Tomorrow, the fun, brutal, and unforgettable world of DC Comics Injustice returns in a new digital-first comic series, Injustice 2. A series bridging the gap between the first game developed by Mortal Kombat creators NetherRealm Studios, Injustice: Gods Among Us and its highly anticipated sequel, Injustice 2. Not only is the series that gave us fake mustache humor, ripped apart Kyle Rayner, turned Nightwing into Deadman, and tons of other great moments set to raise the bar again; but so is original series writer Tom Taylor. Along with Taylor comes one of the series most synonymous artists, Bruno Redondo. In Injustice 2’s tie-in comics, Redondo has the enviable task of playing with a new canvas with which to redesign much of DC’s beloved characters (At least the ones that ain’t dead yet).

We got to talk with Redondo about what opportunities this new digital first series provides the artist.


COMICS BEAT: How do you feel about not only coming back to this universe but being reunited on the book with Tom Taylor?

BRUNO REDONDO: Most of my work from the past few years has been on Injustice, so it’s like a homecoming. I know the characters and the circumstances that lead us where the story is, so it’s great to meet the guys again. It’s also great to work with Tom again, I enjoy working with him a lot, and recovering his voice for Black Canary, Harley Quinn and some others. It’s the whole gang together again!

 

CB: Injustice: Year Five‘s ending dropped readers at the beginning moments of the first game. Where does the Injustice 2 comic pick up?

BR: Injustice 2 starts some time (not too much) after the first Injustice game, and Injustice: Ground Zero, which adapts the first game storyline. So, Superman is angry and jailed, Batman wants to fix the world, and many heroes have been missing, in one-way or another.

CB: Injustice: Gods Among Us, the comic, constructed so much lore on to the foundation laid out by NetherRealm’s game. What was your favorite moment(s) from your run on the comics?

BR: There have been many great moments in Injustice along the years, and I’m proud to be a part of some of them. The death of Oliver Queen fighting against Superman seems a genuine heroic moment for me. Also, in year 2 there’s one of my favorite chapters, “The Quiver”, where we discover some of Harley’s deepest secrets. Tom rules at developing characters with complex layers.

 

CB: The DC team really did some fantastic work with Harley Quinn. A character who had already been getting some great recent stories told. It certainly couldn’t have been easy to follow those. From Injustice 2’s game trailers and early seen promotional art, Supergirl seems to play a prominent role in this new story. Will we see her in this tie-in series and what do you see as her role in the conflict between Batman and Superman?

BR: There are things I can’t tell, but I know Kara will have an important part of this new comic series, just stay tuned.

COMICS BEAT: Okay okay, as long as you guys give her time with Harley talking about Kryptonian fake mustaches. 

From the first issue, I can see the incorporation of some new looks for characters. With the game featuring the option for players to customize characters can we expect to see more new costume elements in the comic? Do the customizable options in the game give you more room to play with the looks of the characters as the story progresses in the comics?

BRUNO REDONDO: We are trying to use different clothes to show different moments in the story, with some transition from the first video game period of time to the second one, so you will see some progression occur, which we plan to fit to the story.

 

CB: From what we’ve seen in previews for the game, its new loot system really opens the realm of visual design for you. As a visual storyteller, how are you challenging yourself to push this new series further than previous Injustice comics?

BR: I learned a lot along the years I worked on the first Injustice comic series, and I hope not to seem like such a rookie as I used to in some ways. We are trying to improve our coordination on character design, doing our best, and I think every person involved is doing an awesome job.

CB: Coordination has definitely been an Achilles heel of any tie-in project and it does seem like everyone has more lines of communication this time around.

What new characters are you most excited to be drawing this time around in the Injustice 2 comic series? 

BR: There are some Suicide Squad characters that I’m enjoying a lot; my beloved Harley, who has grown up a lot since Injustice, and also some characters that I think will be a surprise for the long time readers (wink-wink).

CB: You’re like a bear trap Bruno! Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long to see just what the artist is hinting at. DC Comics Injustice 2 digital-first series launches weekly on April 11th via ComiXology and ReadDCentertainment.com. Print fans can pick up collected issues beginning on May 3rd.

NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 video game launches in North America on May 16th for PS4 and Xbox One. I’ll have something special for people looking to celebrate the games launch a few days before, details on that soon.