(ThyBlackMan.com) Fight scenes are essential for comics and manga that action or adventure-based. While you can have a series that is an adventure title with no fight scenes, that’s dry. It’s like “Why are we even here and what is this borderline slice of life nonsense parading as an adventure series?” No, give me hot-blooded, action packed fight scenes with plenty of destruction and impactful blows. Here are five comics that have amazing fight scenes!
Shura no Mon
Of the titles on this list, Shura no Mon has the hands down best fight scenes I’ve seen in a series. It’s a martial arts title that starts out like a stock martial arts manga. You’re thinking “Oh, this is straight up karate” or “This is karate with a little razzle dazzle without getting ridiculous.”
For the most part, you’d be right. It doesn’t float clean into ki blast or magic territory but it does build up towards amazing martial arts territory. These guys are doing things that martial artists wouldn’t do but are based on the myths of martial arts.
No, I’m not talking about full on wuxia or anything. Things such as moving so fast that there’s an after image or using chi or ki in such a way that it can break bones and injure opponents. How about kicking so fast that even though a character doesn’t touch their opponent, the wind from their kicks cut them?
Our hero Tsukumo Mutsu is the current master of a style that was created and forged for the sole purpose of killing. His clan’s style wasn’t meant for competition, health, or any of that. It’s an assassin’s style. Shura no Mon and its spin-offs deliver the goods on that.
What also bolsters this is the story and how these fights are drawn out. The art style reminds me of Rumiko Takahashi’s Ranma ½ to a degree. However, this series is all business. The fights are dramatic and dynamic and moves are explained in a way that even though some are fictional, in Shura no Mon’s world they’re not totally impossible.
After busting through Tesshin’s dojo and befriending the old master, his top pupils, and his granddaughter, Mutsu aims to become the best in Japan. Some of the fights he gets into are edge-of-the-seat worthy. Few manga or comics come close to fights that come off as this dramatic.
All-Rounder Meguru
If high drama isn’t that important, then All-Rounder Meguru—which can be dramatic at times—might be up your alley. It’s one of a few manga/manhua/comics/etc that are based on MMA. Not wuxia, not power martial arts, and not single system martial arts.
Young Meguru Takayanagi is a high school student who pursued karate in his youth. He eventually loses contact with the childhood friend who got him to pursue the style. Meguru strays from karate as he got older but eventually found his way back as he joined a small MMA gym, Fighter’s Brew.
Meguru starts to learn different skills and expands his base as a fighter in the amateur ranks but still hasn’t found his own style. He lost quite a bit early on to the point his victories were seen as flukes. His strong point can’t be pinpointed but its believed that it’s either unusual stamina or the ability to quickly adapt to match situations.
So, are the fight scenes in this dope? Yes. They are crescent fresh, folks. All-Rounder Meguru doesn’t have the best pacing but the story is strong and the artwork is great here.
Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru
Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru—or Karate Prince Minoru—is a series about college student Minoru Kohinata who ends up joining his college’s second karate club after being saved by the club’s top fighter. After first, he is slow to show progress in karate but things really open up in the series as he becomes more of a risk-taker who will go for flashy but effective kicks.
The series shows him developing as a karateka, even becoming a black belt and going pro before college is out. He enters the shooto ranks and faces a variety of opponents in heated fights. Yes, it’s a return to high drama because sometimes young Minoru suffers major defeats.
What keeps you in is Minoru’s heart and desire to become a top martial artist. Also, the art style is really good. Nothing unique but for the genre and the fight scenes, it works perfectly.
Hajime no Ippo
Hajime no Ippo is a series that needs no introduction. As a series, everyone and their mama loves it—mainly because of the anime. It’s a boxing series about a kid who had no boxing talent initially but had incredible punching power. He gets into boxing after a local boxer notices him being bullied and takes him back to his gym to recover.
The kid—Ippo Makunouchi—takes on anyone put in front of him and soon goes pro. His goal is to be the best in world and it’s a long road. Like Shura no Mon (which debuted in 1987), Hajime no Ippo is a long running series, debuting in 1989.
Stylistically, it didn’t initially wow me like Shura no Mon did but the fight scenes are incredible. Impact is important in martial arts and martial arts manga and Ippo gets it right each time. The strategy and skills are also explained to the reader and shown in action perfectly.
Hajime no Ippo is one of the best martial arts/sports manga with awesome fight scenes.
Worst
The last series on the list isn’t a martial arts series at all. It’s actually a drama/comedy series that is a part of the long running Crows delinquent franchise. Suzuran High School has had many leaders but has never been unified under one leader. As a result, there have been times when the high school has had trouble with fights from other schools or local gangs.
That all changes when Hana Tsukishima moves from the mountains—or the country—and begins attending Suzuran. Big and extremely powerful with a fearsome punch, Hana fights his way to become the big boss of Suzuran. There’s a lot of conspiracy and fights along the way as other groups and schools want to be number one in city and there is a fear by some that Hana could look beyond Suzuran.
Of course, Hana is actually kind hearted, concerned by his sworn brothers, and only wants to protect Suzuran High School until he graduates and leaves. As far as fight scenes goes, Worst has some of the best I’ve read. They’re nothing fancy but they’re realistic brawls and fist fights.
Worst is well worth the read!
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
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