The Best Characters Of Injustice

Injustice: Gods Among Us offers fighting fans a wide variety of heroes and villains to choose from, but some of DC's famous characters are just better equipped for a butt-kicking than others. To find out which superpowered contestants players should select, I asked GI's Andrew Reiner and Mike Futter to share with me who they think are the best fighters of Injustice, so that I can employ my own super-helpful brand of professional analysis to their choices. As a bonus, I extend a little of my analysis to Reiner and Mike, highlighting why I think they really made the choices they did. Turns out my help was desperately needed.

Mike's Dumb Picks:

Green Arrow
Why Mike Likes Him: Mike says Green Arrow's strength lies in – surprise – his arrows. The masked archer can shoot three different types of projectiles: ice arrows that freeze enemies in their place, electric arrows that stun and damage enemies, and fire arrows that deal massive damage. Green Arrow also has a "keep away" ability, which allows him to jump backwards and shoot an arrow at the ground to keep enemies at bay. Mike can characterize that as an ability all he wants, but I'm guessing it's just his excuse for being a bad shot.
Why Mike Really Likes Him: I think Mike just really likes Robinhood, since that's clearly what DC was going for when it designed Green Arrow. Well, that or some kind of rejected fifth Ninja Turtle. Either way, I'm guessing Mike dressed as either the Green Arrow or Robinhood for Halloween sometime in his past. Fess up, Mike!
Official Rating: Like Robinhood, only he doesn't help poor people

Lex Luthor
Why Mike Likes Him: At first I thought Mike was crazy for picking Superman's bald-headed nemesis – until I learned he's wearing some kind of cheap supersuit. Mike says Luthor's Warsuit slows the villain down considerably, but it packs a mean punch and provides the player with decent ranged attacks. Luthor also has a powerful super move that lets him call down a laser attack from an orbiting satellite, which he then turns into a ball of energy and blasts his opponent with – creating an explosion visible from space. How is that even fair?
Why Mike Really Likes Him: Well, aside from the fact that Luthor sounds ridiculously overpowered, I'm guessing Mike likes him because he secretly dreams of taking over the world. In fact, I have it on good authority that he's building his own supersuit in his garage.
Official Rating: Cheap but effective

DeathStroke
Why Mike Likes Him: Deathstroke's arsenal of weapons provides players with a healthy assortment of both short- and long-range attacks, and his speed makes him a force to be reckoned with. DeathStroke's super move riddles his opponent with bullets and sword slashes, while his character ability makes his bullets temporarily unblockable, forcing opponents to move in close to disrupt the gunfire.
Why Mike Really Likes Him: Arrows, lasers, bullets – I'm starting to notice a pattern here. It sounds like Mike prefers ranged projectile attacks that keep his opponents at a distance. It seems to me like our new news editor may have commitment issues, keeping the people he cares about the most at arm's length. Is this why Mike works remotely from New Jersey? We may never know...
Official Rating: Very helpful from a psychoanalysis standpoint

The Flash
Why Mike Likes Him: The Flash's move set is built around his incredible speed, which allows him to string together lightning-fast combos. While not a good long-range fighter, The Flash has the ability to slow down time to dodge enemy attacks and perform extra-powerful combos. The Flash can also build up a super punch by running around the entire world before striking his opponent, which sounds like a huge waste of energy if you ask me.
Why Mike Really Likes Him: At first I thought the close-range nature of The Flash's fighting style contradicted my theory of Mike having commitment issues – until I realized the connection. The Flash is really good at running – which I assume includes running away from things. Case closed.
Official Rating: What are you running from, Barry?

Coming Up Next: I carefully analyze Reiner's picks while trying not to get fired...

Reiner's Equally Dumb Picks:

Aquaman
Why Reiner Likes Him: To no one's surprise, the first character Reiner championed was Aquaman, a.k.a. the fish baby that even Atlantis didn't want. Reiner tells me Aquaman's Trident is good for both close- and long-range attacks, and that he has a powerful water shield for defense – because when you're fighting superheroes, you want a shield made out of water. Aquaman also has a super move where he skewers his opponent with his Trident and serves him up to a shark to snack on.
Why Reiner Really Likes Him: Reiner's love of Aquaman is well-established, as is his love of sharks. The fact that there's a super move in Injustice that combines the two makes this game Reiner's equivalent of Citizen Kane.
Official Rating: It's still Aquaman, people

Catwoman
Why Reiner Likes Her: Catwoman is totally ineffective from a distance, but her quick claws make her a nightmare up close, and her whip is good for mid-range attacks. Catwoman can also build up a special scratch meter, which allows her to perform a secondary combo at the end of traditional combos. She is one of the quickest and most-fluid fighters in Injustice.
Why Reiner Really Likes Her: Okay, does anyone not like Catwoman? Because I'm pretty sure she's the best female comic book villain ever created, and I'm not just saying that because she's the only one I can think of. If you don't believe me, go watch Batman Returns.
Official Rating: Purrrfect

Green Lantern
Why Reiner Likes Him: Green Lantern's magic ring provides Hal Jordan with Injustice's most creative move set, which accommodates all ranges. Green Lantern's super move alone allows him to teleport enemies to his homeworld, hit them with a hammer, smash them between a pair of buses, and then fire off a bunch of jet missiles at them. Overpowered much?
Why Reiner Really Likes Him: Green Lantern sounds like Injustice's equivalent of a win button, so I'm guessing that has something to do with Reiner's affection for him. I'd give Reiner a hard time for taking the easy route, but he also handicaps himself by picking that stupid fish guy, so it all evens out.
Official Rating: Even Ryan Reynolds can't screw it up

The Joker
Why Reiner Likes Him: Reiner seemed to include Batman's deranged nemesis more for his personality than his battlefield prowess. The Joker features the most brutal and heavy-handed attacks of Injustice. In addition to bludgeoning foes with a crowbar, the Joker has a variety of clown-themed gadgets at his disposal, such as laughing gas and a flower on his lapel that shoots acid.
Why Reiner Really Likes Him: I couldn't figure out why Reiner likes the Joker so much, so I decided to go straight to the source and ask him. When I entered his office, Reiner just started laughing maniacally and asked me if I wanted to see a magic trick. I slowly backed out of the doorway and have been trying to forget that it happened ever since. I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but I'm pretty sure it qualifies as a hostile work environment.
Official Rating: Why so serious?

Who do you think is the best character in Injustice? Share your pick in the comments below.