It seems perfectly natural to wonder how characters in fighting games would fare against characters from another fighting game. After all, pummeling each other is pretty universal, so with the right amount of effort, a mash-up could be fun.

However, it's another thing to pit a fighting series against comic book characters.

It seemed an odd combination at first, "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe." Liu Kang versus Superman? Scorpion versus the Joker? Really?

But after sitting down with it, I decided it actually works.

A story mode explains how it all happens - battles in both universes result in DC's Darkseid and Mortal Kombat's Shao Khan merging, and the two worlds begin to fuse. In the confusion, Kombatants fight superheroes and villains, and sometimes even their own friends. Players can follow the storyline through one side and then the other.

The fighting itself is well balanced. I was worried that one side would be stronger than the other, or that the fighting styles (magic versus superpowers) wouldn't mesh well, but the developers make it work. Even the Man of Steel finds himself vulnerable to magic.

The characters have signature moves that fit well with who they are. The Flash, for example, can quickly zip from one side of the screen to the other to punch the opponent from behind.

I also like the degradation of the characters as the battle wears on. Faces bruise and clothing tears.

Some new game mechanics have been added that make it even more fun. Klose Kombat occurs when one players grabs the other. The grabber then can land one powerful hit after the other. The catch is that the button presses are shown on the screen, and if the grabee can match the button quickly, he earns a counterattack and ends the combat.

Similarly, Freefall Kombat starts when one player knocks the other down a level. The same button-press mechanic is used as the characters fall, except this time a bar fills. If the attacker fills the bar and hits a button, the unfortunate victim gets tossed into the ground in gloriously painful fashion.

In addition to story mode, there's an arcade mode in which players fight through a lineup and earn a short movie upon winning.

Of course, there's also an online mode, for players who want to go head to head with other players. There's only one mode online, but you really can't ask for much else in a fighting game.

There's an interesting combo challenge mode that seems as if it would be helpful for learning some of the more difficult moves. However, as much as I tried, I could never successfully pull off any of them, even with the buttons showing on the screen. They required too much exact timing.

Overall, "MK vs. DC" was fun and enjoyable, if a bit short. The violence actually has been toned down a bit from what "Mortal Kombat" fans would be used to, but I still enjoyed the odd juxtaposition of characters. The stories and dialogue are incredibly cheesy, but that's what you'd expect from this kind of game.

If you've got friends to play with, it's worth a buy. Otherwise, rent it.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

By: Midway, for Xbox 360 (also for PlayStation 3)

Rated: Mature

Cost: $59.99

Score: 7/10