When you consider the instant success Injustice: Gods Among Us has had through digital-first release [full story], you have to think this is a comic already fulfilling its primary objective(s).
Print copies of #1 (released January 30) contain the first three chapters of the digital counterpart. Mortal Kombat Online is reviewing based on both, but if you asked for preference, the paper copy takes it. The printed page -- which is cut roughly in half for digital release -- is not only more forgiving to the empty space of panels and the quality of linework, but also the overall pacing of the read.
The natural format of a modern comic lends itself to page-to-page scene breaks, but it could be speculated writer Tom Taylor is more aware of his obligations to digital chapters than is normal. Important story beats segment well, but this doesn't entirely playout in the artwork, which feels hyper-extended in the digital version.
Jheremy Raapack in particular seems much more at home in a traditional 7x11 comic page, with layouts a little less obviously accounting for a page split. When Mike S. Miller and Axel Gimenez take over, the equator becomes more obvious. These panels feel better filled in digital chunks, but compound the unexpected interruption of mid-story style changes. There's a lot to like about Raapack's stylized chunkiness; Miller is crisp and clean.
External forces weighing on the series make it an unusual comic to review, but also speaks to the varied audiences it will inevitably reach. If you aren't looking for the metatext, you won't be too distracted. There are a lot of ways to enjoy this comic, and if anecdotal evidence is anything to go by, plenty of people already are! This is the tie-in's tie-in -- perfect for introducing an interested new audience to the DC superhero medium.
Injustice: Gods Among Us promises big things from it's upcoming release in April. Set in a distopian version of the DC Universe, we've known since inception that a New Regime was coming, and that it was probably led by Superman.
Thanks to the latest trailer from DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, we now have a more vivid impression of exactly why the worlds greatest heroes have become its greatest threat!
The "Death of Metropolis" story mode trailer [above] is packed with details; elaborating on the heart wrenching backstory being told simultaneously by DC Comics, in the official Injustice: Gods Among Us comic book.
Superman and his allies are set to take control when The Joker succeeds in manipulating The Man of Steel into breaking his one golden rule. The elaborate plot sees Lois Lane suffer a grim demise, her fate directly tied to that of the destroyed city of tomorrow - Metropolis!
Batman and his team of rebels will be forced to clash with the greatest heroes turned tyrant! Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow and Hawkgirl appear to be among the Regime figures he'll face; joined by a motley crew of bedfellows: Green Arrow, Cyborg, Lex Luthor and Harley Quinn.
Computer and Video Games (CVG) have unleashed an exclusive new Injustice: Gods Among Us trailer featuring an all-star, all-action preview of the superhero fighter coming April!
Recently, Mortal Kombat series co-creator and project lead Ed Boon has been bitten by the Twitter bug. Due to Ed's plentiful updates with Mortal Kombat information as well as images, this thread is being created to house all the material in one, convenient location for the fans to easily access. With each new image added, this topic will be edited accordingly. When new additions are made to this news lead, it will be moved to the top of the thread listings. The most recent change will be listed first, while older material will be categorized by type and date originally released. Also, be sure to follow Ed Boon on Twitter yourself!
We reported earlier that the ESRB had forced Midway to tone down several of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe's fatalities so that the game could receive a T rating (as presumably mandated by DC Comics and its parent company Warner Bros). On the other hand, Videogamer.com is reporting that the Joker's fatality, and probably others, will be uncensored in Europe, thanks to the different ratings system used there. From the article:
Kotaku is reporting that Midway is having to tone down several of the fatalities in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe in order to secure a T rating from the ESRB. Kitana was one character whose fatality was changed in order to secure the rating. However, another character whose fatality was changed to secure the rating was the Joker's, and in fact it was his first fatality seen that got changed: the joke gun fatality. From the article:
GameTrailers.com has release a brand new interview with MK vs DC Universe producer, Hector Sanchez. In the four minute interview, Hector gives some insight into the newly announced Rage Mode, as well as a sneak peak at the special moves and fatality of Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker! The Joker appears to have a wide array of moves including an extending boxing glove, and an energy charged playing card projectile.
San Diego Comic-Con may be over, but the news keeps on coming. During the Comic-Con event, Midway showed a video showing various gameplay footage from Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. The video first shows Superman and Scorpion fighting on the streets of Metropolis, where the mid-battle Test Your Might sequence was shown. Then it cut to Batman taking on Sub-Zero in the Graveyard, where Klose Kombat was demonstrated. The next match was between the Flash and Sonya in Hell, where they took turns beating each other in Freefall Kombat. The video finally cuts to Shang Tsung and Catwoman fighting in Metropolis again, before the video shows quick cuts of the previous fighters. This morning, Midway released the video online, in both standard and 720p high definiton formats. We are providing the videos here, with the standard quality one available via YouTube embedded streaming video.
