Comic Book Review: ‘Earth 2′ #1

Posted Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 05:00 pm GMT -4 by Jason Motes0

Earth 2 Cover Okay, wow. Whatever you thought this book was before… it’s not that. If you intend to read this book, please do so before reading this review, because there are some real shocks inside that I have to discuss and therefore SPOIL. If you don’t want SPOILERS, please stop reading now.

Okay, that’s out of the way, this book, like ‘Justice League’ #1 is set five years ago and features the invasion of Earth… well an Earth… by Parademons. Unfortunately, this world only has a handful of heroes to defend it, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman along with Robin (Helena Wayne, daughter of Batman) and Supergirl. These heroes, unlike those in the Justice League, have been active for years at this point and know each other well. The Parademons have ravaged this world and erected communications towers all over it. Metropolis is destroyed and Lois Lane died in a “stupid, senseless way.” Amazon Island and all the Amazons have likewise been destroyed. Diana mentions “a fallen sister.” Donna Troy, perhaps? The three main heroes make a last ditch attack. Robin serves as backup in the Batwing. Supergirl is tasked with patrolling the globe to protect several nuclear missiles, final safeguards in case the heroes fail in their mission. (One of the soldiers transporting one nuke is Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom. One of his subordinates is named “Harper,” perhaps Roy? Or James Harper, the Golden Age Guardian?)

In a flashback, Batman informs Superman and Wonder Woman that he’s developed a virus that will shut down the towers and thus the Parademons. He just has to get into the Metropolis tower.

Back to the battle, Wonder Woman is visited by Mercury, who tells her that the Roman gods (not Greek, it should be noted) have taken up the battle against the Parademons as well, but it seems that many of these immortals have been slaughtered already. Even Mars, the god of war! He thanks her for her loyalty and her faith before flying off.

Then – and here come the shocks – Wonder Woman is impaled and killed by Steppenwolf! Then, Superman is blown to pieces! Not hearing back from her cousin, Supergirl abandons her patrol and flies to Metropolis, leaving the soldiers below vulnerable. (Their fate isn’t depicted here.) Batman succeeds in his mission, but urges his daughter to escape. It seems he failed to mention that when his plan goes into effect, the tower in which he has invaded, will explode. Helena tearfully tells Kara that their mentors are dead. Another Boom Tube opens and the ladies see someone inside and rush toward it and vanish… for good.

In the present, Alan Scott, owner of GBC narrates a five year anniversary documentary devoted to the war and the loss of the heroes. As they fly over Italy, we see that it is still a bombed out shell, with huge fiery craters.

In Lansing, Michigan, 21 year-old Jay Garrick is being dumped by his girlfriend Joan, who is moving to the west coast to work at Tyler-Chem. (Owned by Rex Tyler, Hourman, in old continuity.) Later that night, Jay is sitting on a hill, overlooking the city, having a beer when he spots what he thinks is a falling star… but is really a fallen god, Mercury!

Get all that? Good! This is NOT the new Justice Society of America. These are NOT the heroes of World War II and/or their legacies. This is a straight up, brand new, parallel universe that tips its hat at the Golden Age heroes, but this is something vastly different.

Uncolored Earth 2 Art By Nicola Scott, Inked By Trevor Scott

Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman… DEAD?! I was stunned that they pulled that. I really had no clue that was coming… well, it’s vaguely referenced at the beginning, but I mean, before this book’s release there was never any mention of anything of this magnitude occurring. I missed the Justice Society in this whole New 52 reboot. Their integration into the “main” DC continuity was one of the best things to come out of Crisis on Infinite Earths. And their Geoff Johns-penned series was a huge hit and fan favorite. But realizing that this isn’t in any way a reintroduction of the “classic” JSA helps me accept this new concept with all its shocks and twists a bit easier. This is something new and different and… not bad at all!

I LOVE Nicola Scott! (Read my interview with her here!) She just rocks! Her style is clean, smooth, super detailed and gorgeous and she just takes it to a new level in this book. She did most of the design work on these versions of these classic heroes and I honestly like her designs a lot better than most of those over in the mainstream DCU, right now. Superman doesn’t have a bunch of fussy extraneous seams all over his costume. Wonder Woman actually looks like Wonder Woman, with a few added pieces of armor. Batman also looks armored, but in a more modern way, and very practical. Best of all, Supergirl doesn’t have bizarre leggings with the knees cut out.

This is a strange one, I will admit. It may enrage fans of the classic Golden Age JSA or even the more recent modern version. But I choose to view this as a new type of Elseworlds. It’s something new that simply pays homage to the previous work. (You could honestly apply that to the mainstream New 52.) It’s well written and beautifully drawn. So I’ll definitely be adding this to my pull list!

What did you think of the drastic changes in this issue? Comment below!

Verdict: Buy

EARTH 2
Written by James Robinson
Art by Nicola Scott
Cover by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Rod Reis

Blairterry

Now I understand the story that the new 52 was leading up to —
somewhere out in the Multiverse, the position once filled by the JSA
Earth 2 has now been taken over by the New 52 Earth 2, possibly shunting
into another position or sharing the same space as Phantom Girl’s Home
World does. While this catastrophic phenomenon was happening, a horrific
disease spread throughout the universe infecting the Grand Costume
Designer of the Universe, the “Couturier Cosmic,” it began affecting all
good costume designs across the multitude of worlds.

Darkseid, who had only recently taken an online fashion design
course, saw it was centred around this new Earth 2 and was deeply
offended. He dispatched Steppenwolf to put an end to this affront with
his Parademons destroying all but a few (what horrors must he have
endured). Luckily, only the Supers and Robin remained probably because
they had not been too severely infected with bad taste. Robin and
Supergirl fled Earth 2 hoping to start afresh on Earth 1, little
realizing they had brought the disease with them.

It slowly spread through the super-hero community on Earth 1, but it
was poor Supergirl who had been the worst infected. She tried making it
as Power Girl, but it was too late — alas she created the hideous outfit
she wears on Earth 1.

Otherwise, I liked it.
- JasonMBowles
  
  Oh I reviewed Worlds’ Finest as well. My review should pop up this weekend at some point. I don’t use the word “hideous” but our opinions on the new Power Girl suit are pretty in-line.
Jeff

I’m 45, been reading DC since I was 10 back in ’77. The first comic book i ever fell in love with was a Paul Levitz issue of Justice Society. Loved Robinson’s Golden Age book that played with the Earth 2 characters, but I’m reserving judgment on this revamp for a few issues.
- JasonMBowles
  
  I just had to distance myself from the classic Earth 2 entirely. This isn’t it. It won’t be it. It’s just something new and it’s well done. Your response along with the others’ strengthens that feeling. It’s a good issue… as long as it didn’t make you want to kill everyone involved with making it because it has nothing to do with the past continuity.
Doug

Let me say upfront that I have NOT been collecting and/or reading the New 52. The absence of the JSA was a BIG part of that decision.

I, like Jeff, am a long-time DC reader – since 1961 to be exact. I knew the Justice League before I knew the Justice Society via the Justice League “Crisis” issues, but I immediately loved the historical significance of the JSA, and it made me find out more about them.

I guess that’s kind of how I feel about this new version. Unlike Jeff, I kinda suspected that the Big Three on Earth 2 would not last long if this story was to have ANY connection to the original JSA and the way it was formed – basically to give those characters with no books of their own more exposure.

One thing I do like is that there is no formal JLA-like super-team on Earth 2 … yet. Again, if proper homage is to be paid to our beloved Earth 2 characters, that honor belongs to them, and it will (hopefully) be a thrill to watch the JSA born on this new Earth 2.

I’m also reading the new World’s Finest, which I consider a key tie-in to Earth 2. So far, both books are keeping my attention. Whether they gain my loyalty will depend on how well they honor the memories of those first heroes and comics first super-team.
- JasonMBowles
  
  It’s just a positive sign that neither you, nor Jeff nor myself are on a rampage over this book. I’m old school too, but the fact that we’re not lighting our torches and grabbing our nearest pitchfork shows… something. Right? (This was way better than the current Justice League book, by the way.)
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SilentGus

OK so you show up a universe where Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are killed in the first issue. And the big question is who cares… Doing it in their main continuity would be rather awesome (then again they’ve done it and it was not…) Why should I care about characters that die after saying 50 words. In the end it’s just a limited series and if they want they can bring them back again. I am not against the book but if I want to read a story where the main thing is superman dying I already have it, on a rubbish oversize paperback gathering dust in my shelf….
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Comic Book Review: ‘Earth 2′ #1

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