Superheroes have been punching each other of their face for many years, and doing that in video video games virtually as lengthy. Each infrequently, the superhero style crosses over into the fighting game space, ensuing within the likes of the Marvel vs. Capcom collection and appreciated jams like Teen Titans: Battle Blitz and X-Males: Kids of the Atom.
Warner Bros. finally acquired in on that motion with 2008’s Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe from Halfway. 5 years later and following a rebrand to NetherRealm, a second try was made with Injustice. The unique recreation, Gods Amongst Us, launched on April 16, 2013 with what was then the groundbreaking story pitch of resistance chief Batman and dictator Superman combating one another and conscripting varied DC characters to affix their respective sides. That alone can be a considerable hook, however the recreation went even additional by having the alt-universe Batman name in a Justice League from a separate universe (aka, the “appropriate” one the place Superman isn’t evil) to assist out with the resistance effort.
On the time earlier than its launch, it wasn’t absolutely clear simply what to make of Injustice 1. Actually a part of that was its elevator pitch; its alt-universe tackle DC characters appeared virtually groanworthy, notably when its “Evil Superman” hook was revealed to have been incited by him killing his pregnant spouse Lois Lane (on accident) and the Joker (intentional). Past that, NetherRealm had solely simply righted the ship of its Mortal Kombat franchise with the 2011 reboot, and MK vs. DC having a combined response from critics and gamers alike. With Gods Amongst Us, the reception was rather more favorable, with reward for each its story and gameplay mechanics.
DC appeared to know that NetherRealm had successful on its palms, and did what it might to promote Injustice as greater than a easy alternate universe. Months earlier than the discharge of Gods Amongst Us, it launched a comic book prequel collection from Tom Taylor and Jeremy Raapack. The comedian continued for years following the sport’s launch below a unique artistic staff, whereas persevering with to sketch out the world. It helped that the problems launched in cheaper bite-sized chunks on-line earlier than coming in bodily codecs, permitting DC to hit audiences who won’t have in any other case gone to a comic book retailer to select it up.
The attract of Injustice varies for everybody, however I believe the final draw comes from how a lot it commits to its personal nonsense. Like with Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm managed to key in on the inherent attraction of turning superhero brawls into much more bombastic wrestling matches, and allowed that dumb vitality to run by way of all components of the sport. It’s extra noticeable in 2017’s Injustice 2; from the sport’s customization choices to the way in which characters banter forwards and backwards, all of it feels prefer it’s taking part in within the juvenile area that makes cape comics so endearing. Sure, it’s a little bit tousled when Superman melts Shazam’s mind or Tim Drake dies 5 seconds after being reunited with Batman…nevertheless it’s additionally kinda humorous, proper?
Once more, DC appears to suppose so. Not solely did it launch one other comedian e-book collection that stuffed within the narrative between the 2 Injustice video games, it went even additional with a comic book e-book crossover involving He-Man and getting each the Ninja Turtles and Hellboy to pop into Injustice 2 as visitor characters. In 2021, Warner Bros. launched an animated film adaptation of the unique recreation, and Evil Superman has just lately popped up within the orbit of Superman’s son Jon Kent from the principle DC Comics universe. Makes an attempt have additionally been made to copy Injustice’s success, to some extent or one other. The latest alt-universe tales DCeased and Darkish Knights of Metal (each written by Taylor and respectively drawn by Trevor Hairsine and Yasmine Putri) really feel like they’re taking part in in an identical area, deliberately or in any other case. Time will inform if both of these take off in the identical means, although.
It wouldn’t totally be improper to say Injustice is the healthiest sub-franchise of DC’s secure, if solely as a result of nobody at Warner Bros. appears to be enormously overthinking it. Past that, the collection’ finest asset could be that it got here within the mid-2010s. Dickhead Superman felt quaint again then, and it additionally got here out months earlier than Man of Metal made the concept of discussing a jerk Clark an exhausting prospect. Had the sport come out years later, there’s a very good probability it nonetheless would’ve thrived; NetherRealm makes typically nice work, and other people like taking part in video games the place they’ll punch their buddies into or by way of partitions. However not in contrast to an skilled within the combating recreation group, NetherRealm noticed a gap with Injustice to hit onerous and never let up one bit.
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