Injustice: Gods among Us is now on it’s 4th year story arc in comic book form and the First and Second Year story arcs are out in trade book form. I’ve been dedicatedly following it since last year when I randomly picked up the First Year in trade form. I was instantly hooked and without a doubt, it’s the one comic I really look forward to coming out each week.
Those of you that play videogames are probably all aware that Injustice: Gods Among Us was first brought out as a fighter game, where you can pick your favourite characters from the Justice League to fight it out. Injustice: Gods among Us ‘s comic book series is the prequel story that was originally meant to lead up to the Injustice: Gods among Us video game storyline. As I haven’t played the video game however, I hope that due to it’s popularity the comic book will continue on and complete the entire story, including the plot of the video game.
The story arcs are broken into Years 1, 2, 3 and we’re currently on Year 4. These represent the number of years since Superman decides to set up a new world order and becomes defacto dictator to the world. He is supported by Wonder Woman and leads the Justice League. Batman however is against his new reign, and starts a rebellion that splits heroes into two camps. In this sense, it feels a lot like Marvel’s Civil War. I would say however that I enjoy the clash between Batman and Superman a lot more than I did with Iron Man and Captain America.
This comes down to the fact Super Man changes so much from his original personality, the tragic events that lead him to believe the world needs to be ruled over with an iron (or should I say steel?) hand is understandable and makes you empathise with him. Iron Man however has always been arrogant, and therefore calls for less sympathy. In the same juxtaposition, Batman working underground from the shadows as a hero/antihero, works a lot better than Captain America, purely because I can really believe Batman is able to handle that situation.
The side characters also have a wide variety of story arcs, and there isn’t simply black and white teams. It’s interesting seeing an evil(?) superman interact with them, and also seeing everyone’s alliances and choices. For instance, I was shocked by what happened with Green Lantern, and in turn also surprised by Wonder Woman’s actions at the appearance of Zeus. Harley Quinn has also got a great role, and her banter with Green Arrow is fantastic.
As for the storyline, when I first read the comic I hadn’t realised that it was a prequel to a video game. In that sense, the comic starts out in a way that completely explains everything and you are able to enjoy it just as any other comic book. The plot line I felt moved at a great pace, there is a lot of action and drama and each issue ends on a cliffhanger. The artwork varies but I personally enjoy it a lot.
I don’t want to give away too much, but Injustice: Gods among Us has kept me interested for a long time, and I really do recommend it. So go and check it out now and then come back and tell me what you think!