: Catwoman

The Monthly Top Five...
#1 Batman (-) (11) (DC Comics)
Well, this this punch-up hasn't just saved your life: It's made your life worth saving. You have lived to see the unthinkable.
With little more than a scratch, Batman has suffered his first documented defeat, and while that doesn't knock him off the top spot, it changes everything.

With guys like Spidey and Iron Man lurking, Batman is vulnerable for the very first time. With two months of Secret Earths remaining, this is no longer a race to beat Batman. This is a race to see if Batman can win!

#2 Spider-man (-) (3) (Marvel Comics)
After whipping MTV Kraven and teaming with the Sub-Mariner this month, Spidey maintains his good fortunes. He now holds the honor of being the only undefeated character in the top five, which sets him up perfectly to take the top spot. Amazing considering only three months in the top five!

My Spidey kick may have ended, but Civil War overflow means this guy is still relatively relevent in the world of comics. I can't predict where my whims will take me, but Marvel's dominance over the past few months ensure this guy will be popping up again. Possibly to face a stone-faced foe, hint-hint.

#3 Iron Man (-) (3) (Marvel Comics)
Though not featured this month, Iron Man remains just as likely a successor to Batman's throne. IM really has returned to the Marvel A-list. Every month we talk about all the things coming and going for Iron Man, and there's just nothing left to say.

I have to admit, right here and now my interest has waned a fraction, but Civil War is everywhere, and Robert Downey is lurking in the wings, and it's just an interesting time for Iron Man.

#4 Wolverine (RE) (6) (Marvel Comics)
There was a degree of anymosity early in the year toward Wolverine's position in the top five, but now I have to say it's probably deserved. At the very least, it has not come easily.

Victory over the Silver Samurai is Wolvie's ticket here, and it was a pretty good match. Don't know if Wolverine has the legs to stay here, but you could never rule it out.

#5 Daredevil (-1) (10) (Marvel Comics)
DD continues his slide downward, and there's every possibility he might exit the top five before the end of the year.
He's a site favourite, and I will telegraph that I got DD comics for Christmas, but that just might not be enough to save ol' hornhead.

He's probably been the sentimental favourite for the year, but the fallability that makes the character so endearing has been what's held him back here. Just in case I don't see you again, happy new year, Murdock.

Super Stock...
1. Batman (-) (DC)
4. Wolverine (+3) (M)
5. Daredevil (-1) (M)
6. Hulk (-1) (M)
8. Captain America (-1) (M)
23. Nightwing (+64) (DC)
46. Catwoman (+53) (DC)
47. Thing (-2) (M)
48. She-Hulk (-2) (M)
57. Sub-Mariner (+105) (M)
59. Venom (-3) (M)
91. Ms. Marvel (-2) (M)
102. Wonder Woman (-1) (DC)
163. Tigershark (new) (M)
164. Dr. Dorcas (new) (M)
169. Silver Samurai (new) (M)
170. Kraven the Hunter (new) (M)
171. Amazo (new) (DC)
174. The Brick (-9) (DC)

The Hammer...
Right now it's New Year's Eve 2007 [Or is that NYE 2006?...], and as you can see I'm only just making the first post for November, so I'm still a couple of months behind.

Rather than interrupt the natural flow of these posts, I won't do a year-end post until I actually reach the December/January portion of scheduled posting. Hopefully you can forgive the latness, and appreciate that I am making an effort here for you guys.

There seems to have been an influx of people checking the site out, which is great news. I hope you guys are all enjoying joining in on the fun, and feel free to drop a comment on any of the posts, and make requests. Chances are I won't entertain them, but it doesn't hurt to ask. ;-p

When I'm done here I'm going to be postnig two entries that were done in advance, so we're already half way through November. Hopefully you're going to enjoy them, particularly the first post, which will take us somewhere a little different.

The end of the year is very exciting, I honestly have no idea where we're going to end up, but hopefully we can have some fun getting there!
Good wishes when the New Year reaches all of you, and be safe! Because fighting is only fun when it's against giant robots, or people who are just begging for it... Like a guy named Dr. Dorcas. C'mon... Seriously, dude.

NEXT: For centuries I ended posts with a tease. For nine generations I have been unable to do this, and now is the tenth... Will humanity prevail in Kombat?
October Hit Count: 2391* (+363)

* Hit count was recorded November 1. Hits for October posts may be reflected in the December count.

BATMAN & NIGHTWING versus AMAZO
Under the Hood Part 3: Overnight Deliveries (DC comics)
Where: Batman #637 When: April 2005
Why: Judd Winick How: Doug Mahnke

The story so far...
In the wake of a gang war, Black Mask seizes control of the criminal underbelly of Gotham City. With various villainous elements shifting within the DC Universe, Black Mask's own strategies intersect with various others.

Amongst his schemes, the import of various super paraphernalia and weaponry. Much of which leaves his possession via the intervention of the Batman, or the vigilante rogue, Jason Todd - The Red Hood.

One such import is Amazo; an android designed originally by Professor Ivo to combat the Justice League using their own powers and unique abilities.
Though stripped down, the machine poses a substantial threat, and Batman and Nightwing are there to intervene.

Previous Form:
Batman (#1): Batman is currently undefeated in his six previous features.
Nightwing (#88): Nightwing teamed with Batman to defeat Two-Face, in a previous post.
Amazo: Amazo has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Amazo 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Amazo 6 (Speed of Sound)
Stamina: Amazo 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightwing 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Amazo 6 (Arsenal)

Amazo is one of those characters that is a lot of fun, but I have inherent problems with. I guess much of this site shares a skeleton with my own preferences and interests in comics. I'm quite partial to characters that can be easily described and broken down into specifics.

Amazo is not such a character.
Various interpretations of the character lead to the preferred interpretation of there being many Amazo models in existence. Though certainly more comfortable, it does not negate the existant of 'adaptive' Amazo models.
Though traditionally possessing the powers of the seven core Justice Leaguers, shifting rosters have led to a shifting powerset for Amazo.
One answer to compensate was giving Amazo an evolution capability, where he could mimick or imitate abilities of others.

Now, for my taste in logic, this is a big problem.
If you can indulge the writer in me for a moment - my inclination would be to take this idea and maybe turn it into a Terminatoresque program of self-maintenance. I could accept an Amazo that retreats to attempt to build upgrades for itself, and maybe even come to take great pleasure from such a concept (DC, you have my number).

Of course, such a method does not exist as far as I know, and instead various vague explanations are offered. The animated Justice League offering up nanotechnology that inexplicably imitates any ability it 'gazes upon,' despite not having any kind of specific mechanical method of generating these various abilities.

My rigid thought processes don't affect this story too much, as it features a constructed model of Amazo with set abilities. However, for the usual discussion period of the tape, I would have to say... Amazo is just too sloppy to nail down.
I refuse to accept a machine that can produce cosmic abilities from nothingness, thus I tend to think of him as having the abilities of the League that can be constructed, and perhaps not quite as potent.

Amazo is a huge obstacle even with that interpretation, and certainly Batman and Nightwing are in over their head.
Batman's penchant for victory withstanding, there is the advantage of Amazo being technology. As long as he obeys certain logic regarding mechanics and technology, Batman stands a pretty good chance of defeating such a menace.

Mongul, not so much. Amazo, definitely do-able.
With Nightwing in tow to provide destraction, even more so, but you still wouldn't want one of these showing up in Gotham every week.

Average: Amazo 33 (+6.5)
Overall: Batman & Nightwing 53 (+20)
The Pick: Batman & Nightwing

What went down...
In a warehouse somewhere in Gotham, Batman moves before Nightwing can even digest the severity of the situation. As the Batman glides past the android, he drops smoking pellets that explode like angry bugs around Amazo's face.

Amazo mocks Batmans efforts, challenging him to do better: "I did."
Ever the forward thinker, Batman slinks away revealing an electronic batarang staked into Amazo's leg, which he notices only as it exploddes, destroying much of the floor.

Batman and Nightwing flee the scene as a furious android emerges from the warehouse, swatting brick and door out of his way. They take to the bat-lines, and Amazo, though carrying a damaged leg [which can no longer support the speeds of the Flash, given his weight. - Mastiff Mike] takes to the skies with the flight of various JLers.

Nightwing, carrying a leg injury from his own adventures, is slow off the mark, getting caught by the competent flyer in Amazo.
Batman latches on to Amazo's ankle with his bat-line, and reminds his protege that Amazo was designed with basic human principles in mind. Therefore many of his weakness are comparable.

Taking that information, the captive Nightwing plunges two batarangs into Amazo's ears, thus disrupting his gyroscopes and rendering him relatively unable to fly.
Of course, he's still quite capable of walking, and as Batman and Nightwing cling to a fire escape, the robust robot uses his Superman strength to tear the structure from the side of the building.

Batman gets tagged, but Nightwing is there to run diversion.
He uses his acrobatic skills to leap and weave heat vision blasts that crumble the building behind, while Batman sneaks around to impare the vision of the super-foe.

Of course, Batman would not merely obscure vision with putty [and you have to wonder if a super tactical Justice League killer robot might not at least consider that... - Murmuring Mike]. When Amazo attempts to blast through it, the plastique explodes! Thus damaging the vision properties of the machine.

And now things get serious.
Amazo dives into an attack, giving Batman more than enough leverage to send him stumbling face-first into the brickwall behind.
Nightwing leaps in fast for a knee to the jaw, and is fast enough to drop beneath a wild swinging robotic fist. Batman shows him how it's really done.

Though on more event ground, the robot maintains it's attack.

Batman taps his belt, and although the creature does not see, he hears the incoming rumble of an engine. And Batman's plan all unravels, his previous efforts little more than a distraction whilst waiting for the real tool: The Batmobile.

The vehicle fires off a rocket via remote, colliding with Amazo at high speeds and driving him into the waters below the dock with a stunning explosion.

The hammer...
Despite overwhelming odds, Batman and Nightwing win again. I'm sure you're all very shocked.

I had this issue sitting on my desk around about the time I started to seriously contemplate a website dedicated t ocomic book superhero fights. Issues like this, Identity Crisis #3 and Daredevil #49 were some of the real clinchers to going ahead with it, so it's nice to finally get this one up there.

I think what makes this issue so fantastic is that, apart from being a well written and illustrated story, it's also an interesting and generally unlikely match-up. I'm not sure Batman has ever even seen Amazo outside of Justice League stories, let alone had to fight one. And that's the kind of scenario that's interesting to note, and maybe even discuss as a comic fan.

Anyway, right now it's afternoon New Year's Eve, and I'm typing an October update, so I should probably try to shake things along a little.

I've done Winick/Mahnke updates before [#647, #648], so you should know that it's one of my all time favourite Batman runs. This is certainly the best city-life superhero run that comes to mind, having superior mechanics to even Brubaker or Bendis on Daredevil.

This issue does well to not only do a kickass issue-long fight, which is superbly choreographed, but also continues to show criminal life in Gotham as it is under the new rule of Black Mask.
It features the on-going difficulties of Red Mask aka Jason Todd, while also tackling the matter of more familiar supervillain rogues like Mr. Freeze, who plays an uncertain role in the new world order. This isn't necessarily a unique way of approaching the Batman villains, as stories like The Long Halloween have probably dealt with the criminal/villain dichotomy much better, but the success probably lies in not trying to outdo that calibre or type of story.

Winick's Batman exists in and of itself, whilst simultaneously living in the world of Batman at large. The Jason Todd storyarc pulls history into the picture, but what this storyline does delightfully is paint it's own sense of day-to-day life for Batman, not really ignoring, but not unnecessarily dealing with historical fact.
I'm starting to get awfully close to repeating myself, so I'll just sum it up: This is as complete a slice of Gotham life as I've ever seen.

I hope one day to see more of this approach.

The Fight: 7 The Issue: 6.5

SPIDER-MAN versus KRAVEN THE HUNTER
Mind Games (Part 2) (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Ep. 13 When: August 2003
Why: Steven Kriozere & Audu Paden How: Neil Patrick Harris & Michael Dorn

The story so far...
The Gaines Twins are the product of shocking KGB experimentation which killed their parents, but resulted in granting them fantastic hypnotic and telepathic abilities.

When Spider-man intervenes in their escape, the twins manage to psychically manipulate him through a fantasy into believeing Kraven the Hunter killed his beloved Mary-Jane.

With rage now seething through his veins, Spider-man takes up a vengeful mission to kill Kraven on the behalf of the twins. Revenge for Kraven's involvement in the capture of their parents on the KGB's behalf.

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#2): Spidey has one-on-one victories against Man-Ape and the Tri-Sentinel.
Kraven the Hunter: Kraven has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympic Sprinter)
Stamina: Spider-man 4 (Trained Athlete)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Kraven 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Kraven 4 (Arsenal)

Kraven the Hunter! What a fantastic villain!
Generally I don't like to feature a character twice in one month, but lately I've been on a bit of a Spidey kick, and I guess Kraven won the Spidey-villain lottery thanks to MTV and Mainframe.

I guess in many respects this match-up is comparable to Wolverine/Silver Samurai. That is to say, it's the extraordinary hero, against a villain who is the at the very maximum of ordinary.

For the most part Kraven is a human begin who honed his skills as a supreme hunter. A hunter so efficient, he would prefer his own hands over the use of additional weapons. Although, that said, Kraven has been known to have various tool at his disposal.

Like a Captain America, Kraven has enhanced strength, which makes him more than a match for Spider-man, whose own strength tends to fluctuate depending on the scenario and writing staff. We'll at least consider them comparable equals, although, I personally lean toward Spidey having the superior strength.

While Spidey has his spider-senses to give him a preternatural edge in combat, Kraven the Hunter has his own supremely trained senses, which work hand-in-hand with his training and experience to give him a comparable edge.
Likewise, both are extremely agile men, although again Spidey has a definite advantage here.

Sergei Kravinoff took his own life during the Kraven's Last Hunt storyarc, having reached what he felt was the epitomy of his career after not only besting Spider-man, but also replacing him while he was buried alive.
This was one of the harshest defeats handed out to Spider-man, but it did come after decades of the Spider getting the best of the hunter.

Overall: Draw 28
The Pick: Spider-man

What went down...
Waiting on a meeting at the docks, it doesn't take Kraven's keen senses as a hunter to recognise the trademark webbing that holds his goons pinned to smokestacks.
Spidey charges into battle, shunting Kraven across the roof whilst promising to "rip him apart."

Kraven tumbles into the warehouse below, finding his way to walkways dangling high above the floorspace. Spidey follows hard, but Kraven is fast enough to avoid the strike.

The two exchange blows, with Kraven blocking for the most part until Spidey uses his agility to nail a Bruce Lee style sommersault kick.

Kraven lands, and narrowly avoids Spidey's follow up, bringing his bodyweight down from a high leap. Kraven matches Spidey's agility, perching on a walkway handrail, before springing away to avoid another savage punch.

Kraven wipes blood from his mouth, and observes the ruthless shift in Spider-man's tact. Spider-man leaps infront of him, taking a challenging stance.

Spidey goes for the webbing, but Kraven cuts it with a dagger, and then uses the dagger as a projectile weapon.
Spidey ducks out and shoots out webbing, weaving it around Kraven's hands and throat.

With Kraven dangling from the ceiling, Spidey swears vengeance for Mary-Jane, but out the corner of his eye he spies a discrepency in his history. A neon sign that had fallen and injury Harry Osborn, now quite prominent in the skyline.

Connecting the dots, Spider-man quizzes Kraven further to make sense of the timeline. Kraven reveals their last meeting as having been months previous.
When the police arrive, they corroborate Kraven's story, and although he has been the unwitting pawn of the Gaines twins, having lived a fantasy since first encountering them, Spidey does defeat Kraven.

The hammer...
The winner, and late charge for the top spot: Spider-man!

The MTV Spider-man series was a funny kinda situation. I heard a bit about it via a lot of second hand information, and I have to admit to not being terribly excited by what I was hearing.
With names like Rob Zombie being tossed around for the voice of the Lizard, it was sounding a lot like a gratuitous way to cram MTV properties into the blossoming branding of Spider-man: the movie.

The series perhaps gained some credibility with the inclusion of Brian Michael Bendis as a producing influence, although, connections to Ultimate Spider-man only further turned me off of the series. How wrong I was.

I really expected to dislike this series, but an impulse purchase with a mindboggling reasonable price tag turned all of that around. Now I'm a tragic fan of the Mainframe CG animated series, and desperately hope rumors of a second series prevailing over cancellation, are true.

I was a fan of Mainframe's early animation work on Reboot, and Spider-man really succeeds in showing just how far they've come since the mid-nineties.
Certainly a lot of the Mainframe traits are there, and anyone familiar with a series like Reboot will spot familiar quirks, but at the same time, they seem to willingly give themselves over to established iconography and ideals of the Spider-man character.

Of course, this is only half of the puzzle, and a huge part comes from the writing on this series. Much like conventional television, budgetary concerns restrict the bredth of cast and locations, but as Mainframe build a backlog of reusable sprites and scripts, the world populates itself intelligently and densely.
Even with Morgan "VIP" Gendel in a prominent position on the writing staff, the series crafts itself around restrictions, perhaps turning them into advantages. Character interaction is dense and intelligent, as are the scripts on a whole. Storylines pack plenty of characterization, but unlike the Ultimate variety of the comic, does not sacrifice this for fast-paced action, and thrilling adventure.

This show is in many ways everything The Batman isn't.
Like Batman, this series was projecting itself into the shadow of previous successful cartoon shows as well as feature film success. The team handling MTV's show managed to embody elements from all sources including comics and film, whilst still producing it's own energy. This is in direct contrast to The Batman's utter failure to entice existing fans of comics, or perhaps even the Timm/Dini animated series prior.

This series wasn't without it's problems, and certainly it would've been nice to see more of the recognisable rogues like Kraven the Hunter. Villains who are always among the high points of any Spider-man story, but that said, even the original or derived characters unique to the series were highly enjoyable. Something series rarely succeed at creating.

For example; characters Shikata and Talon owe their origins to Kraven and Black Cat respectively, quite obviously. As nice as it would've been to see these characters in those stories, the creative team here still manages to make both characters intriguing and individual.

I could go on and on, and I'm really skimming the surface, but on my Spidey kick I just had to feature an episode of this series. It's fantastic. I hold out hope that the rumors of a character-packed second season might somehow manifest.

Another negative? They say gulag an awful lot in this episode!

The Fight: 4 The Episode: 6

WOLVERINE versus SILVER SAMURAI
Origins & Endings: Chapter Two (Marvel comics)
Where: Wolverine #37 When: February 2006
Why: Daniel Way How: Javier Saltares & Mark Texeira

The story so far...
Wolverine is James Howlett -- And he remembers.

With a past comes further questions and grudges, and for Wolverine the path begins in Japan.
Though at first appearing to attack the Japanese Prime Minister's convoy, Wolverine's true intentions soon become apparent. The Prime Minister's security head is the true target.

A man named Kenuichio Harada.
A man named - The Silver Samurai.

Previous Form:
Wolverine (#7): Wolverine has victories over Deathstrike and Lobo, while also having been defeat by the likes of Daredevil and Captain America.
The Silver Samurai: Has not been featured prior.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: Wolverine 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Wolverine 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Draw 1 (None)

Well, I guess we're continuing the half-theme of arch-rivalries.
In the past week we've had Namor/Tigershark [Marvel Team-Up #14] and Daredevil/Bullseye [Daredevil #132].

Silver Samurai might not be quite as high profile as a Sabretooth or a Magneto, but is none the less an impressive foe in Wolverine's rogues gallery of enemies.
As the stats note, he's also an incredibly worthy foe, matching Wolverine's skills fairly closely. It is perhaps only Wolverine's mutant penchant for healing that truly sets these two apart.

Perhaps moreso than any hero, Wolverine has the capacity to lose his first encounter with any skilled foe. His healing properties usually allow a writer to freely position him in peril, while also perpetuating a characterization that suggests he's somewhat brash, and willing to throw himself without much thought.

The pay-off, of course, is Wolverine's regular ability to slice through competition like a warm knife through butter.

Silver Samurai is a skilled warrior and master swordsman. He can almost certainly match Wolverine's mastery of combat, and possibly even surpass it on fundamentals. That said, he is just a man, and no matter how many times you stab him in the gut, or punch him in the head, Wolverine keeps coming back.

Ultimately, I would have to acknowledge Wolverine as the likely victor here, but I'd have to say two times out of five, Silver Samurai would get the win there.

Overall: Wolverine 26 (+2)
The Pick: Wolverine

What went down...
This fight's somewhat peculiar in that, for the most part, it's silent.
Rather than the exchange of dialogue we're used to seeing here, Daniel Way writes a nine page fight that's told entirely through visuals and Wolverine's inner monologues/narration.

It actually reads a bit like one of the less boring entries here, to be honest, peppered with characterization and plot, rather than references to Aquaman beating Namor [Curses!].

So, anyway... Wolverine shifts back, smiling as he narrowly avoids decapitation by the swinging blade of the Silver Samurai.

The Samurai is smart enough to recognise his advantage of reach, avoiding close quarters fighting due to Wolverine's fairly clear edge of six skilled adamantium claws. So, credit to Way for writing with a contemporary respect for logic.

The two engage in a series of acrobatics; the Samurai ducks a claw slash, Wolverine jumps a sword swing.
Wolvie manages to get a boot in, but the Silver Samurai is able to recover mid-air, sommersaulting through into a fighting stance. Wolverine enjoys the sport.

At a stalemate, the stakes raise along with what may or may not be an unheard literal conversation between the two. Silver Samurai answers with "a real showstopper."

Silver Samurai closes in, impaling the Wolverine on his blade. Ouch!

Ever the warrior, Wolverine grimaces for a moment, but has the piece of mind to consider exactly how one disarms a samurai. If you don't want to know the answer, scroll down really quickly nnnnn... now!

"Permanently."

Wolverine pulls the blade from his gut, and returns it to the kneeling samurai. He leaves him with honor.

The hammer...
Despite taking a sword to the gut, Wolverine takes this one.
One of the perks of a mutant healing factor is probably not going down to mere samurai swords through the liver.

Apparently this is an honorable conclusion.
I don't know the ins and outs of the rules of seppuku, but from what I hear, Silver Samurai shows up in New Avengers sometime soon, so we'll take Wolvie's word for it.

Though only a relatively small percentage of the book, I have to admit, I picked this up solely for a kick ass fight. A fight worth of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, and it's a good thing too, because on story, it does not really deliver.

I haven't really followed along with the whole origin situation, but what's presented in this and the other issue of this arc I have suggests he's really in no greater position than previously. In fact, reminiscent of scenes from the nineteen nineties, he seems to be following clues for greater understanding, only this time the clues revolve less around the tired Weapon X plotline, and instead relies on something more vague.

Not to rag further on the Wolverine book at this point, but there are very few artistic incentives on offer here, also.

My scans perhaps do an injustice to what is there, but JD Smith's colours and Texeira's inks are not an attractive sight. The artwork is rough, while lacking any kind of balancing artistic approach, resulting in something that at times almost looks rushed.

Likewise, the muddy dark colour palette that's been popular with artists like David Finch, does little to lift the art, or present a striking image.
Which is in unfortunate stark contrast to the sleek, minimalist cover by Kaare Andrews. A cover that makes me wish this prominent storyarc for a franchise-player like Wolverine could've gotten a higher treatment.

The fight is suitable, and as I said, having come from reviewing and indulging in the more cardboard tendencies of the seventies, the logic of this fight is refreshing. It's willing to present the battle in exaggerated, but slightly less superheroic terms. The exchange is presented with some thought paid to strategy and the thought processes of the characters.

It does, however, completely omit any contribution to the story that the exchange between these two characters might have. It's here that perhaps Origins & Endings fails where a similar issue of Enemy of the State, might not.

Great to have a character like Silver Samurai on the site, though!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 3.5