Brian Truitt

USA TODAY

%27Year Two%27 of the digital %27Injustice%3A Gods Among Us%27 begins this week

The series is written by Tom Taylor

Taylor also pens the series %27Earth 2%27

Even Tom Taylor is feeling a little guilty about taking his favorite superhero to the dark side.

Then again, the Australian writer wants to see — like many of his fans — what will happen with Superman as a supreme power on Earth. That's why he signed on for "Year Two" of his popular DC Comics digital-first series Injustice: Gods Among Us.

"I want to know what happens with a vengeful Black Canary," Taylor explains of the comic, available weekly on Tuesdays. "I want to know how Green Lantern falls. I want to know what happens to Harley Quinn with the Joker no longer in the picture. I want to know why Superman teams up with supervillains. I want to see Batman heal. I want to find out who lives and who dies, and how.

"I want to see powerful beings, who were once allies, fighting each other with the future of the universe at stake."

So far, comic fans are all about Taylor's story. Since the first chapter debuted a year ago, Injustice has sold more than 1.9 million print and digital comics, with the vast majority being digital downloads, according to DC. (The series so far, as well as new chapters, will be available on the DC app and in the "DC2 Multiverse" format on the Madefire app.)

Based on the video game of the same name, Taylor's Injustice series explores a darker, reimagined version of the DC Universe comic fans know and love: After the deaths of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Superman murders the Joker and installs himself as the ruler of a new world regime, making enemies of members of the Justice League such as Batman, who heads up a group of insurgents.

But in Taylor's mind, a new year of Injustice means it's time to go bigger. "This is no longer just about Earth," he says. "Superman's actions are not just raising concerns for the leaders of our world. Powerful beings across the stars are turning their gaze towards Earth."

As the scope is increasing, though, there will plenty of smaller, character-focused tales as well, Taylor adds. "So don't worry, you can still expect more fractured relationships, loss and pain for the characters you love."

Illustrated by Bruno Redondo and Julien Hugonnard-Bert, the first chapter of "Year Two" (available Tuesday for download) picks up where the initial series left off, with the heroes hit hard — physically and emotionally — and divided following the death of Green Arrow and Superman's attack on Batman.

"Despite the death of one of his best friends, Green Lantern Hal Jordan still believes in what Superman is doing," Taylor says. "For Black Canary, losing her love at the hands of Superman has firmly turned her against the Man of Steel, and others are only too happy to help her against him."

Most of the surviving characters are back, according to the writer, but the cast is growing as the story expands into the rest of the galaxy. The Guardians and their Green Lantern Corps, including Guy Gardner and John Stewart, appear in the new Injustice series, as well as the cosmic villain Sinestro. A host of magic users also comes on the scene, where the sides are growing and "it almost feels like war," says Taylor.

In the series, he loves writing Harley Quinn — "There's something about her post-Joker that's very appealing" — and she will return in time. Of the current cast, though, Black Canary is a heroine "who is really speaking to me at the moment," Taylor says. "Her loss in 'Year One' is driving so much of our story."

He's also glad to be writing Guy Gardner again, a guy who like Harley has no problem letting everybody know what's on his mind.

"I've always enjoyed writing these court-jester-type characters who aren't afraid to speak truth to power, and Harley and Guy aren't just people who will tell the Emperor he has no clothes," Taylor says. "They'll point and laugh at the Emperor and then upload a picture of the naked Emperor to Twitter."

Unusual team-ups have also been a staple of Injustice — the duo of Green Arrow and Harley Quinn was one of Taylor's favorites from "Year One," and more are coming, he teases. "It's interesting to see who gravitates towards each other when you take big, important characters away. For instance, if you remove Batman who does Commissioner Gordon turn to?"

There's a freedom in working in the Injustice universe, according to Taylor, and because it's different from that of the regular DCU, he can do whatever he wants with the heroes he's known for years.

The biggest negative, however, is putting those characters through "insanely awful" situations, usually finishing a night of scripting Injustice "feeling terrible" for things he's put them through, Taylor says — especially Superman.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun to think of just how much an uncontrolled Superman is capable of, particularly a Superman who still feels he's acting in the world's best interests," he adds. "Superman's continuing fall to the dark side will feature in 'Year Two' but there are other character's stories that will also be highlighted, particularly Hal Jordan's story. Green Lantern has a long way to fall."

Taylor also plays in an alternate universe with his Earth 2 series, which connects with the DC Universe but focuses on heroes such as Green Lantern Alan Scott and the original Flash Jay Garrick. (It has featured an evil Earth 2 Superman lately, and Taylor says he'll be focusing on the origin of that Earth's new Batman this month and introducing a new character he hopes will play a big role in the DCU.)

With Injustice, though, Taylor figures the familiarity of the characters draws fans into the series, and its unpredictability keeps them coming back every week.

"Whatever happens is permanent in this universe," the writer says. "If someone dies here, they're dead. That's almost never true of comics. Usually when you read a comic where a hero dies, you know deep down that they're probably coming back somehow soon. No one's coming back in Injustice. People read Injustice knowing their favorite character could be deady-dead dead on the very next page.

"We're creating new characters and new situations," Taylor adds, "and we're building up to something huge. Unlike Earth 2, the world of Injustice is one that's completely established. People know this world because the DC heroes have been inhabiting it for years. It's familiar but also completely perverted by some incredibly dark moments."