There's something special about heroes clashing. Something fascinating about these super powered beings putting their respective duties aside to super-stomp the hell out of each other. Think of it, which are you going to remember more - Batman and the Joker sparring on yet another rooftop or Batman and Superman wrecking the Justice League Watchtower in a brawl?

Injustice: Gods Among Us captures this feeling like no game before it - and the results are -for better or worse, a fantastically fun brawler. The story may be a bit goofy at times, and the AI sure knows how to spam, making for some remarkably unbalanced matches, but that doesn't take away from the sheer fun you'll have battling above the skies of Metropolis, or making quite the mess for Alfred to clean up in Wayne Manor and the Bat cave.

From Neather Realm Studios, the developers of the newest Mortal Kombat reboot, Injustice finds some of DC's biggest names like Superman, Batman, The Joker and Wonder Woman (along with some of their not so best...come on, Raven?) in knock-down drag out brawls. Matches are fast paced and over the top, as if they're plucked right from your favorite DC Comics story. The structure is similar to what you've played before - -especially if you've played the last Mortal Kombat or Mortal Kombat VS The DC Universe before it.

"But these heroes wouldn't be fighting without good reason..."

But these heroes wouldn't be fighting without good reason and Injustice creates ones as interesting as any. Warning: Spoilers Ahead: The main story of Injustice kicks off with an incredibly dark moment - The Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane by making him see her as his arch nemesis Doomsday. To make matters worse, Lois was pregnant with Superman's unborn child. As a result, Supes loses it and searches out the Joker, doing what Batman wouldn't do and murdering the Joker - -which creates a rift between many of the meta-humans.

Or at least that's the idea. Superman going crazy over the death of his long time love interest could have been a remarkable stepping off point for a unique story. He could have blamed Batman, how does he still keep getting out? He could have started offing lesser-known heroes. What we get though is a story that involves Joker possibly setting off a nuke in Metropolis and DC's finest being transported to an alternate reality where they have to fight themselves and find their way home in enough time to save Metropolis. It's a bit goofy but there are a few memorable lines (ala the "None of Your damn business alarm") that save it from being terrible.

There's also another issue with the story that many may not notice. It's obvious after playing for a while that Injustice takes place at least somewhat in the universe established by Rocksteady's (which like Neather Realm is owned by Warner Bros) fantastic Batman: Arkham franchise. Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy, and Richard Epcar tries to do his best job imitating the voice work of Mark Hamill as the Joker. Still not convinced? The Arkham Asylum stage looks just like the games bearing its namesake and even features characters like Hugo Strange, Two-Face and The Penguin in the same style they were seen in Arkham City. So what's wrong with this? A lot. A good portion of the events in the game's story conflict directly with the events of the Arkham series.

"Stages are interactive, featuring interactive objects and multi-leveled..."

All that aside though - Injustice is a complete blast to play. Similar to Mortal Kombat, fights here ditch the traditional two round structure, as each fighter gets two life bars per battle, and only a brief pause separates each bar. Stages are interactive, featuring interactive objects and multi-leveled; it's a great deal of fun to knock your opponent through the walls of say Wayne Manor and down into the Bat cave. Each character also has a super move, which is one of the coolest displays of these characters abilities ever captured in games. Captain Marvel (I refuse to call him Shazam) takes his opponent into a storm and knocks the crap out of them while Aquaman suffers some seriously pissed off sharks.

There are some balance issues with Injustice though. Oh, so your AI opponent found a move that works well against you? Prepare to have to defend against it until the end of the match. Even worse, the computer is often able to telegraph your moves. You have to build up to your supermove for instance - and you're likely to only get one per match, but AI fighters are remarkable at knowing just when to duck and avoid damage, while it's nearly impossible for you to do.

Another major strength for Injustice is the game's incredible amount of fan service. Everything from alternate costumes to easter eggs hidden within the game delve deep into the storied history of the DC universe. I found myself playing modes like the S.T.A.R. Labs mini games just to see what else I could unlock. How long Injustice stays a fixture in my console will be heavily dependent on the amount of my childhood they appeal to with alternate costumes and new modes based on some of DC's biggest stories.

It may be goofy at times, but Injustice: Gods Among Us captures the feeling of battling with superpowers like no game before it. The folks at Neather Realm, clearly have a passion for the DC Universe, and it's on display here. Easily at its best when playing with friends on a couch - Injustice aims to put an end to all of your comic book arguments, and maybe start some new ones..