Injustice: Gods Among Us And The Fridging Of Lois (SPOILERS)

[Rich Johnston]

The comic book Injustice: Gods Among Us, a prelude to the upcoming game, has been a bit of a hit, both in digitally and in print. But it's also exposed a rather familiar and criticised trope in the storyline that sets up the game. There are spoilers here, for both the first print issue and the first third of the second issue, already released as the digital fourth issue.



The comic starts five years before the start of the game. And the DC world is going to change considerably to get there.



The Joker kills Jimmy Olsen and kidnaps Lois Lane, pregnant with Superman's baby. This isn't a fridging yet, Jimmy's death isn't enough to drive Superman to madness. But being tricked by the Joker's fear toxins into thinking that Lois is Doomsday and acting accordingly, does.



And the Joker has linked the launch of a nuclear attack against Metropolis to Lois Lane's heartbeat. You know, because he's eeeevil.



So yes, not only is Lois Lane and his unborn child dead but so is the rest of Metropolis.



Which leads Superman to do something he swore he'd never do. Enact personal, deadly, premeditated and very terminal revenge. The fridging did its job.



Now, this may be a diversion tactic for The Joker, who appears in the game, but Superman's intent is very clear. A dead Lois and child, Jimmy, Metropolis and as a result, a dead Joker.

The game is a combat simulation between DC characters in "a world where the distinction between good and evil is blurred, according to publisher Warner Bros"

I think we just got that blurring....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7x5JVIrNcY[/youtube]

[Russell Fox]

I like how the first page opens on Clark & Lois in bed with the line "Faster than a speeding bullet."
For shame...

[ChrisMcFeely]

Preeeeeetty much exactly as trashy and shlocky as I expected based on everything I've heard about this game. OOOH DARK SUBSTANCE WHATS THAT BLOOD GRIM

[The Xenos]

I saw this shit on 4chan and couldn't believe it. Even most of the posts there thought it was trashy and bullshit. Nice job, DC. Even 4chan thinks your Superman and Justice League comic and game are trash. Well, some of them. Others want to play the game and want to know why Batman doesn't do fatalities. Damn DCasual fanboys.

What a buncha grimdark bullshit.

[tako]

This lead up to the game is a mirror of Kingdom Come.

[thekeith82]

Umm...this is fairly close to Kingdom Come, no? Joker smile gasses the Daily Planet offices, killing Jimmy and Lois (and presumably Perry and everyone else). The only difference is that it's Superman rather than Magog who kills Joker.

Oh, and the nuke, but they just nicked that from later in Kingdom Come

[EDIT] agh, ninja'd

[Paul Nolan]

Why is Batman dressed up like the Midnighter?

[Maybeland]

From the Mortal Kombat people should be your first hint to the tone of the game.

Second this is heavily ripping on Kingdom Come.

Finally Xenos on 4chan, knowing what goes on the website I'm not surprised.

[Matt Krotzer]

I don't know why they even needed a horrible story to lead into the game. Marvel's Capcom games didn't have any real story, did it? It was just "Hey, use your favorite characters to beat each other up!"

I don't see why they couldn't just do that... Or why they felt the need to make horrible alterations to arguably the most iconic costumes in comics.

[Maybeland]

I don't know why they even needed a horrible story to lead into the game. Marvel's Capcom games didn't have any real story, did it? It was just "Hey, use your favorite characters to beat each other up!"

I don't see why they couldn't just do that... Or why they felt the need to make horrible alterations to arguably the most iconic costumes in comics.

Actually it had to the two universes collidin into each other(Hickman?) an Galuctus eating the planets.