Highlights
- NetherRealm Studios should consider creating a massive fighting game featuring brands like Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, indie comics, and so on.
- The inclusion of non-DC and creator-owned characters in Mortal Kombat 1 highlights the potential for a broader comic-industry-wide game.
- NRS has a proven track record of telling ambitious stories in its campaigns, making them well-suited for incorporating characters from various comics in a fighting game.
Until leaked information from insiders indicated differently, many would have thought NetherRealm Studios would do Injustice 3 after Mortal Kombat 11, instead of Mortal Kombat 1. MK1 was likely decided upon for a plethora of reasons, but there's no doubt many would have preferred and still want Injustice 3. NetherRealm Studios' DC fighting franchise is incredibly popular, even compared to fighting genre mainstays like Street Fighter, Tekken, and of course, Mortal Kombat. As a result, many will likely hope that Injustice 3 follows Mortal Kombat 1—when and only when NRS is ready to move on, of course—but there's a strong argument to not do just that.
Injustice brought all of NRS' fighting game expertise to the DC universe, and playing Superman, Batman, Joker, Darkseid, and others was an absolute blast. Injustice, at its core though, may just be too limited for NetherRealm Studios. There were rumors of a new Marvel vs. DC game at one point, and that would be even more exciting when Marvel characters are thrown into the mix. Yet, once more, Mortal Kombat 1 proves that core conceit may be too limited. Truly, comic and fighting game fans would truly benefit if NRS' lent its expertise to the comic industry at large.
How Mortal Kombat/NRS Leverages Crossover Characters
Every character reveal for Mortal Kombat 1 so far has been exciting, especially in the context of Fire God Liu Kang's new universe. Mortal Kombat 1 is bringing back obvious mainstays like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, introducing new twists for beloved characters, and bringing back old characters like Tanya. Each reveal was exciting, but it was the recent reveal of Mortal Kombat 1's DLC Characters (Kombat Pack 1) that really clenched it up for NetherRealm Studios. Takeda, Quan-Chi, and Ermac are great, but it's Omni-Man, Peacemaker, and Homelander that seal the deal.
Peacemaker's inclusion seems a given because of the character's popularity, and because NetherRealm Studios is owned by Warner Bros, just as DC is. That makes Injustice an important franchise sure, but at the same time, neither Omni-Man nor Homelander are DC properties. Invincible, from Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman, tells the story of Mark Grayson as he trains under the greatest superhero in the world, Omni-Man, who isn't actually that great of a superhero. Gore and violence define Invincible and Omni-Man, and it's published by Image Comics. Outside the Big Two (Marvel and DC), Image Comics is perhaps the most recognizable name in the industry.
Meanwhile, Homelander is from The Boys, which has a complicated relationship with DC. The first six issues were published by Wildstorm, an imprint of DC, but the series was canceled because DC was uneasy regarding its anti-superhero approach, according to writer and co-creator Garth Ennis. Co-creator and artist Darick Robertson would also reveal that, despite being under contract with DC, the company was doing right by them, reverting the rights back to the two, and allowing him to continue working on it outside its publishing model.
That respect for a comic creator's rights, which is a big deal in the industry, likely played some hand in The Boys' Homelander making its way into a Warner Bros. game. Because of this, Mortal Kombat 1 has DC representation in Peacemaker, Image Comics representation in Omni-Man, and more creator-owned representation in Homelander. (It should be noted that Image Comics, as a brand, allows writers to retain their rights).
This isn't necessarily new either. Injustice 2 may have been a DC game, but it did bring in non-DC crossover characters such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dark Horse's Hellboy. These crossover elements are some of the most exciting in each game, and while it's impossible to tell what happens beyond closed doors, this is only possible via good-faith negotiations, genuine collaboration, and a love for the industry. Ultimately, though, there's no reason for NRS to stop at the doors opened by Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat 1.
Instead of Injustice 3, NRS Should Create a Comic-Industry Wide Fighting Game
Instead of a DC-focused Injustice 3, at least as how many fans would imagine it, NetherRealm Studios should be able to take that door and break it down, creating a massive fighting game experience featuring Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and basically any popular comic series under the sun. It could take all the beloved Marvel characters, DC characters, and other characters mentioned above and feature them alongside several others.
The best part is how even non-superhero characters could find their footing here, too, or Manga characters could even be worked in. Witchblade, Harbingers (especially Zephyr/Faith), Savage Dragon, Sailor Moon, Michonne from The Walking Dead, characters from Saga, characters from Fables, Scott Pilgrim, Naruto, Bleach, My Hero Academia, and many, many more would all be good, viable picks. Captain America, Michonne, and Rock Lee fighting a team composed of the Teen Titans' Raven, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bigby Wolf practically sells itself.
What's more, the one limitation that comes with a lot of crossover characters is they have no real role in the game outside of being a fighter. NRS' campaigns have proven time and again how well they tell ambitious stories, and working in TMNT, Witchblade, Fables, Marvel, and other comics seems well within its skillset. And on top of that, something like Street Fighter 6's World Tour mode where all these characters are interacted with more intimately would be a perfect pairing too. Indeed, it's hard to ignore how epic and how much fun a game like this, made by NRS, could be.
NetherRealm Studios is no doubt a fighter in this industry, with titles like Mortal Kombat and Injustice proving this time and again. A comic industry-wide fighting game, however, would be it taking the chains off.
Mortal Kombat 1 releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
