Comic tie-ins to franchises in other mediums have a notoriously bad reputation. Sometimes you get some cheesy fun ones like Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator, but there are very few good ones that are not continuations of the original property. Prequel comics, especially, are seen as not being very good by virtue of having to end at a specific place for the primary vehicle for the franchise to start at. So does Injustice: Gods Among Us, a comic, based on a video game, based on various comic franchises, work where others have failed? Find out with your Major Spoilers review!
Injustice: Gods Among Us #1
Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Jheremy Raapack
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
JUSTICE TO THE SOURCE MATERIAL
This comic, above all else, stays true to the source material, which is just other comics. Batman feels like Batman, Superman feels like Superman, and the Joker feels like the Joker. This is very important because this means the video game is likely to also mirror the comics in an equally faithful way. In the end, that is the job of having prequel/lead in material, to instill the would be fans with trust in the primary material. It also helps that the story told is a very good one, probably due to the fact that the writer is allowed more liberty in the pocket game-verse this all takes place in, and does not have to keep any kind of status quo outside of that of the video game itself. I was genuinely surprised with where this comic went, and really the seeds of story it sets up to be fully explored later on. I do not want to spoil any particular elements of the story here, because its really just worth reading.
RESIGN THE DESIGNS
The art is very serviceable throughout. There are some really good facial expression in it, which are balanced out by some awkward faces and proportions littered throughout. The color palette is surprisingly bright in contrast to the video game itself, seeming to sport a much darker visual tone from the trailers that have been released so far. The bright tone works too, something about the levels of saturation is very aesthetically pleasing. The biggest point of contention art wise, however, is the suit re-designs.They are taken right from the video game, and while they work more in a 3D environment, most of the heroes’ costumes, with the exception of Superman’s, feel too over designed in a 2D space.
BOTTOM LINE: SOME GREAT MARKETING
In the end this comic is marketing for a bigger thing that the parent company hopes to make more money off of. They have no real stake in weather or not this comic is good because it is just meant to remind us all about the property until the release date. Well, weather on purpose or by happy accident, they ended up making a really good comic. If you were on the fence about getting the game, this will put you firmly in the “buy” camp, or at least it did for me. If you are already going to get the game then this comic is a wonderful little treat to sedate your appetite until release. If you just want a good single issue superhero story, then this is the perfect thing to pick up. Over all, I recommend you go buy this.
[rating: 4/5]DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!
Reader Rating
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10 Comments
I haven’t read the whole thing, but I checked out the preview at CBR and groaned when I saw that they lifted the whole “She’s pregnant/We want you to be the godfather” exchange from the epilogue of Kingdom Come. Blech.
I thought it was a sweet homage, but I could see why it would be groan worthy. I don’t think there are any other things like that in the comic though.
I thought it was awful. I can’t believe DC is letting them do that to Superman and to Superman’s world.
Never mind the Man of Steel comes out this summer and the success of that movie is what will red light/green light the Justice League movie. Never mind people already seem prone to hate on Superman and DC is really trying to make people love him again (what with the Snyder/Lee Superjoint coming out later)
The casual murder of Jimmy Olson and then having Superman kill Lois and their unborn child because he’s been brainwashed? It was really, really off-putting. Never mind that this exists in a separate continuity that has nothing to do with The NEW 52. We now have a comic book where Superman kills Lois and their unborn child. For some people, that will be the Superman they know.
I know they need a reason to make a video game where superheroes beat each other up, but why this? Why this way? Is DC running out of villains that they have to turn their heroes into villains? Do they even need a story? Isn’t it fan service enough to let us pick our favorite heroes and have them duke it out?
I mean just because he does something bad does not mean he will be less popular. Being seen as a moral character is not directly attached to popularity at all. If anything the general opinion of Superman is that he is “too boring” because he doesn’t kill, so this will help with that. Doctor Doom, Deadpool, and Wolverine are all wildly popular and they kill people all the time. I personally do not see anything wrong with trying an alternate take on a character where he is the “bad” guy, it lets you explore the character in a way you couldn’t in the normal continuity. Just my thoughts, but I respect your view.
I understand people think he’s become a boring character. But this isn’t an edgier Superman. He just killed Lois Lane and their unborn child. It crosses a line.
I dare say there would be much more fan outrage if the comic featured Lex Luthor shooting Dick Grayson in the face and then drugging Batman so that he went and killed Alfred and Damian.
MOST superheroes don’t kill. The list of heroes that kill is much shorter than those that don’t. It’s not about that.
Also, the “heroes” you listed are all considered anti-heroes at best (Doctor Doom being a full-fledged villain) and it’s honestly news to me that Doctor Doom is “wildly popular.”
Superman didn’t just “finally kill” Brainiac or Lex Luthor. This comic is essentially Superman’s origin as a supervillain.
Captain America kills, Batman from Batman Beyond kills (well, he more like lets villains die, something OG Batman did not do), Iron Man has killed, Hulk kills, I can’t think of an Avenger outside of Spider-Man that hasn’t killed. Even then Spider-Man has killed in many alternate timelines. Shit happens when you are dealing with gods and super powered beings.
Also, yes, this is Superman becoming a supervillian. That is the entire point.
Honestly I don’t understand why you are mad. The whole point is that this is upsetting. Superman never intended to kill Doomsday but that’s who he saw and then it turns out to be his wife and child, that’s brilliant writing and incredibly tough to swallow. And honestly if they had let Joker survive after he just decimated an entire city I would have thought the Justice League had let the Earth down. How many have to die before its unsafe to allow Joker to live? As for the whole what if it had been Batman and Lex Luthor. I don’t think the reaction would be the same because Superman hasn’t had real tragedy in his life. He didn’t witness the destruction of his planet he just heard about it. So this is much more gripping to see him undergo something horrible and react to it. And furthermore is it really satisfying just to have Superman fighting Shazam, just because… I personally would rather there be a compelling and heart-wrenching story behind it. If anything this writer is doing exactly what he’s paid to do and thats evoke a ton of emotion. I love this story so far, and it’s only made me care about Superman more as he goes through this tragedy.
I’m with you 1000 percent, man! I read the snyposis and I was just disgusted. They are striving so hard tp squeeze every little penny out of these character and they know that “darkness” whatever the hell that actually means, still sells. Even the “Gods Among Us” title is kinda like…dude, really? They’re fucking superheroes. Make a superhero fighting game. They will sell violence and nihlism unti there’s no one to sell to.
I’m with tsfogg I thought this was an absolutely awful comic. I also thought it was about as untrue to the source material as you can get. Other than the costumes the only character than felt remotely familiar was The Joker. The only real take away I had from this book was that the writing in video games hasn’t evolved as much as gamers like to think. I was looking forward to this game, but the ridiculously simple storyline and insultingly blatant attempt to wow readers with the shock value of this utterly preposterous premise have left me thinking I won’t even play it.
If you want to make a game where superheroes and villains fight each other just make the game as good as you can, don’t try and explain it because you’ll come out looking like an absolute amateur. This and DCU Online Legends prove that. However, I do think this comic was not quite as brutal as DCU Online Legends.