Injustice: Year Zero is a prequel webcomic to the
Injustice franchise released digitally on August 4, 2020.
Tropes:
- Affirmative-Action Legacy: The Doctor Fate seen in this story is Inza Cramer, whereas the games have her husband Kent Nelson as the Doc.
- Artifact of Doom: The Amulet of the Lords of Chaos. Buried in Egypt, it was found by Hawkman and Hawkgirl in 1942, picked up by a man named Strasser, and used to help the Nazis slaughter Allied troops in WW2. The Justice Society buried it at the bottom of the ocean... and then Joker finds out about it.
- Badass Normal: Wildcat, as always. He has no superpowers, only a mean right hook, and he beats up Batman and the Flash.
- Beware the Superman: Averted since the series is set before Superman's Face–Heel Turn he is a good guy.
- Big Bad: The Joker who is the most prominent antagonist and the one behind the conflict.
- Bittersweet Ending: While the heroes are able to defeat The Joker, many in the Justice Society are either dead or missing, while Batman spares him again (with, ironically, Superman's support) and The Joker comes up with his idea to break Superman using Lois, and we all know how it will eventually turn out.
- Call-Forward: As a prequel, it naturally makes a few to the series.
- Batman makes a comment to Superman about the idea of him and Lois having kids with Superman saying they are both worried about the idea. Which is something that would later play a key role in the events of the series.
- Wonder Woman mentions how the Joker should have been put down, considering what would happen later in the series with Superman killing the Joker and continuing the express this same opinion.
- At the end, Joker mentions to Harley how Batman mentioned Superman being incorruptible. Joker wanted to put that to the test and planned to use Lois to do so, which is exactly what he would do.
- Ivy mentions to Harley that one day, Joker will do something horrible that would make her realize he's just a pathetic sleaze, which is what she does when Joker does drive Superman to a Face–Heel Turn.
- The Cameo: Harley's daughter Lucy makes a brief one as a baby.
- Covers Always Lie: The cover for issue 1 as seen above is a bit of a lie. There's no full-on Justice League vs. Justice Society brawl, and while some of the heroes do duke it out, the Black Canaries aren't among them. Also, Golden Age Black Canary never wears her costume, sticking instead to civvies.
- Doomed by Canon: Due to the Justice Society not appearing in the Injustice games and comics they were bound to die eventually. Subverted by the ending, however, which reveals that most of the JSA members were teleported to an unknown location by the Joker, and the rest of team heads off into the Multiverse to find them, explaining why they weren't around for any of the games or prior comics. Only Jay Garrick and the Sandman actually die during the course of the story.
- Even Evil Has Standards: As a Mythology Gag to the famous panel in Batman & Captain America where Joker states even he despises Nazism to the Red Skull, this Joker excitedly wants to get to the part where Nazis are killed when listening to Andre Chavard's story. When Andre confusedly states he thought Joker would like Nazis, Joker responds with "WHAT?! I'm American! I @#S%#$@ hate Nazis! I'm a homicidal maniac, not a traitorous bigot." Though considering that in the near future he's going to slaughter millions with glee and would have committed even worse atrocities if Superman didn't kill him, he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.
- Foregone Conclusion: Owing to its nature as a prequel, we know that Joker will trick Superman into killing Lois Lane, Metropolis will be destroyed and the One Earth Regime will be established after Superman murders Joker.
- Happily Married:
- Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy get married during the story and seem happy together, though it doesn't last long.
- Alan and Jim Scott, and Jay and Joan Garrick.
- Historical Domain Character: Adolf Hitler makes a brief appearance in Issue 3.
- How Do I Shot Web?: The Joker may control the minds of some of the JSA, but he doesn't have the details of their power. Sadly, this just makes his rampages worse, as he uses Jay's super-speed to splatter people once he learns he can, and nearly kills Alan because he didn't know Alan's powers have a time limit.
- Irony: Superman had considered leaving the Justice League to take care of his family but decided against it. If he did leave it is likely would mean the events of the entire Injustice series wouldn't have happened.
- Pass the Popcorn: The Flashes do this when Batman and Wildcat tussle.
- Prequel: The main events of the story are set before Injustice: Gods Among Us.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The Spectre, embodiment of God's vengeance, unleashed his full fury on the Nazis at the end of WW2. We don't see any details, but whatever he did left Jim Corrigan shaken afterward.
- Saved by Canon: Since he still has to destroy Metropolis, Joker survives the story.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: When Joker tries to control Harley, she fights him off and runs. However, both she and Ivy know full well it'll only be a temporary thing, and she'll eventually go right back to her puddin'.
- Shooting Superman: Joker's attempt on Amazing Man's life fails because Will reacts quick enough to use his powers to turn himself metal, no selling the bullet.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: At the end, Batman unintentionally mentions to Joker about Superman being incorruptible. Using that info, the Monster Clown plans to put that to the test by using Lois in his scheme, which is exactly what he does.
