It wasn't the first time in comics that the Joker had orchestrated Lois Lane's death, and I'm sure it won't be the last. But the opening pages of Injustice: Gods Among Us might be the worst

Superman, hallucinating under the influence of a Jokerfied Scarecrow toxin, does the deed himself ... and it happens within hours of learning she was pregnant. Wow.

It sets the stage for a comic-book adaptation of a video game (which, for the record, I have never played, or seen, or even read about). Superman, pushed beyond the edge of madness, combats his feelings of helplessness by imposing peace and order on the world -- by any means necessary. He begins his reign with the violent murder of the Joker, who was in police custody at the time.

Some heroes, such as Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Shazam and Damian Wayne's Robin, support Superman's totalitarian regime, while others -- among them Batman, Nightwing, Green Lantern and Aquaman -- oppose it. Of course, this means there will be conflict among heroes. Governments, too, as the world's powers strive to maintain their autonomy.

Written by Tom Taylor and illustrated by a raft of artists led by Jheremy Raapack and Mike S. Miller, Injustice is a solid, entertaining and disturbing book. It's the opening chapter of what has become a long-running series that stands outside of DC's canon books, and is very different from the usual fare you'll see from this comic-book universe.

Based on what I've seen so far (which is this volume, as well as the equally disturbing prequel series), I'm in for the long haul with Injustice. Just don't expect me to play the game.