Wait a minute. I haven't played Last of Us yet, but you're citing Batman as an example of serious, intense, brutal battles? Every thug in Batman is as dumb as a brick, and has the eyesight and hearing of my deceased grandma.
Don't get me wrong, I admire the unique gameplay of the Arkham games. But let's not pretend that you ever feel in danger in those games. From what I've read, Last of Us makes you frequently feel like you may be on your last limbs. It's the opposite of feeling like Batman.
The poster he was referring to originally cited it as the best melee combat, even if he meant it as more the animation impact vs. actual gameplay complexity. The melee itself is pretty close to the dragon age 2 A to Awesome gifs, there is no nuance to it at all.
The animations are certainly appropriately brutal, though.