When the Joker manipulates Superman into murdering his wife Lois Lane and their unborn child, the Man of Steel vows to rid the world of villainy for good. This quest leads Superman astray as he veers away from heroism and towards tyranny, while his one-time ally Batman builds a rebellion to stop him.
Injustice: Gods Among Us chronicles the events leading up to the bestselling video game of the same name. Written by Tom Taylor, this collection caters to both fans of the seminal fighting game and of the comics.
When Injustice: Gods Among Us hit shelves in the spring of 2013, it opened to rave reviews and proved that DC Comics' pantheon of superheroes make for compelling video game fighters. The narrative used in the games explored a reality where Superman goes off the rails and becomes the dictatorial ruler of Earth. Sadly, this plot is not unfamiliar to longtime fans. We've seen it before in the cartoon Justice League, with the character Ultraman and it also borrowed from the iconic Kingdom Come. That's why it must have been a daunting task for Tom Taylor to come along and write a compelling story that doesn't feel reductive of what's been done before.
While the individual elements of the story may not be wholly original, Taylor's emotional approach to the material gives the reader the ability to sympathize with the characters. The death of Lois Lane and the destruction of Metropolis hits Superman hard, so hard that it should be enough to affect the reader. It's not difficult to feel the same emotions Superman is feeling, particularly his rage towards the Joker. That's why his murder of the Joker is both terrifying and satisfying. We're seeing the degradation of Superman through an event that many have called for over the years. After all, how many have died at the hands of the Joker? This is what makes Taylor's writing so compelling. He's determined to lead with characterization and works well within the themes woven into the material.
While it's easy to sympathize with Superman, Taylor's approach to all of the characters isn't as worthy of praise. His characterization of Wonder Woman as a hyper-aggressive bloodthirsty warrior who seems eager to push Superman towards tyranny is as confusing as it is distasteful. Fans of the Amazing Amazon will be left scratching their head and wondering why such a usually pleasant heroine is now a hair's width away from being a supervillain. She is perhaps at her most unlikeable during a sequence in which she attacks Aquaman (mostly) unprovoked.
Wonder Woman is not the only flaw in Taylor's writing. There are a lot of characters present and not all of them add something extra to the story. The Justice League come across as fairly generic as they mindlessly go along with Superman's plans, though Taylor does eventually redeem himself with the Flash during a rather memorable sequence in which he realizes what's gone wrong. At the same time, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't actually pretty great to see cameos from characters that never appeared in the games. Notably, we see Cheetah, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Huntress and Black Canary.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is just as much about the degradation of Superman as it is about how some of Earth's heroes rise to the occasion of fighting oppression, even when that oppression comes from Earth's greatest heroes. It should be no surprise that Batman is posited as the hero of the story, but what is surprising is just how well Catwoman comes across. Her dialogue with Superman points out some serious flaws with his view on crime, while her alliance with Batman is handled really well. Another character that Taylor helped to shine was Harley Quinn. Though she does very little within the narrative, her dialogue is punchy and zany, which is perfect for her persona.
For fans of Injustice: Gods Among Us, this collection will be a treat as it fills in the blanks rather well when it comes to what is left out during the game's story mode. Taylor's writing is on point, despite his questionable characterization of Wonder Woman, and the art is gorgeous at its most consistent. Even those with only a little working knowledge of these characters will be able to follow the story, making this graphic novel extremely accessible to newer readers, especially those who are only familiar with DC Comics' adaptations.
RATING: B+
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