Review: Injustice - Gods Among Us Vol. 2

As Superman's crusade to end terror picks up traction, the world's greatest heroes flock to his side in a show of support for his aggressive stance against supervillains. But not everyone is happy with the Man of Steel's new initiative. 

Batman and a small group of insurgents are eager to undermine Superman's efforts. They're willing to do whatever it takes to make him see the error in his ways, but can only do so if Batman lays all his cards on the table. Can the famously secretive Dark Knight let them in?

In this volume, Tom Taylor continues his electric run on this comic book prequel to the best-selling video game Injustice: Gods Among Us, delivering action galore and plenty of character development. 

Tragically, some of the issues I had in the first volume are still present. He fails to understand the complexities of Wonder Woman's character and paints her as a manipulative Lady Macbeth, who pushes Superman towards villainy. Her thirst for violence is sure to make any Wonder Woman fan uncomfortable. This is not the Diana we all know and love. By the end of this volume, you're left only with antipathy towards her.

Comparatively speaking, it's much easier to understand why and how Superman is turning towards despotism. He's lost so much and is fearful of losing what little he has left. Taylor takes the time to flesh out his character and, for better or worse, it's necessary for Superman to play the role of the antagonist. The same cannot be said for Wonder Woman.

Despite my rather low opinion of Taylor's treatment of Wonder Woman, I must say that he's spot-on with just about everything else. While the story itself owes a lot to Kingdom Come, it's his knack for writing compelling dialogue that makes reading Injustice: Gods Among Us so exciting. 

The scenes between Batman and Catwoman are among some of the best in this collection, as they show a tender side to both the Dark Knight and the Feline Fatale. Catwoman may be a thief, but being heroic seems to come naturally to her. As such, it's truly fascinating to see her in a role where she is essentially Batman's righthand. It's a clever juxtaposition, as Taylor posits her and Batman as the doubles for Superman and Wonder Woman. What's especially brilliant is how the former typically represent the darkness, whereas the latter represent the light, but it's reversed in this particular story.

However, the real scene stealers in Injustice are Green Arrow and Black Canary. Their banter is sheer perfection. It's funny, it's sexy, it's playful and it's totally on point for this pairing. While I may not be the biggest fan of them as a couple, Taylor really makes me love them here. Black Canary never takes Green Arrow too seriously and consistently keeps him on his toes, something which adds a punch of colour to an otherwise ominously dark storyline. 

Beyond all of that, they also serve a very special function. They are a couple we can invest in and relate to, thus becoming the emotional core of this particular part in the narrative. They get caught in the crosshairs in the battle between Batman and Superman, which ultimately leads to a shocking (not so shocking if you played the game) and gut-wrenching death. Taylor writes this so beautifully and tragically that you can't help but feel moved by it.

As much as I'd like to criticize Injustice: Gods Among Us for its characterization of Wonder Woman, it's hard for me not to get sucked into the overall story. Taylor expertly crafts a compelling narrative that elicits an emotional response from his readers. Yes, Superman and Wonder Woman are incredibly arrogant and are completely unlikeable, but that only makes it that much more satisfying when they finally get their comeuppance. The ultimate battle between Batman and Superman makes all of the nitpicks melt away, especially given the surprise twist at the end. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us is like a good popcorn blockbuster. It's action-packed, full of incredible fight scenes and enough explosions to put a Michael Bay movie to shame, but it's got a heart and soul that will keep readers invested.

Rating: B+

Review: Injustice - Gods Among Us Vol. 1

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+

Review: Killer Frost, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            To some, the inclusion of DC Comics villainess Killer Frost in Injustice: Gods Among Us was a bit of a head-scratcher. Though she may be remembered for appearances she’s made in cartoons, the character has always been strictly D-list in the comics. Nevertheless, she’s a character who can translate well to a fighting game if given the right gameplay. Unfortunately, Killer Frost becomes the video game equivalent to a peg-warmer in Injustice.

            NetherRealm has had a lot of time to perfect the fighting style of a character that uses ice as a power with Sub-Zero from their flagship game Mortal Kombat and yet they didn’t seem to put that to practice with Killer Frost. Frost’s gameplay depends entirely on the user’s capability to create and utilize her ice attacks. She is able to freeze enemies and create ice daggers and swords. This is vaguely reminiscent of Sub-Zero’s moveset but somehow feels subpar in comparison. Her list of moves seems hopelessly small since her fighting style leaves little room for her user to improvise. Further more, Killer Frost’s ruthlessness only vaguely comes across in her super move where she summons a rather nasty ice trap for her opponent. Still, more work should have been done on her character. The original Killer Frost was motivated to absorb heat from others to sustain herself so why not base an attack around that? She’s a character with a lot of potential but it was sadly not fully realized.

            As with most of the females and the majority of the villains in the game, Killer Frost is but an accessory to the narrative. She crops up here and there as an opponent to fight in the story mode but no time is spent attempting to give her motive or any spotlight. Visually, her default look is based entirely off of the Louise Lincoln version of the character and features her in a nicely designed blue bodice with matching glovelets and boots with fur trim. Her alternate is more punk-inspired as it involves a rather cool looking mohawk (pun intended).

            The decision to include Killer Frost in Injustice: Gods Among Us is a bit of a disappointment. While it’s nice to include lesser known characters, it’s also best to include as many A-listers as you can. As such, some of DC Comics’ most devastatingly deceptive villainesses are left out of the game. Wonder Woman’s nemeses Cheetah and Circe aren’t included while Poison Ivy seems unfairly left out since Catwoman and Harley Quinn are in the game. Arguably, Star Sapphire also would have made a more valuable contribution than Killer Frost has. That said, Killer Frost is far from being the worst fighter in the game. She may be the least interesting of the women but she’s leaps and bounds more useful than a slow poke like Bane or dullard like Cyborg.

Grade: C+

Review: Hawkgirl, Injustice - Gods Among Us

                Made popular by her appearance in the cartoon Justice League, Hawkgirl is the only other female member of the Justice League to appear in Injustice: Gods Among Us alongside Wonder Woman. Like the Amazing Amazon, she is a powerhouse fighter whose style emphasizes her warrior training.

                Hawkgirl is one of the easier characters to get a grasp of in the game. Her fighting style revolves exclusively around her mace and each special move shows off a different way to utilize this medieval weapon. As such, Hawkgirl has good range which makes her extremely versatile. Additionally, Hawkgirl is characterized as a tank in the game which means she can interact with the heavy objects strewn around each stage, enabling her to toss such things as motorcycles and large robots at her opponent. Where developers went wrong with Hawkgirl, however, was in her super move and her character power. Her super move sees her hurling her enemy into the air and delivering two high-powered blows to their body with her mace. It lacks the flare some of the other characters have and denies the character the opportunity to really let her opponent have it with her trademark weapon. In terms of her character power, she was given the passive ability to fly upon pressing the character power button. It’s not a very useful ability as battle is best waged on the ground. A better suggestion for her character power could have been heightening the electricity on her mace to cause additional damage for a short period of time.

                Very little is known of Hawkgirl in her narrative aside from the fact that she’s the first Hawkgirl and that her husband Hawkman has died in the alternate universe ruled by Superman. She’s hardly in the story mode and it’s rather disappointing since that makes her one of the only League members not to receive a chapter in that mode. Luckily, her costuming is at least on point. While her default costume is undoubtedly reminiscent of Kendra Saunders’ Hawkgirl costume it is still stylish and features some interesting textures. Her alternate costume is an Egyptian-inspired costume that’s both regal and badass. Having two great costumes in the game is a luxury most of the other characters don’t have.

                Hawkgirl is a treat to fans of Justice League and DC Comics more generally. They took a risk with a winged character and it paid off to some degree. She’s a brilliant warrior whose mace proves to be a rather fun weapon to toy around with on the battle field but the lack of attention paid to other aspects of the character is disappointing. While she’s hardly the worst female fighter in the game, she’s not the best either leaving her somewhere in the middle.

Grade: B

Review: Raven, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            For a game so focused on DC Comics’ Justice League, it’s surprising that the Teen Titans' Raven would make it onto the initial roster of Injustice: Gods Among Us over veteran Leaguers like Zatanna and Black Canary. Nevertheless, Raven makes for an interesting entry into the fighting game.

            Known as an empath, Raven’s powers have always been relatively difficult to adapt and in Injustice: Gods Among Us they come across more generically as mystical powers. While fighters like Wonder Woman and Catwoman are largely focused on melee assaults, Raven is largely dependant on her magical abilities which transform Raven into a more long-range fighter. She is able to generate projectiles, teleport and bind enemies without having to come into close contact with them. In this way, she’s one of the more defensive characters in the game as well as one of the more technical fighters. In order to utilize her properly, gamers will have to master her moveset. The mystical aspect of her abilities continues over to her super move where she teleports her opponent to a demonic realm where her father Trigon blasts them with a powerful beam. While it’s not one of the more spectacular super moves, it is both creative and pays homage to the character’s background.

            Raven’s status as a Titan carries over to the narrative and is presented as Cyborg’s partner as part of Superman’s Regime. Her narrative largely hinges on the ‘Evil Raven’ trope we’ve seen so often before so it leaves the audience with a feeling of déjà vu. Raven’s appearance is arguably one of the worst in the game. While her default costume pays tribute to her classic look and has a lot of texture to it, developers failed to capture Raven’s unique facial structure and, in their attempts, generated a cringingly masculine visage for Raven. In essence, Raven looks like a really bad drag queen. Since NetherRealm has a history of difficulty capturing the female face, it’s no surprise that one (or several) of the women in the game would suffer from the Mortal Kombat manface syndrome. That said, her chiselled features are much less distracting in her alternate costume as she is presented as demonic in that form. NetherRealm does at least deserve points for making an attempt to capture a different sound for Raven’s voice that fits the style of text used in her earliest appearances versus the emotionless gothic voice she was given in the cartoon.

            Teen Titans fans will no doubt rejoice over Raven’s presence in the game. She’s fairly similar to her comic book counterpart and her cartoon adaptation. Her moveset will also prove to be lots of fun for those willing to work at perfecting their combat with her. While she’s not one of the best females in the game, she’s at least interesting enough to keep more than a handful of people selecting her as their favourite… they’ll just have to ignore the fact that she looks like a man.

Grade: B-

Review: Harley Quinn, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            It’s hard to believe that it’s been 21 years since Harley Quinn was first introduced to us through Batman: The Animated Series and yet there’s no denying that the Joker’s on-again-off-again girlfriend has become one of DC Comics’ most iconic characters in those two short decades. Her latest appearance in the fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us has become yet another in a long line of adaptations which is sure to please her steadily growing group of fans.

            Like her fellow Batman femme fatale Catwoman, Harley Quinn is a wily fighter whose agility and acrobatics are displayed quite cleverly. Fans will be happy to know her trademark mallet makes an appearance and will have them bashing around their opponents with glee. However, the makers of the game took great artistic license with Harley’s character in that the majority of her move-set centres around gun usage. While the character is not unfamiliar with them, it’s never been such an integral part to her fight style before. Of course, Harley comes across much more like a pirate with her revolver than someone like Deathstroke who prefers automatic weaponry. Thankfully, Harley’s signature humour remains. Her super move is a silly little move involving an explosive pie and her character power is an iffy gamble that will either cause Harley to pull out a rose, Joker’s picture or an explosive. Make no mistake though... Harley is not to be trifled with as she’s one of the craftier characters in the game.

            Harley plays an interesting role in the story mode of the game but, just like Catwoman, she gets the short end of the stick. Rather than focus on the Joker, the writers and producers would have been better giving his chapter to Harley Quinn. Yes, the Joker’s more iconic but Harley provided more narrative interest. Appearance-wise, Harley Quinn becomes Whoreley Quinn in a rather eye-roll worthy get-up which is no doubt held together with super strength double-stick tape. However, her alternate costume proves more interesting with its rather badass leather jacket and pant combo. Still, Harley remains the most sexualized of the female characters. Of course, this has become a trend as of late in her video game appearances perhaps merely as an extension of her consistent characterization as a willing victim of abuse.

            Of the female characters in Injustice: Gods Among Us, Harley Quinn ranks high in terms of enjoyment and general badassery. While her lack of a chapter in the story mode is incredibly disappointing and her costumes leave little to the imagination, the character’s core is present and is sure to make her diehard fans happy.

Grade: B+

Review: Catwoman, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            When it comes to iconic comic book females, Catwoman is a name that is sure to cross a few people’s minds. As such, it was really no shock that she made it into Injustice: Gods Among Us. The feline fatale sharpens her claws on her enemies and proves to be a rather seductive thorn in the good guys’ collective sides.

            Agility is at the forefront of Catwoman’s fighting style. As one of the faster characters in the game, she utilizes quick swipes and a few cracks of her whip to rack up the combos. Her claws comprise a large part of what makes her so much fun to play as. They add just the right amount of damage to make you wince at how much pain your opponent must be feeling. The inclusion of her whip is not only expected but also necessary. Since she’s not a character who would use projectiles, the whip closes the gap when she needs to fight long-range. Catwoman’s unique “power” in the game is that she accumulates a tally of scratches throughout the battle which you can put towards unleashing a powerful scratch-happy combo. It’s one of the more useful abilities as it essentially performs like a mini-super combo.

            More generally, the producers of the game fumbled tremendously with Catwoman. They underused her in the story mode and failed to recognize the potential she had within the narrative they established. Rather than explore her perspective in this alternate universe, they chose to keep her in the background. This is especially enraging since there are disposable chapters in the story mode that would have been put to better use had they featured Catwoman. Of course, it’s even more infuriating when you consider the fact that Wonder Woman was the ONLY female to receive a chapter in the story mode. Sexism at its finest, folks. Additionally, it’s quite clear that the writers had no clue who Catwoman is but just had a general idea of how she might act. As such, she’s more of a caricature of Catwoman than anything else. She’s quite obviously in the role typically filled by Wonder Woman’s nemesis Cheetah and is treated as little more than Batman’s love interest. Disappointing. Where they did go right were her costumes. They deserve a standing ovation for carefully tucking Catwoman’s breasts into her costume so she can be taken seriously for once without the eye-roll worthy objectification she is subjected to elsewhere. Her default costume is a fabulous black leather get-up with a corset and metal attachments as claws. Her alternate costume is even better – it’s a purple catsuit with a proper mask! Now, if only we can get DC Comics to put her in it in their comics…

            If you’re looking for a fierce female to kick tons of ass with, look no further than Catwoman. She's fast and tons of fun. However, if you’re a Catwoman fan (like I am) you’ll likely be disappointed by the lack of thought that went into her character.

Grade: A+ (but a big ol’ D for narrative)

Review: Wonder Woman, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            The hotly anticipated DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us is finally here and it’s probably safe to say it’s lived up to expectations. The gameplay is fluid, the story mode is comprehensive and there are plenty of extras available for people to unlock. The roster of the game has been a point of discussion for many but what was never up for discussion was whether Wonder Woman would end up in it or not. She was one of the earliest announced characters and remains part of the elite group of females chosen to be in the game.

            Wonder Woman is one of the more unique characters in Injustice. She is a powerhouse capable of bashing her opponents with heavy objects scattered around the universe and she does all this with incredible grace. The Amazing Amazon has two basic fighting styles. Her default style focuses on dishing out damage with her fists, emphasized by the usage of her tiara, bracelets and lasso. The lasso in this instance operates as a whip and a lariat, giving the gamer a varied range of techniques to choose from. Her other fighting style is a grounded assault based around her sword and shield. This is approach highlights Wonder Woman’s Amazon training. Her Amazon heritage is further weaved into her fight style by the appearance of a few Amazons to help her out in battle during a special move. It’s pretty badass. That said she can be tricky to fight with. Namely, her projectiles (tiara and shield) need to be timed properly in order to connect with their target and she's not as quick as you'd expect. 

            Wonder Woman also has the distinction of being the sole female to receive a chapter within the story mode (insert eye-rolls for the blatant sexism here). She’s fairly well-written and is treated faithfully in that her ideals of truth, love and justice are upheld beautifully. Her appearance, however, in the game is a little iffy at times. She veers too often into drag queen territory as her overall physique is far too top-heavy making her look overly masculine. Still, her costumes are fantastic. Her default costume is a practical option featuring pants. Luckily, it’s a structured look that respects her iconic star-spangled tights but maintains its own originality. Her alternate costume is very fierce. It’s more gladiatorial and truly shows off Wonder Woman’s warrior side.

            Fans of Wonder Woman can rejoice over the treatment she receives in Injustice. She’s the definition of badass but also retains that golden heart she’s so well-known for. She’s the sole female powerhouse in the game and is upheld as one of the League’s essential heroes. Perhaps it’s time we got a Wonder Woman game, hm?

Grade: A-