What do you think?
Rate this book
Injustice: Gods Among Us #1
Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 1
From the makers of Mortal Kombat comes the critically acclaimed prequel comic to the smash hit fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us!
Things in the DC Universe have changed after Superman is tricked into destroying the one thing he loves the most. Now unwilling to let crime go unpunished, the heroes of our world must choose if they are with Superman or against him. But not every country will submit to his new world order and neither will Superman's greatest threat-Batman!
Collects #1-18 of INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US (issues #1-6 in print).
Things in the DC Universe have changed after Superman is tricked into destroying the one thing he loves the most. Now unwilling to let crime go unpunished, the heroes of our world must choose if they are with Superman or against him. But not every country will submit to his new world order and neither will Superman's greatest threat-Batman!
Collects #1-18 of INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US (issues #1-6 in print).
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2013
184 people are currently reading
3288 people want to read
About the author
Tom Taylor
1,337 books1,028 followersOnce a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 677 reviews
February 9, 2017
Based on a video game?
Let's just say I wasn't expecting much.
But I did know the basic storyline of the game, because even though I've never played it, everyone else in my house has.
And if that weren't enough, some random guy in Wal-mart decided to explain the plot to me because he liked my WWBD? shirt.
What can I say? We'reobnoxiously friendly in the south.
Random Nerd thought Injustice was the coolest thing EVAH, so I decided to give it a shot.
Surprisingly, the Random Nerd was right.
Well, it may not be the coolest thing EVAH, but it was certainly entertaining. I was shocked to find myself not only actually engaged in what was going on, but even laughing at some of the jokes.
I get why some people don't like this one, though. Superman's moral compass has gone south, Wonder Woman is teetering on eeeevil, and Batman is the voice of moderation.
So I'm guessing you have to be willing to set aside any preconceived notions of how things would really go down, and treat this like a straight-up What If story.
Which, I'm assuming, it is.
Maybe this won't be everyone's cuppa, but I can't wait to see what happens next.
Let's just say I wasn't expecting much.
But I did know the basic storyline of the game, because even though I've never played it, everyone else in my house has.
And if that weren't enough, some random guy in Wal-mart decided to explain the plot to me because he liked my WWBD? shirt.
What can I say? We're
Random Nerd thought Injustice was the coolest thing EVAH, so I decided to give it a shot.
Surprisingly, the Random Nerd was right.
Well, it may not be the coolest thing EVAH, but it was certainly entertaining. I was shocked to find myself not only actually engaged in what was going on, but even laughing at some of the jokes.
I get why some people don't like this one, though. Superman's moral compass has gone south, Wonder Woman is teetering on eeeevil, and Batman is the voice of moderation.
So I'm guessing you have to be willing to set aside any preconceived notions of how things would really go down, and treat this like a straight-up What If story.
Which, I'm assuming, it is.
Maybe this won't be everyone's cuppa, but I can't wait to see what happens next.
November 27, 2014
A pissed off Superman? That equals a bad day for the Joker.
Superman grows a monster set of balls in this book and pretty much goes a bit cray-cray. I actually liked him a bit in this book though. After going through something really bad he goes on a rampage.
He is joined by Wonder Woman (who is frigging dorky as hell with her mooning over the Blue Boyscout), Flash and several other Justice League heroes.
Batman is one of the only ones that see the Superman might be on a bit of a nutso loop.
Harley Quinn comes into play for some comic relief (yes I love her so shut up)
This is one of the better comics that I've read and now I want to play the game..and games give me freaking headaches...that's how much I liked this book.
Superman grows a monster set of balls in this book and pretty much goes a bit cray-cray. I actually liked him a bit in this book though. After going through something really bad he goes on a rampage.
He is joined by Wonder Woman (who is frigging dorky as hell with her mooning over the Blue Boyscout), Flash and several other Justice League heroes.
Batman is one of the only ones that see the Superman might be on a bit of a nutso loop.
Harley Quinn comes into play for some comic relief (yes I love her so shut up)
This is one of the better comics that I've read and now I want to play the game..and games give me freaking headaches...that's how much I liked this book.
February 15, 2021
Reread 11/16 : Nothing is working today. Nada. Niente. Rien. So I'm hoping Batman does the trick^^
➸ Volume 2 : Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 2 ★★★★★
➸ Volume 3 : Injustice, Year 2, Vol. 1 ★★★★
➸ Volume 4 : Injustice, Year 2, Vol. 2 ★★★
SO FULL OF WIN.
★ I feel like I'm a broken record to repeat this again, but well, that's true, I'm not a comics person by any means. In the last months I started some amazing series thanks to my fantabulous friend Kat - b-but a story about several superheroes? Well, that's not my thing. The fact is, in the superheroes arena, I always loved Batman and the darkness oozing from him (I grew up with Burton's movies) and ... That's about all. Of course I can enjoy a superhero movie from time to time, but comics? Nope.
★ So, see these 5 stars? Yeah? They are the proof that I was wrong. Many superheroes blended together in a story can be a fucking great idea, if the twist followed is fascinating, that is ... And it was definitely the case here.
➊ The plot is fucking fantastic, and I was hooked from the moment I read the blurb. I mean, look at this!
"Now, the Last Son of Krypton is enforcing peace on Earth by any means necessary. Only one man stands between Superman and absolute power : Batman. The Dark Knight will use any method at his disposal to stop his former friend from reshaping the world in his shattered image..."
Doesn't it look amazing? Because trust me, IT IS. Now, I always hated perfect bright Superman and I belong to the annoying group of persons who find ridiculous that nobody recognizes him (I mean, he doesn't wear a mask for fuck sake!). Therefore you can imagine my reaction while reading the blurb : Superman on the dark side? I was ecstatic.
It is dark. It is twisted. It is original. Just read it already!
➋ What about the characters? Well, now, the characters ooze awesomeness by every pore. Indeed they are fleshed-out, complex, multi-layered, ambiguous on the morality front, strong (both men and WOMEN) and their dialogues are hilarious. Talk about a bunch of WIN.
➌ The art is beautiful... And serves the dark side brilliantly.
► Bravo. I laughed. I was breathless. I felt. Bravo.
PS : ↓ I ship them so hard. ↓
Again, thank you Kat ♥ You rock!
Logo flash : http://kellcandido.deviantart.com/art...
For more of my reviews, please visit:
August 4, 2016
Well, the storytelling isn't exactly subtle. How do you wring a little passion out of the usually so even-tempered and statesman-like Superman? Try blowing up Metropolis with a nuclear bomb, then tricking him into killing Lois Lane as well as their unborn child, and finally kidnapping Ma and Pa Kent just to wrap things up in style. Yep, that’ll get the job done - subtle it ain't, but it definitely wrings some emotion out of Big Blue. And it sums up Tom Taylor’s sledgehammer approach to storytelling throughout the book.
It’s all a bit overblown and heavy-handed, but that does not prevent Taylor from raising interesting questions: What if Superman - shaken by those horrible events - took his superheroics to the next level? What if he came to the conclusion that it is no longer enough to just save the world over and over again? What if he decided that the world instead needs to be permanently changed? For the better, of course… and who could possibly be more qualified to decide what’s best for us than Superman himself, right? With a little help from his super-friends, that is. What would a world controlled by a more authoritarian, proactive brand of superhero look like?
Injustice: Gods among Us aims to be nothing less than a revisionary superhero text in the tradition of Alan Moore’s Watchmen, Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come, and Warren Ellis’ The Authority. Compared especially to a masterpiece like Watchmen, though, Taylor’s effort feels a little rough around the edges and half-baked. Still, I like it when a superhero comic book gets ambitious, and I am certainly intrigued enough to keep reading. In fact, this first volume turned out to be a bit of a page-turner for me.
It’s all a bit overblown and heavy-handed, but that does not prevent Taylor from raising interesting questions: What if Superman - shaken by those horrible events - took his superheroics to the next level? What if he came to the conclusion that it is no longer enough to just save the world over and over again? What if he decided that the world instead needs to be permanently changed? For the better, of course… and who could possibly be more qualified to decide what’s best for us than Superman himself, right? With a little help from his super-friends, that is. What would a world controlled by a more authoritarian, proactive brand of superhero look like?
Injustice: Gods among Us aims to be nothing less than a revisionary superhero text in the tradition of Alan Moore’s Watchmen, Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come, and Warren Ellis’ The Authority. Compared especially to a masterpiece like Watchmen, though, Taylor’s effort feels a little rough around the edges and half-baked. Still, I like it when a superhero comic book gets ambitious, and I am certainly intrigued enough to keep reading. In fact, this first volume turned out to be a bit of a page-turner for me.
August 10, 2016
so Superman gets really mad and sad and gains a whole new perspective on things after the Joker decides to play a joke on him. the joke involves Lois Lane and all of Metropolis. this is the Joker so the joke is rather more upsetting than funny.
Wonder Woman decides to give Superman some moral support in his new crusade against evil. this version of Wonder Woman really plays up the violent warrior amazon part of Wonder Woman that has apparently become the norm.
pretty soon most of the super-powered folks get on board with the plan: the Earth. needs. to stop. all the violence. for reals this time. Superman, Wonder Woman, and a bunch of their buddies decide to enforce peace on earth and goodwill towards all.
and what could ever go wrong with a bunch of enormously powerful and often eeeeemooooootional superhero types now in charge of policing the entire world? that is definitely not a recipe for disaster so regular folks should probably just calm down and stop getting upset about personal rights and liberties and stuff.
this was written as a precursor to a video game? color me surprised! I was pretty happy with what I read. it's smart, witty, takes interesting risks, and has some depth to it. the idea of Justice League types deciding to bring peace to the world at all costs has been toyed with since Squadron Supreme and of course Watchmen, so the theme is nothing new. but I'm not sure I've read a fully developed story which shows just how the actual Justice League would go about basically ruling the world. Taylor does a great job in building up to their eventual takeover; their decisions don't feel rushed or arbitrary. he also provides genuine weight to both sides of the argument.
sadly, can't say I was a big fan of the art.
some great bits involving Mirror Master, Harley Quinn, Damian Wayne, Green Arrow, and Raven. my favorite parts: amazingly enough, the scenes involving Aquaman of all people. Injustice really does a lot of great work with this character.
Aquaman in the good ole days:
the Injustice Aquaman is a different kettle of fish:
Wonder Woman decides to give Superman some moral support in his new crusade against evil. this version of Wonder Woman really plays up the violent warrior amazon part of Wonder Woman that has apparently become the norm.
pretty soon most of the super-powered folks get on board with the plan: the Earth. needs. to stop. all the violence. for reals this time. Superman, Wonder Woman, and a bunch of their buddies decide to enforce peace on earth and goodwill towards all.
and what could ever go wrong with a bunch of enormously powerful and often eeeeemooooootional superhero types now in charge of policing the entire world? that is definitely not a recipe for disaster so regular folks should probably just calm down and stop getting upset about personal rights and liberties and stuff.
this was written as a precursor to a video game? color me surprised! I was pretty happy with what I read. it's smart, witty, takes interesting risks, and has some depth to it. the idea of Justice League types deciding to bring peace to the world at all costs has been toyed with since Squadron Supreme and of course Watchmen, so the theme is nothing new. but I'm not sure I've read a fully developed story which shows just how the actual Justice League would go about basically ruling the world. Taylor does a great job in building up to their eventual takeover; their decisions don't feel rushed or arbitrary. he also provides genuine weight to both sides of the argument.
sadly, can't say I was a big fan of the art.
some great bits involving Mirror Master, Harley Quinn, Damian Wayne, Green Arrow, and Raven. my favorite parts: amazingly enough, the scenes involving Aquaman of all people. Injustice really does a lot of great work with this character.
Aquaman in the good ole days:
the Injustice Aquaman is a different kettle of fish:
November 9, 2014
CRAZED FANGIRL MODE: ACTIVATED
Injustice: Gods Among Us was incredible. I'm completely smitten. It left me speechless with my emotions warring inside me. You don't understand how much I love this graphic novel. I could just live off it. It's like my personal brand of oxygen. Everything I've ever wanted in a graphic novel, every character I've ever wanted, all of them in ONE BOOK. I can feel my heart elating right now.
This book is based on a video game, a prequel to it. I haven't played the game yet but I'm pretty sure that one day I will be destroying my eyeballs playing it! If the prequel was so damn good, I wonder how awesome the game would be. And it is not at all necessary for you to know about the game before you read this. Just go buy it already!
As you can clearly see by the cover, this book is a delicious spin on a Justice League story and obviously that means it contains the coolest and most kickass characters ever!
Impressed yet? I bet you are.
So, now you're interested to know what the whole story is about or at least, a few snippets about it before actually committing yourself to buy this epic graphic novel. I would love to tell you the juicy details and the spoil the shit out of you but I'm going to restrain myself. You know how hard that is when you're so crazy about something and you just want to go screaming 'You know this happened and then, that happened and then I just died!'
But me is a good girl and here's a non- spoiler-ish gist of the story line for you!
You know how they say that even the most honest of men can get corrupted? Something like that happens here. Some terrible, terrible things happen and leaves terrible after effects. There are a group of people who believe in one thing and another group who believe in something else. And now you're stuck in the middle trying to understand who is right and who is wrong or whether all of them are wrong or whether all of them are right in some way.
This book questions a lot of things we believe and take for granted and it is actually very deep. I guess that's also one of the main reasons why I love it so much. It shows you how much power can corrupt you, how much it can change others around you and how much it will make you believe that you're right in some way.
I also have to warn you that some of the characters in this book may not be like how they are portrayed in other comics, movies and tv-shows. This book just expands all of these famous characters past all their barriers. It portrays them on a new level. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every single character and I loved how they were portrayed here.
The artwork was fantastic and very eye-catching. The dialogues were witty, funny and also sometimes, emotionally draining. The story line will always keep you hooked and you will always be like 'What is going to happen?!'
I also very much enjoyed the banter between Harley Quinn and Arrow.
I kind of miss these characters now. I'm currently just looking up random pictures of Arrow, Superman, Batman and Joker. I guess this is one of the after-effects of devouring this book all at once (even though I did take it a bit slow).
Let's make a check-list now:
Swoon-worthy cover ✓
Eye-catching graphics ✓
Fantastic characterizations ✓
Witty dialogues ✓
Brilliant story line ✓
Trust me, folks, that is all you need. This book will provide you pure, unadulterated entertainment. It will give you new insight on your favourite characters, it will make your heart go thudthudthudthudthudthudthud and in the end it will leave you reeling for more.
This book is recommended to every human being residing on planet Earth and if you're reading it on some other planet, yeah then for you too. The undead, the supernatural creatures, etcetera, if you guys are out there feel free to pick this epic, masterpiece of a graphic novel any time!
Injustice: Gods Among Us was incredible. I'm completely smitten. It left me speechless with my emotions warring inside me. You don't understand how much I love this graphic novel. I could just live off it. It's like my personal brand of oxygen. Everything I've ever wanted in a graphic novel, every character I've ever wanted, all of them in ONE BOOK. I can feel my heart elating right now.
This book is based on a video game, a prequel to it. I haven't played the game yet but I'm pretty sure that one day I will be destroying my eyeballs playing it! If the prequel was so damn good, I wonder how awesome the game would be. And it is not at all necessary for you to know about the game before you read this. Just go buy it already!
As you can clearly see by the cover, this book is a delicious spin on a Justice League story and obviously that means it contains the coolest and most kickass characters ever!
Impressed yet? I bet you are.
So, now you're interested to know what the whole story is about or at least, a few snippets about it before actually committing yourself to buy this epic graphic novel. I would love to tell you the juicy details and the spoil the shit out of you but I'm going to restrain myself. You know how hard that is when you're so crazy about something and you just want to go screaming 'You know this happened and then, that happened and then I just died!'
But me is a good girl and here's a non- spoiler-ish gist of the story line for you!
"Yesterday we lost the city of tomorrow."
You know how they say that even the most honest of men can get corrupted? Something like that happens here. Some terrible, terrible things happen and leaves terrible after effects. There are a group of people who believe in one thing and another group who believe in something else. And now you're stuck in the middle trying to understand who is right and who is wrong or whether all of them are wrong or whether all of them are right in some way.
This book questions a lot of things we believe and take for granted and it is actually very deep. I guess that's also one of the main reasons why I love it so much. It shows you how much power can corrupt you, how much it can change others around you and how much it will make you believe that you're right in some way.
I also have to warn you that some of the characters in this book may not be like how they are portrayed in other comics, movies and tv-shows. This book just expands all of these famous characters past all their barriers. It portrays them on a new level. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every single character and I loved how they were portrayed here.
The artwork was fantastic and very eye-catching. The dialogues were witty, funny and also sometimes, emotionally draining. The story line will always keep you hooked and you will always be like 'What is going to happen?!'
I also very much enjoyed the banter between Harley Quinn and Arrow.
I kind of miss these characters now. I'm currently just looking up random pictures of Arrow, Superman, Batman and Joker. I guess this is one of the after-effects of devouring this book all at once (even though I did take it a bit slow).
Let's make a check-list now:
Swoon-worthy cover ✓
Eye-catching graphics ✓
Fantastic characterizations ✓
Witty dialogues ✓
Brilliant story line ✓
Trust me, folks, that is all you need. This book will provide you pure, unadulterated entertainment. It will give you new insight on your favourite characters, it will make your heart go thudthudthudthudthudthudthud and in the end it will leave you reeling for more.
This book is recommended to every human being residing on planet Earth and if you're reading it on some other planet, yeah then for you too. The undead, the supernatural creatures, etcetera, if you guys are out there feel free to pick this epic, masterpiece of a graphic novel any time!
January 3, 2015
4.5 stars
I've been trying to broaden my reading horizons lately and have always been interested in graphic novels and superheroes. I didn't know where to start, so I asked the lovely Kat Stark for some recs and this was one of them.
Injustice is one of the most interesting plots I've read this year! Basically one of the members of the Justice League (to remain unnamed) experiences a personal tragedy, and over time begins to evolve into the villain he always sought to destroy.
I picked this book up and literally could not put it down until the end. There were quite a few superhero references that went over my head, because I could not recognize the characters by sight. But I was able to deduce most of the relationships and such fairly easily.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship between Harley Quinn and Green Arrow, with banter between them causing me to literally smile every single time I saw them on the page. The pony and mustache jokes were also very much appreciated. I also enjoyed learning more about The Flash and Wonder Woman, two superheroes I've never given much attention to before.
I was a bit confused on some aspects, whether or not they were always a plot, or just specific to this timeline. I was scratching my head at some parts from my own verse ignorance, and this is why I didn't give it a perfect 5 star rating.
For example, has Wonder Woman always had the hots for Superman? And Batman has children? And who was the ocean guy? B/c at first I thought he was Aquaman, but I couldn't really tell....
Overall I thought this was an amazing story and am eager to see where the story leads. Unfortunately my local library doesn't have a copy, so it may be a while before I read the next one.
***Thanks again for the rec Kat!***
I've been trying to broaden my reading horizons lately and have always been interested in graphic novels and superheroes. I didn't know where to start, so I asked the lovely Kat Stark for some recs and this was one of them.
Injustice is one of the most interesting plots I've read this year! Basically one of the members of the Justice League (to remain unnamed) experiences a personal tragedy, and over time begins to evolve into the villain he always sought to destroy.
I picked this book up and literally could not put it down until the end. There were quite a few superhero references that went over my head, because I could not recognize the characters by sight. But I was able to deduce most of the relationships and such fairly easily.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship between Harley Quinn and Green Arrow, with banter between them causing me to literally smile every single time I saw them on the page. The pony and mustache jokes were also very much appreciated. I also enjoyed learning more about The Flash and Wonder Woman, two superheroes I've never given much attention to before.
I was a bit confused on some aspects, whether or not they were always a plot, or just specific to this timeline. I was scratching my head at some parts from my own verse ignorance, and this is why I didn't give it a perfect 5 star rating.
For example, has Wonder Woman always had the hots for Superman? And Batman has children? And who was the ocean guy? B/c at first I thought he was Aquaman, but I couldn't really tell....
Overall I thought this was an amazing story and am eager to see where the story leads. Unfortunately my local library doesn't have a copy, so it may be a while before I read the next one.
***Thanks again for the rec Kat!***
September 5, 2013
Oh, DC - I’m starting to think we should split up and see other people.
It’s gotten to a point now that DC can fudge up their characters as much as they want to and I no longer care. Justice League - one of the worst incarnations ever. Justice League of America - staggeringly, even worse. Trinity War - easily the worst Event comic I’ve ever read. Most of the New 52 - absolute garbage.
So when I read Injustice: Gods Among Us and discovered that it too was a terrible comic - among the worst published in 2013 - I was spent on outrage. I no longer want to write long reviews on how badly handled this latest offering from DC was, how bungled were the characters, the plot, near every detail in the comic, adding up to an underwhelming and utterly superficial book - no. No, I’ll keep this brief (by my standards) because, besides a few titles by writers I know can produce great work at DC, I’ve all but given up on the prospect of reading a good comic from DC.
The “story” of Injustice is that Superman, under the effects of Joker’s kryptonite-laced Scarecrow fear gas, believes a pregnant Lois is Doomsday and punches her into space, killing her - and their unborn child. When the effects of the gas wear off, Superman realises what he’s done and loses his mind, kills Joker, and becomes dictator of Earth. The rest of the characters all have sudden major behavioural problems, nobody gets along with anybody, and they all decide to fight one another.
I mean, Joker and Harley steal a nuclear submarine - a NUCLEAR SUBMARINE - from the US Navy, somehow place a nuclear warhead in the middle of Metropolis, then somehow wire it up to Lois Lane’s heart - yes, Joker can now perform heart surgery - so that when it stops beating, the bomb will go off? What part of that setup even begins to make a lick of sense? But then hack writing is as hack writing does - and things don’t get hackier than Injustice.
I am aware that this is a computer game tie-in comic and therefore the plot was probably concocted by some halfwit at NetherRealm Studios, the creators of the Injustice: Gods Among Us game, and so I won’t blame Tom Taylor, the writer of this disaster, who had to make the best of the nothing he was handed. And of course it’s got nothing to do with continuity, it’s just some big what-if? story designed to set up a fighting game that really shouldn’t have any story in the first place. But at the end of the day, trying to explain why every character in the DCU is fighting one another all of a sudden, seems futile - why not just accept that this is a fighting game where the characters are doing just that because that’s the reason for the game’s existence? But no, DC had to cash in and we get this trash.
If all you want to see is superheroes yelling at one another in an angsty fugue state, fighting one another pointlessly – all the while completely out of character - then by all means pick up this nasty, unpleasant comic. I’m sure there are enough DC fans who loved Man of Steel, JMS’s Superman: Earth One rubbish, and will no doubt see in this a commendable work of art. But for everyone else, I’d suggest ignoring it entirely - chalk it up as yet another misstep from DC. How many more will they need to make before they start making good comics again?
It’s gotten to a point now that DC can fudge up their characters as much as they want to and I no longer care. Justice League - one of the worst incarnations ever. Justice League of America - staggeringly, even worse. Trinity War - easily the worst Event comic I’ve ever read. Most of the New 52 - absolute garbage.
So when I read Injustice: Gods Among Us and discovered that it too was a terrible comic - among the worst published in 2013 - I was spent on outrage. I no longer want to write long reviews on how badly handled this latest offering from DC was, how bungled were the characters, the plot, near every detail in the comic, adding up to an underwhelming and utterly superficial book - no. No, I’ll keep this brief (by my standards) because, besides a few titles by writers I know can produce great work at DC, I’ve all but given up on the prospect of reading a good comic from DC.
The “story” of Injustice is that Superman, under the effects of Joker’s kryptonite-laced Scarecrow fear gas, believes a pregnant Lois is Doomsday and punches her into space, killing her - and their unborn child. When the effects of the gas wear off, Superman realises what he’s done and loses his mind, kills Joker, and becomes dictator of Earth. The rest of the characters all have sudden major behavioural problems, nobody gets along with anybody, and they all decide to fight one another.
I mean, Joker and Harley steal a nuclear submarine - a NUCLEAR SUBMARINE - from the US Navy, somehow place a nuclear warhead in the middle of Metropolis, then somehow wire it up to Lois Lane’s heart - yes, Joker can now perform heart surgery - so that when it stops beating, the bomb will go off? What part of that setup even begins to make a lick of sense? But then hack writing is as hack writing does - and things don’t get hackier than Injustice.
I am aware that this is a computer game tie-in comic and therefore the plot was probably concocted by some halfwit at NetherRealm Studios, the creators of the Injustice: Gods Among Us game, and so I won’t blame Tom Taylor, the writer of this disaster, who had to make the best of the nothing he was handed. And of course it’s got nothing to do with continuity, it’s just some big what-if? story designed to set up a fighting game that really shouldn’t have any story in the first place. But at the end of the day, trying to explain why every character in the DCU is fighting one another all of a sudden, seems futile - why not just accept that this is a fighting game where the characters are doing just that because that’s the reason for the game’s existence? But no, DC had to cash in and we get this trash.
If all you want to see is superheroes yelling at one another in an angsty fugue state, fighting one another pointlessly – all the while completely out of character - then by all means pick up this nasty, unpleasant comic. I’m sure there are enough DC fans who loved Man of Steel, JMS’s Superman: Earth One rubbish, and will no doubt see in this a commendable work of art. But for everyone else, I’d suggest ignoring it entirely - chalk it up as yet another misstep from DC. How many more will they need to make before they start making good comics again?
February 7, 2017
Remember the scene from BvS where Flash appeared out of nowhere and started shouting at poor confused Bat Affleck that "Lois is the key"?
Well, substitute 'key' with 'Superman's Sanity'!
After a series of unfortunate events (not involving three orphans), Superman decides to take a proactive stand on world peace by interfering directly with many conflicts. A lion's share of justice league decides to take a stand with him while one decides not to.
*pause for big, obvious reveal*
BATMAN! It's always Batman.
Anyone remembers watching '12 angry men'? Remember the one guy who voted "not guilty"?
Yup, Batman.
Even though the story borrows heavily from Kingdom come (1996) and Red Son (2003), it sets its own tone by creating a ruthless version of trinity in this volume!
And thank god for these two!
Well, substitute 'key' with 'Superman's Sanity'!
"He is a God who has deluded himself into believing he's a man"
After a series of unfortunate events (not involving three orphans), Superman decides to take a proactive stand on world peace by interfering directly with many conflicts. A lion's share of justice league decides to take a stand with him while one decides not to.
*pause for big, obvious reveal*
BATMAN! It's always Batman.
Anyone remembers watching '12 angry men'? Remember the one guy who voted "not guilty"?
Yup, Batman.
Even though the story borrows heavily from Kingdom come (1996) and Red Son (2003), it sets its own tone by creating a ruthless version of trinity in this volume!
And thank god for these two!
January 15, 2016
I'm scared of criminals.
Let me start with that.
I'm scared of being robbed. I'm scared of being stabbed by a random junkie who have nothing better to do. I'm scared of being kidnapped and killed, ransomed or not. I'm scared of being raped. I'm scared of being hit by an intoxicated driver. I'm scared of being gunned down by a terrorist group that have something to prove.
All in all, i wish this world was a better place. I wish this world would be rid of things that endangers each and every one of us.
What if it was a possible?
What if there was someone that could keep us all safe?
But in doing so, he would hurt the people he thinks is a threat to humanity.
Would it be right for him to take judgement in his own hands?
Reading Injustice: Gods Among Us made me question whether it would be right for someone so powerful like Superman and the rest of the team to be in control of the entire planet. At first, I thought it was okay. I was so up for the thought of making this world peaceful. Free of wars. Free of destruction. But would it really be that? Would it really be best for for Earth to have that kind of ruler? After finishing this, I was torn. I wasn't too sure.
Right so you probably might be wondering why I'm rambling about making the earth a better place and Superman and being scared of robbers and stuff like that.
So the story starts with Batman looking over Gotham. For those of you guys who aren't familiar with Gotham, Gotham is a crime-ridden city where Batman lives. He was the protector of Gotham. He tries and keep all its citizen's safe. That is until Superman decided it was time to do a cease-fire/ no-crime order.
No one should openly declare war against another country.
No one should kill.
No one should steal.
In short, no one should try and do any harm towards others.
Sounds perfect, right?
It isn't.
A lot of people are against this because it took away their right to act the way they want to act. They fear for their own safety, even if this order that Superman declared towards the citizen of Earth is for their own safety.
Conflicts arise from this.
People protest.
Superheroes revolt.
Gods
Friends turn enemies.
Oh boy. What would happen to the world????
Right soo... that's how far I would explain the plot to you guys. I don't want any spoilers because it would ruin the experience of reading this.
• THE ILLUSTRATIONS
The illustrations were gorgeous! They were so great to look at. The colors were dark and vibrant at the same time. I don't know how they could do that.
Here is a sample:
See. Dark and vibrant.
• CHARACTERS
Each and every character that was introduced in this graphic novel had their own purpose. They each had their own parts to play. The minor ones, even if their parts were small, you get to know them.
Let me summarize my thoughts a bit the major characters you'll meet:
Superman/Clark Kent: I'm not really a fan of Superman until Superman Earth One. If you've watched Man of Steel, he was like that in Earth one. He was this confused person. He wasn't sure whether being a superhero is really what he wants. It was entirely the opposite in this one. Superman just experienced a traumatic loss and it took him to the edge. Never again an innocent life should taken. I understand that. His intentions were great, but there came a point where it was too much. And you see it in him that he was also struggling with it. He is second guessing himself. But there was someone encouraging him and another opposing him. He was in a very bad position in this one.
Batman/Bruce Wayne : Superman wasn't the only one who lost someone here. Batman did too and it drove him to the edge, just like with Superman. I loved how his character was second guessing too, like should he or should he not fight against his friend. He knew loss. He grew up without his parents and he took justice into his own hands, just like what Superman is doing. But he felt Superman was doing way too much. And he feel tells him just that because he was his friend. He felt bad for him, but someone had to tell the Man of Steel he was going overboard with the entire "keep the planet safe" campaign.
Wonder Woman/Diana: Haven't read anything else of Wonder Woman aside from this so I can't really compare how she's depicted on this story compared to others. All I can say is that she is one hot-headed woman who also has the wrong idea of peace. Again, like Superman, I get where she's coming from, but when will they see that they're also doing more harm than good. When?
Harley Quinn: I just love her in this. Haha She's just the right kind of crazy. And she misses her "puddin". That mustache though. Hahaha. She cracks me up whenever she had her dialogues. She also has quite the chemistry with Green Arrow. Lol
The Others: There quite a number of minor characters here and there that also made an impact in the entire story, like Aquaman, the Flash, and then there's Nightwing and Robin. And of course let's not forget Lois Lane. Last but not the least, the Joker and he was a fucking sick bastard in this one. He was already a sick bastard but he was worse in this one. OH MY GOODNESS!! He was brilliant, but at the same time a sick, twisted psychopath. Tsk tsk.
• DIALOGUES
They were smart and on point. They used very basic words that were far more deeper than it actually is.
• THE RELATIONSHIPS
I think this is one of the strengths of this graphic novel, the relationship between each character is unbelievably real and believable. You got to see Superman getting real excited telling Batman that Lois is pregnant. But of course Batman already knows that. Why you ask? Because he's Batman. Batman knows everything. Haha. Just kidding. I'm thinking because he already knows Clark. They developed this relationship. Not the romantic type. Haha. Just that sort of bond that you have with your friend. It's great how they established that so well. I'm thinking because of those flashbacks scenes. They helped a lot telling us why some things were happening.
Also, the relationship I'm talking about is not only between Batman and Superman. I'm talking about everyone. Each and everyone of these characters had a very realistic relationship with one another. Clark and Lois. Batman, Nightwing and Robin. Wonderwoman and Ares. The Joker and Harley. And a bunch of other ones that I'm just too lazy to mention.
• THE PACING
I'm always the type of person who hate slow moving stories. I hate having to wait through a lot of unnecessary plot devices forcefully included in the story. Don't get me wrong okay? There are some slow paced books that I actually do like. But INJUSTICE didn't suffer from a slow pace, it was actually quite fast the turn of events. All the things that happened were relevant. If one scene in this was removed, it wouldn't make sense. That's how important all the scenes were. The way the story was built up was really great.
• THE STORY
The story wasn't just about Superman trying to dominate the Earth. Nope. It was far more than that. It was a story of a God-like figure who lost something that can't be brought back because of how unsafe the world is. And how despite being God-like, he was unable to save the innocent people that needed his help.
It was about grief. It was about sorry. It was about how your actions always has consequences. It was about power and how much it corrupts people no matter how good your intentions are. It was about friendship. It was about family.
There were so much stuff all condenced into this book. If you're thinking this is just going to be another Superhero graphic novel, then you are so wrong.
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE
• THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE
There were a lot of things I loved about this graphic novel. But there were moments it really made my eyes roll. These characters were supposed to be grown-ass men and women. But some of them acted a bit immaturely. They did not stop to think what the consequences of their actions would be. They did what they think was right and just closed their thoughts on anything else. All of them were pretty stubborn. Haha.
• WONDER WOMAN
So okay. I put her on the things I didn't like not because she was gorgeous (which she is super gorgeous), or powerful (which she also is). I wasn't envious of her... *cough cough* okay I am... a tiny bit. But seriously, I found her character unlikeable. I think it's because of the way she acted especially when it came to Superman.
I really enjoyed this volume. I liked the story and its flow. I would have to say though that I enjoyed Marvel's Civil War just a tiny bit more. Maybe it's because I have been a Marvel fan for years and I'm just a bit biased. But naaah... I just really feel the actions of the Superheroes from the Civil War was more justified.
Would I continue on with the other volumes? Definitely. I can't wait to see how they would resolve this problem.
December 7, 2014
4.5 stars
Introduction:
Alright, so I have read many superhero comics where we see the good guys going rogue and trying to do more damage to the world then they really need to. So, when I heard about this new comic book from DC Comics called “Injustice: Gods Among Us Volume One,” I will admit that I was a little hesitant about trying this comic out due to the premise being about superheroes fighting each other (again). But, I was quite surprised at how good this story actually turned out!
What is this story about?
The story starts off with Superman finding out that his wife Lois Lane is pregnant and he goes to tell Batman the good news. Unfortunately, the Joker ends up kidnapping Lois and then tricks Superman into murdering Lois by making Superman see Doomsday instead of Lois. This horrible incident causes Superman to decide that in order to prevent more tragedies like Lois’ death; he must rule the world with an iron fist and the Justice League start helping him take control of the world. The only member of the team who is against Superman’s plan is none other than Batman himself and he tries to stop the Man of Steel from ruling over the world before it is too late!
What I loved about this story:
Tom Taylor’s writing: Now, when I heard that this comic book was based off of the popular video game of the same name, I will admit that I was extremely surprised by this since I had never read a DC or Marvel comic book that was based off of a video game before. Tom Taylor has done a great job at adapting this story to comic book format as we learn more about why Superman had gone mad and what caused him to have a falling out with Batman. It was also interesting seeing the different viewpoints between Batman and Superman on how they should make the world a safer place for everyone and what that could cost for people if they let the power get to their heads in achieving those goals. I also loved the way that Tom Taylor brought out the personal drama between Batman and Superman as you can see them start out as best friends and then when Superman lost Lois Lane and started ruling the world with an iron fist, his friendship with Batman had shattered as Batman does not agree with Superman controlling the world while Superman believes this is the right thing to do to prevent more violence from happening in the world. I actually did felt so much intensity in the story as I was hoping that things would patch up between Batman and Superman (but seeing as this is just the beginning of the story, it probably will not happen for a while) and I really hope that Superman does not turn so evil that the Justice League would have to put him down permanently to stop his madness (but I guess we will see in future volumes of this story)!
Jheremy Raapack and Mike S. Miller’s artwork: Jheremy Raapack and Mike S. Miller’s artwork were spectacular in this volume as the characters look truly realistic and the facial expressions are so animated that I found myself actually experiencing the emotions that the characters are feeling. I also loved how the fight scenes are drawn, especially with the scenes of Superman and Batman fighting off their foes in a spectacular fashion.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
The reason why I took off half a point from the rating is because while I think that the concept of this book was pretty interesting, I am currently at that point where I am getting sick and tired of seeing superheroes fight each other and this comic book was another attempt at having superheroes fighting each other. Also, if you have not played the game “Injustice: Gods Among Us” before, then chances are you might be a bit confused about what is really going on in this story or how it connects to the current DC universe.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “Injustice: Gods Among Us Volume One” is a pretty interesting story about how a tragedy can affect a person’s life in a negative way and the moral grounds that are explored in making the world a better place for everyone. I am definitely checking out the second volume of this series!
I would like to thank my Goodreads friend, Anne for recommending me this book!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
May 19, 2014
I'm a gamer, but I have no real interest in fighting games. So I'd had no intention of playing Injustice, and even less motivation to read the tie-in comic. If not for Anne's review, I never would have considered reading this. I'm glad I did.
This doesn't at all read like a tie-in to a fighting game. I understand it's the prequel to that game, setting up exactly how and why Superman totally lost it. Which I can actually buy. I can buy basically the entire sequence of events here. Better than I expected, really. Yes, some of these characters are subtly different than I would have expected them to be, but this is essentially an alternate universe, and they're consistent enough within this book for me to go with it.
Did this make me any more likely to play the game? Nah. I'm still not interested in fighting games. But I am impressed with how well the concept held together, and I feel like somebody, at some point, put some thought into all of this. It's why the big moments are emotionally effective, and we get strange little gems like the weirdly fun interactions between Harley and Green Arrow, of all people. Definitely a cut above what I expected.
This doesn't at all read like a tie-in to a fighting game. I understand it's the prequel to that game, setting up exactly how and why Superman totally lost it. Which I can actually buy. I can buy basically the entire sequence of events here. Better than I expected, really. Yes, some of these characters are subtly different than I would have expected them to be, but this is essentially an alternate universe, and they're consistent enough within this book for me to go with it.
Did this make me any more likely to play the game? Nah. I'm still not interested in fighting games. But I am impressed with how well the concept held together, and I feel like somebody, at some point, put some thought into all of this. It's why the big moments are emotionally effective, and we get strange little gems like the weirdly fun interactions between Harley and Green Arrow, of all people. Definitely a cut above what I expected.
December 28, 2015
Much better than Marvel's Civil War mess, the story here is solid, delicious, shocking, and messed up.
What's not to like? Sure it's an alternate universe, but what verve!!!
What's not to like? Sure it's an alternate universe, but what verve!!!
May 10, 2017
Oh, it's one of the best comics I've ever read so far.
I guess many people have already heard about the storyline of Injustic: Gods Among Us from the video game, right? In this storyline the Joker , driven mad with grief Superman decided there should be no mercy left for the bad guys and the bad governments! EVERY BAD THING NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NOW! It's open season for superheroes to do some serious ass-kicking, no holding-back!
But some of the superheroes disagreed with Superman's plan: Batman is one of them, and when peaceful discussion could not solve their differences, conflicts ensured.
Outside of the gorgeous artwork, I like the moral questions this volume has set up for us.
At first I thought Superman would simply go scary and kill everyone in sight, but no, he didn't and I like it! He is clamping down hard on supervillains and evil governments now but he isn't insane, he knew what he was doing and he would sit down and argue his points with you when needed to. But Catwoman had brought up an important point: Superman is supposed to be the finest example of human being so how could he go and kill a criminal and be unanswered to it? His behavior opened up a whole new can of worms and created more new problems!
Talking about Catwoman, I also like how she helped to address the issues that superheroes couldn't fight the 'real evil': greedy bankers etc and protect people from unemployment and homelessness. That's surprisingly realistic.
I can't quite figure Wonder Woman out yet. She is withholding information from Superman and....does she want to set Superman on a path to fulfill her version of justice? I wonder what will happen next!
Batman's fallout with Superman is quite sad too, even sadder still is when I wonder what will come up from it!
Last but not least, breaking up civilian protests is not heroic!!!
Favorite quote:
Review for volume 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6g1...
I guess many people have already heard about the storyline of Injustic: Gods Among Us from the video game, right? In this storyline the Joker , driven mad with grief Superman decided there should be no mercy left for the bad guys and the bad governments! EVERY BAD THING NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NOW! It's open season for superheroes to do some serious ass-kicking, no holding-back!
But some of the superheroes disagreed with Superman's plan: Batman is one of them, and when peaceful discussion could not solve their differences, conflicts ensured.
Outside of the gorgeous artwork, I like the moral questions this volume has set up for us.
At first I thought Superman would simply go scary and kill everyone in sight, but no, he didn't and I like it! He is clamping down hard on supervillains and evil governments now but he isn't insane, he knew what he was doing and he would sit down and argue his points with you when needed to. But Catwoman had brought up an important point: Superman is supposed to be the finest example of human being so how could he go and kill a criminal and be unanswered to it? His behavior opened up a whole new can of worms and created more new problems!
Talking about Catwoman, I also like how she helped to address the issues that superheroes couldn't fight the 'real evil': greedy bankers etc and protect people from unemployment and homelessness. That's surprisingly realistic.
I can't quite figure Wonder Woman out yet. She is withholding information from Superman and....does she want to set Superman on a path to fulfill her version of justice? I wonder what will happen next!
Batman's fallout with Superman is quite sad too, even sadder still is when I wonder what will come up from it!
Last but not least, breaking up civilian protests is not heroic!!!
Favorite quote:
"Heroes weren't the only ones lost in Metropolis, you know?"
Review for volume 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6g1...
March 24, 2022
One of the few stories where you can understand and sympathise with all sides. It captures the emotion far better than the game its based on, and is unconstrained by the formulaic fighting breaks found in the source material. Wonderfully weighted with some unique characterisations, it's a brutal tragedy above all else, and one that will leave you feeling morally conflicted.
July 29, 2017
Vote: 3, 5
Surprisingly good first volume for being a videogame tie-in, it starts with a real bang , but some of the artworks were just decent ones and second half of the storyline was just not as good as the first one for me .
Harley/Green Arrows duets were the best parts for me, an hilarious bright sunray in a very dark Elseworld tale.
August 12, 2016
Injustice...or as I like to call it, What Happens when Everyone Except for Batman is a Jerk.
I really liked this. It drove home some really important messages, I think. You don't have to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it. The plot is awesome and I can't wait to read the rest of them. Also, you should never have to justify a fake moustache.
I really liked this. It drove home some really important messages, I think. You don't have to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it. The plot is awesome and I can't wait to read the rest of them. Also, you should never have to justify a fake moustache.
February 7, 2016
Superman loses a loved one and proceeds to enact Draconian measures on the world. Some of our super heroes are not cool with this . . . guess which one is in the lead against Superman?
Compelling themes. Great artwork.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
Compelling themes. Great artwork.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
March 13, 2015
***Evil Week Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! Criteria: Evil equals The Joker, and consequently a scorned Supes***
This was a FANTASTIC DC read. I knew nothing about the game going, so here's hoping none of this is actually real, otherwise my heart will be totally, totally broken.
***BEWARE THE SPOILERS. I NEED TO CRY A BIT AND I'M GOING TO DO IT HERE.***
So Lois Lane is pregnant with Superman's alien sperm and BAM! Shit goes down and the Joker kills her. Enter heartbreak. Superman loses his shit, gathers all of the DC super heroes, and decides to make the world a better place... AFTER HER LITERALLY PUNCHES THROUGH THE JOKER'S CHEST AND MURDERS HIS ASS. Wowza. I mean, can't say I haven't wondered why they spare his ass every single time (I know, I know, they're good people who don't kill). So this part was great for me. However, Supes becomes tyrannical. And Batman is not having it. Throw in some fights with Ares, Aquaman, stopping wars in the Middle East, and you've got some throw downs.
But shit gets REALLY REAL when Damian accidentally kills Dick. My heart broke into one trillion pieces. Along with Bruce's. And after this, he is more determined than ever to stop Superman from his reign. Bats gathers the super heroes that have not teamed with Superman, including Green Arrow (I understand Harley's silly crush on him because I'm right there with her), and they're ready to stop the ensuing "justice".
Things that I liked:
I know I have complained in previous comics that the characters were too abundant. But maybe I'm finally getting a grasp on the world, the super heroes, their sidekicks, the bad guys, etc. This time I wasn't overwhelmed with characters that I didn't know. There were of course a few, but I can research them later on. For the most part I loved the characters. I was excited to see a slew of Batman guys running around, along with Aquaman and Green Lantern and Green Arrow and the Flash and THE TITANS! This was all really exciting for me because they're the ones I liked before I started reading. So seeing them on the page was awesome.
I also really enjoyed the story line. Like I said, I know nothing about the game. I also have no idea if this is some alternate universe, and a dream, a reality that can be changed, or the real world. Regardless, this was super fucking intense. You have characters that are near and dear dying like it's nothing. You have characters that are supposed to save the world that are instead making the world a more difficult place. You have friends turning on each other, and egos clashing left and right. You have humor from Harley and Arrow, and even Catwoman. Everything worked perfectly together. Even if I didn't necessarily agree with every decision made....
And thus, what I didn't like:
It's pretty simple. Supes lost Lois and baby. Bats lost Nightwing. I understand that one is a spouse and one is a friend, but realistically, they both lost family members that were so incredibly vital to them. And while Batman keeps a level head about things even though his world is crashing, Superman decides to throw a worldwide fit and piss a lot of really powerful people off. All of this could have been handled SO DIFFERENTLY. If you don't want dictators messing up the world, don't kill everyone and then become a dictator that messes up the world. Also, I cannot even deal with Wonder Woman's mushy love crush on Supes. I mean seriously. She's so wet for him. I don't know how else to say it. Even other people are like "Dude, Diana, you are NOT Lois. If you wanna get Clark in bed you're going to have to do some waiting because that guy is FUCKED UP right now. Btw, everyone knows about your nasty lady boner for Kent." Ugh. I hated that part. Wonder Woman was pretty much the reason I knocked this a star. I dunno if she's hot for him in other issues and comics and movies and video games and whatever else. But this was my first exposure to it. And I want no more of it.
Overall, very solid. I want volume two.
October 15, 2014
Surprisingly good for a video game tie in. Wouldn’t have given this a second glance if not for some of the guys at the shop. Having never played the game and knowing nothing about the story, this alternate reality was completely new to me.
What an unexpected pleasure. Heroes versus heroes has been done before, but not this well in a long time. With the gloves off, Tom Taylor, seems to have been given free reign to do pretty much whatever he wants and uses it to great effect. Really like his familiar, yet different, takes on all the DC Universe’s Big Guns. Of course, Batman and Superman take center stage. But the lesser players get lots of attention to. Great scenes involving Green Arrow and Harley Quinn that add a little levity to the story. Another follows the Flash as he grapples with his conscience and his role in Superman’s new world order. Finally, the confrontation at Arkham Asylum was pretty badass as well. Taylor does a good job voicing classic characters so as to make this “world” seem as if it is a realistic possibility within the current DC continuity.
Also gotta give a shout out to Jheremy Raapack. His style reminds me a little of Darick Robertson’s stuff (and that’s a good thing). While all of the contributing artists are pretty good, his stuff really shines. His dark line work, slight changes to traditional costumes, and distinctive style all add to the uniqueness of the book. Sad to see he isn’t returning for the second volume, but the story alone is enough to make the next book required reading for me.
What an unexpected pleasure. Heroes versus heroes has been done before, but not this well in a long time. With the gloves off, Tom Taylor, seems to have been given free reign to do pretty much whatever he wants and uses it to great effect. Really like his familiar, yet different, takes on all the DC Universe’s Big Guns. Of course, Batman and Superman take center stage. But the lesser players get lots of attention to. Great scenes involving Green Arrow and Harley Quinn that add a little levity to the story. Another follows the Flash as he grapples with his conscience and his role in Superman’s new world order. Finally, the confrontation at Arkham Asylum was pretty badass as well. Taylor does a good job voicing classic characters so as to make this “world” seem as if it is a realistic possibility within the current DC continuity.
Also gotta give a shout out to Jheremy Raapack. His style reminds me a little of Darick Robertson’s stuff (and that’s a good thing). While all of the contributing artists are pretty good, his stuff really shines. His dark line work, slight changes to traditional costumes, and distinctive style all add to the uniqueness of the book. Sad to see he isn’t returning for the second volume, but the story alone is enough to make the next book required reading for me.
April 2, 2017
Gods Among Us: Year One, vol 1 collects the first 6 issues of this series. It starts out with a bang and is far darker and grimmer than I had thought. Much like Marvel's Civil War pitted hero against hero, the setup seems to be the same for this series.
The Joker, tired of losing to the Batman, decides to change his game up and goes after Superman. Obviously, this is set in a non-cannon universe since major characters are killed off and that is rather a surprise. Joker convinces Superman that Lois Lane is Doomsday and kills her and his unborn child. On top of which, Joker nukes Metropolis with a dirty bomb killing thousands. Superman, being less than pleased, kills the Joker.
This is the series of events that causes Superman to decide that enough is enough and the world needs to be controlled for its own good. Some heroes back him up (Wonder Woman, Flash, etc) while others (Batman, Green Arrow, etc) oppose the heroes unilaterally deciding on foreign policy.
Interesting series. Violent and dark. The artwork is just ok. Nothing great, nothing horrid. So if you're looking for an alternative universe story that's dark and grim-this is the one for you. I'm enjoying it so far and look forward to seeing who joins which side of this argument.
The Joker, tired of losing to the Batman, decides to change his game up and goes after Superman. Obviously, this is set in a non-cannon universe since major characters are killed off and that is rather a surprise. Joker convinces Superman that Lois Lane is Doomsday and kills her and his unborn child. On top of which, Joker nukes Metropolis with a dirty bomb killing thousands. Superman, being less than pleased, kills the Joker.
This is the series of events that causes Superman to decide that enough is enough and the world needs to be controlled for its own good. Some heroes back him up (Wonder Woman, Flash, etc) while others (Batman, Green Arrow, etc) oppose the heroes unilaterally deciding on foreign policy.
Interesting series. Violent and dark. The artwork is just ok. Nothing great, nothing horrid. So if you're looking for an alternative universe story that's dark and grim-this is the one for you. I'm enjoying it so far and look forward to seeing who joins which side of this argument.
December 2, 2016
I thought that this series started out GREAT. The idea of the Joker being able to complete flip Superman and split the entire superhero world into opposing camps was fantastic. I though it was well-drawn and - as opposed to the Marvel Civil War that I also reviewed - I liked the variety of heroes and how the lines were drawn. I think that this first volume was the strongest that I read by far as it stayed with the same interesting plot and was full of tension and excitement end-to-end!
April 24, 2017
Really chilling story with Superman pushed far beyond the edge and a world attempting to adjust. Some fall in line (true believers and people just trying to survive) while others push back, afraid to let any universal dictator rule earth, benevolent motivations or not.
Personally, I like pissed off Superman far better than emo "weight of the world" Superman. Wouldn't want to meet him IRL though, dude gets dark. I assume there is even worse to come.
Personally, I like pissed off Superman far better than emo "weight of the world" Superman. Wouldn't want to meet him IRL though, dude gets dark. I assume there is even worse to come.
September 29, 2019
This was good for a DC comic, i'd like to read more.
Does anyone know how the quality is throughout and if it's worth reading the whole lot?
Does anyone know how the quality is throughout and if it's worth reading the whole lot?
January 5, 2014
*Note* There are spoilers here, but I have not hidden them as they are clearly discussed in the main blurb on Goodreads.
I read a lot of graphic novels, but at the same time I wouldn't call myself a hard core comics reader. I read the books as and when I can get them from the library, which means that I really don't care that much about things like continuity, because I never get to read these things in order anyway. This means that when I pick up a graphic novel, I am looking for a well told story that isn't too tied up with knowing 50 years of back story, good artwork, and a finite storyline.
Does this graphic novel deliver on those fronts?
Hell, yeah.
This story is actually based on a game set in an alternate version of the DC universe, one where you can kill off major characters without affecting the main DC line. In this book, the Joker decides he is fed up with Batman beating him up all the time and decides to take on Superman instead. He actually succeeds in tricking Superman into killing his own wife and unborn child and as a result, Superman goes off the rails, first killing the Joker then deciding to end all wars. In this he is aided by a number of other superheroes, with the notable exception of Batman.
Batman quite sensibly realises that Superman is not only being naive, but dangerously so. Wars do not stop if you take away the weapons but leave the underlying cause of that war untouched. Sooner or later, the war will restart, which is why so many of today's conflicts have been simmering for decades if not centuries. Superman does not understand that you cannot force peace at the barrel of a gun, a lesson that some countries may do well to heed. Also, what happens when a man who basically has the power of a god decides to stop rescuing kittens from trees and decides to take over the world. This is surprisingly deep for a story such as this, and there are no easy answers here. At the end of the story, Batman and Catwoman speak to the President of the United States, and basically tell him he has to do better if there is to be an alternative to Superman's reign of terror, then they set themselves up as an underground opposition to Superman with the few superheroes who feel the same way that they do. Thus is the next volume set up - so it's not a finite story after all, but who's counting.
The artwork is crisp and clean, the characters are all recognisable even though their costumes are slightly different (are these the new 52 costumes? I haven't read any of these series yet so I don't know). The book itself is an attractive hardback which would look good on any bookshelf.
I may not want to play the game, but I really enjoyed this story.
I read a lot of graphic novels, but at the same time I wouldn't call myself a hard core comics reader. I read the books as and when I can get them from the library, which means that I really don't care that much about things like continuity, because I never get to read these things in order anyway. This means that when I pick up a graphic novel, I am looking for a well told story that isn't too tied up with knowing 50 years of back story, good artwork, and a finite storyline.
Does this graphic novel deliver on those fronts?
Hell, yeah.
This story is actually based on a game set in an alternate version of the DC universe, one where you can kill off major characters without affecting the main DC line. In this book, the Joker decides he is fed up with Batman beating him up all the time and decides to take on Superman instead. He actually succeeds in tricking Superman into killing his own wife and unborn child and as a result, Superman goes off the rails, first killing the Joker then deciding to end all wars. In this he is aided by a number of other superheroes, with the notable exception of Batman.
Batman quite sensibly realises that Superman is not only being naive, but dangerously so. Wars do not stop if you take away the weapons but leave the underlying cause of that war untouched. Sooner or later, the war will restart, which is why so many of today's conflicts have been simmering for decades if not centuries. Superman does not understand that you cannot force peace at the barrel of a gun, a lesson that some countries may do well to heed. Also, what happens when a man who basically has the power of a god decides to stop rescuing kittens from trees and decides to take over the world. This is surprisingly deep for a story such as this, and there are no easy answers here. At the end of the story, Batman and Catwoman speak to the President of the United States, and basically tell him he has to do better if there is to be an alternative to Superman's reign of terror, then they set themselves up as an underground opposition to Superman with the few superheroes who feel the same way that they do. Thus is the next volume set up - so it's not a finite story after all, but who's counting.
The artwork is crisp and clean, the characters are all recognisable even though their costumes are slightly different (are these the new 52 costumes? I haven't read any of these series yet so I don't know). The book itself is an attractive hardback which would look good on any bookshelf.
I may not want to play the game, but I really enjoyed this story.
September 4, 2018
By now, I believed that most of you were tricked into watching Suicide Squad. Did you remember what Amanda Waller said? She said 'What if Superman had decided to fly down and grab the President out of the Oval office? Who would have stopped him?’ That's what happens in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Injustice: Gods Among Us has everything that I love about DC comic: action, drama, and dark humor. The graphic's fantastic and the story's also freaking amazing. It tells the beginning of the epic battle between two oldest friends in DC Universe, the bat and the man from another planet.
Spoiler Alert: Their fight doesn't stop because their mother's name is Martha:
Oop! Sorry, wrong universe ... Let's continue, shall we?
I can’t say that I love every character in Injustice: Gods Among Us; even though, they're well created and help steer the story into greatness. I do love the Clown Prince of Crime (Joker) and his sinister plans the most. He's the only one who can push Superman to his limit. He orchestrates everything and this time not even Batman can stop him.
Superman's the character I feel pity the most. He goes from the man who had everything to the man who had nothing in just the blink of an eye. Needless to say, he doesn’t handle it well ... or should I say, he definitely handles it. Anyway, I don’t know what I’d do if I were in his shoes. Superman's in the second stage of grief (anger) and he unleashes his wrath on those he deems wrong. Batman tries to punch some sense into him . Batman's my hero. He's his own principal and that's why they're not on the same page.
I also think the name Injustice: Gods Among Us really suits the story. It's because, in order to make sense of injustice that's happened to him, Superman draws to the conclusion that justice happens but it needs our (hero's) help. That's why he does what he does. If you want to know what he does, just pick up Injustice: Gods Among Us and read it. Believe me, it'll worth your time.
PS. Alfred's a badass.
Injustice: Gods Among Us has everything that I love about DC comic: action, drama, and dark humor. The graphic's fantastic and the story's also freaking amazing. It tells the beginning of the epic battle between two oldest friends in DC Universe, the bat and the man from another planet.
Spoiler Alert: Their fight doesn't stop because their mother's name is Martha:
Oop! Sorry, wrong universe ... Let's continue, shall we?
I can’t say that I love every character in Injustice: Gods Among Us; even though, they're well created and help steer the story into greatness. I do love the Clown Prince of Crime (Joker) and his sinister plans the most. He's the only one who can push Superman to his limit. He orchestrates everything and this time not even Batman can stop him.
Superman's the character I feel pity the most. He goes from the man who had everything to the man who had nothing in just the blink of an eye. Needless to say, he doesn’t handle it well ... or should I say, he definitely handles it. Anyway, I don’t know what I’d do if I were in his shoes. Superman's in the second stage of grief (anger) and he unleashes his wrath on those he deems wrong. Batman tries to punch some sense into him . Batman's my hero. He's his own principal and that's why they're not on the same page.
I also think the name Injustice: Gods Among Us really suits the story. It's because, in order to make sense of injustice that's happened to him, Superman draws to the conclusion that justice happens but it needs our (hero's) help. That's why he does what he does. If you want to know what he does, just pick up Injustice: Gods Among Us and read it. Believe me, it'll worth your time.
PS. Alfred's a badass.
April 19, 2014
Feels like a modern take on the classic characters - gets right to their essence without feeling like caricature or parody. Art similarly feels modern - or at least (god forbid) isn't straight from the DC house style, and has a little more fluid energy than the museum poses we usually get offered.
Sets up a solid if unoriginal premise: what would happen if the villains truly crossed the line? Reminds me of the setup from Irredeemable, but has the advantage that we already know template personalities of the players, so the stakes get higher when we see how they respond to a scenario they've never been through before: What if one of their own goes off the reservation?
I found some of the dialogue a little too "TV" - they're telling each other details they already know for the benefit of the audience rather than necessarily each other.
Wonder Woman is great, Aquaman is mostly badass, Batman is gravelly, Shazam is appropriately naive, and Green Arrow/Harley Quinn are awesome together. Joker is a great cipher - a stereotype of the lunatic madman who's pitch-perfect at who he is.
Battle lines and loyalties get drawn and it seems like a plausible evolution, not a contrived set of circumstances to get heroes to "fight" each other. This doesn't feel like a novelization or shoehorned storyline to justify some set of stupid "logic" that underlies a poorly-thought out game. Weird.
All in all there's a decent premise to establish a fun concept here, and it actually makes me interested in seeing if the game pays off with deep storytelling and a long campaign of strategies by smart tacticians, or if it becomes a brainless beat-em-up, mano-a-mano "fighting game". Feels like decent praise for a book like this, that it sets decent expectations for a game on which it's based.
Sets up a solid if unoriginal premise: what would happen if the villains truly crossed the line? Reminds me of the setup from Irredeemable, but has the advantage that we already know template personalities of the players, so the stakes get higher when we see how they respond to a scenario they've never been through before: What if one of their own goes off the reservation?
I found some of the dialogue a little too "TV" - they're telling each other details they already know for the benefit of the audience rather than necessarily each other.
Wonder Woman is great, Aquaman is mostly badass, Batman is gravelly, Shazam is appropriately naive, and Green Arrow/Harley Quinn are awesome together. Joker is a great cipher - a stereotype of the lunatic madman who's pitch-perfect at who he is.
Battle lines and loyalties get drawn and it seems like a plausible evolution, not a contrived set of circumstances to get heroes to "fight" each other. This doesn't feel like a novelization or shoehorned storyline to justify some set of stupid "logic" that underlies a poorly-thought out game. Weird.
All in all there's a decent premise to establish a fun concept here, and it actually makes me interested in seeing if the game pays off with deep storytelling and a long campaign of strategies by smart tacticians, or if it becomes a brainless beat-em-up, mano-a-mano "fighting game". Feels like decent praise for a book like this, that it sets decent expectations for a game on which it's based.
June 24, 2015
First off, this story line is meant to compliment the video game of the same name. I think that there are certain elements that are lost if the reader has not yet played the game even though this section of the story is more of a prequel to the bulk of the plot of the video game.
For what it is, it is very well done. The artwork is nice but I did feel that at times there was a lack of subtly, note any time Batman is shocked his expression is both creepy and comical as his eyes bulge. The story does not feel forced as so many books based on video games or movies can feel.
The questions posed by this story are ones that I find very interesting, what is the price of peace? What does it mean when freedoms are sacrificed for safety? Is no one immune from the corruption of power? I did feel that towards the end it got a little preachy, with Catwoman noting that the President has to do something about gun control and gay rights, I thought well that’s random and very specific.
Overall this book was highly enjoyable, well put together, and had a nice blend of action and story. However, I might not suggest it to someone who has not played the video game or does not enjoy what ifs and alternate timelines.
For what it is, it is very well done. The artwork is nice but I did feel that at times there was a lack of subtly, note any time Batman is shocked his expression is both creepy and comical as his eyes bulge. The story does not feel forced as so many books based on video games or movies can feel.
The questions posed by this story are ones that I find very interesting, what is the price of peace? What does it mean when freedoms are sacrificed for safety? Is no one immune from the corruption of power? I did feel that towards the end it got a little preachy, with Catwoman noting that the President has to do something about gun control and gay rights, I thought well that’s random and very specific.
Overall this book was highly enjoyable, well put together, and had a nice blend of action and story. However, I might not suggest it to someone who has not played the video game or does not enjoy what ifs and alternate timelines.
December 10, 2021
This was such a cool volume!
Superman loses his wife after the Joker attack and well he takes down Joker and so the darkest timeline in DC begins, what happens when Superman goes evil should be the basic plot of this volume and well we see the consequences of it and Superman becoming a dictator and taking out the world dictators and whatnot, battling Aquaman and taking down Arkham inmates but what happens when his enemy in all this is Batman, his best friend. This is basically Civil war between them but just epic and I just like the devolution of these characters and the warring of ideology and a heavy loss that Batman suffers and what he does to take down his one time best friend.
Its a book that will divide the fans and has a lot of questioning ideologies but its elseworlds and they are beautifully explored here and I love the way he handles characters like Flash and gives them conflicting thoughts and the way he writes Diana is quite something as she is just a pure evil and her fight with Ares is still one of the best here. The art for the most part is good and can feel little "undynamic" sometimes but considering it was weekly, it makes sense.
Overall good volume with lots of exciting action and an epic promise of a great series.
Superman loses his wife after the Joker attack and well he takes down Joker and so the darkest timeline in DC begins, what happens when Superman goes evil should be the basic plot of this volume and well we see the consequences of it and Superman becoming a dictator and taking out the world dictators and whatnot, battling Aquaman and taking down Arkham inmates but what happens when his enemy in all this is Batman, his best friend. This is basically Civil war between them but just epic and I just like the devolution of these characters and the warring of ideology and a heavy loss that Batman suffers and what he does to take down his one time best friend.
Its a book that will divide the fans and has a lot of questioning ideologies but its elseworlds and they are beautifully explored here and I love the way he handles characters like Flash and gives them conflicting thoughts and the way he writes Diana is quite something as she is just a pure evil and her fight with Ares is still one of the best here. The art for the most part is good and can feel little "undynamic" sometimes but considering it was weekly, it makes sense.
Overall good volume with lots of exciting action and an epic promise of a great series.
September 8, 2015
This series could be great!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 677 reviews