Superheroes have been punching each other of their face for many years, and doing that in video video games virtually as lengthy. Each now and again, the superhero style crosses over into the fighting game space, ensuing within the likes of the Marvel vs. Capcom sequence and appreciated jams like Teen Titans: Battle Blitz and X-Males: Youngsters 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 sport, 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 numerous DC characters to affix their respective sides. That alone could be a considerable hook, however the sport went even additional by having the alt-universe Batman name in a Justice League from a separate universe (aka, the “right” one the place Superman isn’t evil) to assist out with the resistance effort.
On the time earlier than its launch, it wasn’t totally 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, significantly 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 blended 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 a success on its palms, and did what it may 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 sequence from Tom Taylor and Jeremy Raapack. The comedian continued for years following the sport’s launch below a distinct artistic group, 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 may not 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 overall draw comes from how a lot it commits to its personal nonsense. Like with Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm managed to key in on the inherent enchantment of turning superhero brawls into much more bombastic wrestling matches, and allowed that dumb vitality to run by all components of the sport. It’s extra noticeable in 2017’s Injustice 2; from the sport’s customization choices to the best way characters banter forwards and backwards, all of it feels prefer it’s enjoying within the juvenile house that makes cape comics so endearing. Sure, it’s a bit tousled when Superman melts Shazam’s mind or Tim Drake dies 5 seconds after being reunited with Batman…but it surely’s additionally kinda humorous, proper?
Once more, DC appears to assume so. Not solely did it launch one other comedian e book sequence that crammed 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 sport, and Evil Superman has just lately popped up within the orbit of Superman’s son Jon Kent from the primary DC Comics universe. Makes an attempt have additionally been made to duplicate Injustice’s success, to a point 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 enjoying in an identical house, deliberately or in any other case. Time will inform if both of these take off in the identical manner, although.
It wouldn’t totally be incorrect to say Injustice is the healthiest sub-franchise of DC’s steady, if solely as a result of nobody at Warner Bros. appears to be vastly overthinking it. Past that, the sequence’ 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 great probability it nonetheless would’ve thrived; NetherRealm makes typically nice work, and other people like enjoying video games the place they will punch their buddies into or by partitions. However not in contrast to an skilled within the combating sport neighborhood, NetherRealm noticed a gap with Injustice to hit laborious and never let up one bit.
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