Earth 2 #1 Review
As Darkseid’s forces invade the new Earth-2, old heroes fall and new heroes rise in the first issue of James Robinson’s EARTH 2.
Earth 2 #1
Five years ago, the armies of Apokolips invaded Earth 2, and one by one, the members of the Trinity fell in battle, while their successors and children were lost somewhere in the Multiverse. Today, Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, a successful media mogul and a directionless young man respectively, have no idea the dramatic turn their lives are about to take.
The thing I love about shows like YOUNG JUSTICE or comics like NEW FRONTIER is that you get an entire DC Universe in one place, one-stop shopping. That’s what drew me to this book initially, the chance to get to read about all these characters without buying any other books. In a world of 18 Batman books, this title is a greatly appreciated rarity.
This first issue reads almost like a prologue to the main story. We know from interviews that Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Al Pratt will be the main characters, and yet they only factor marginally into the plot, which is basically this: What would have happened in the opening arc of JUSTICE LEAGUE if Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were the only heroes on Earth?
The answer? Things would not have gone well.
Despite being more experienced than their New Earth counterparts, the heroes of Earth 2 were only able to stop the forces of Apokolips by sacrificing themselves. On that somber note, we are left with a world that is badly in need of heroes.
James Robinson is a writer who, by my estimation, needs his own little world to work on. Comparing his STARMAN and SUPERMAN runs bear this out. When given a chance to develop a singular story at his own pace, he makes magic. When forced to mesh his unique style and method with others…
Nicola Scott’s art suits the story beautifully. Neither too stylized nor too generic, her art is perfect for this world of old character given fresh life.
I don’t know how long-term JSA fans will feel about the changes to Earth 2, which is now no longer about the World War II era heroes and their children. But I’m intrigued. Hopefully DC won’t get greedy if the series is popular and go the WATCHMEN rout, flooding the market with dozens of tie-ins. Hopefully Robinson and Scott will be allowed to continue developing this story in their own way at their own pace.
If nothing else, this series is a chance, like the old Elseworlds used to say, for us to see these familiar as yesterday characters made as fresh as tomorrow.
A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATING
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The chance to see the entire story of a DCU in one place | Might stray too far from the original concept for some |
| Rating |
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1 Comment
Great review, I picked up the book for the sane reason (getting a whole universe in one place) and Robinson is usually a great writer when he has time to develop a story and his own universes to play in.
One thing I will say though is that not only do Jay Garrick and Alan Scott show up as you stated in your review but also Al Pratt (GA atom) it took me a few reads to realise but he is the short army guy the other two make fun of.