(COMIC) EARTH 2 #1

STORY: James Robinson
ART: Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott


Here it is! The first review from "The Endless Reel" covering DC's 'New 52: Second Wave'! I wanted to start things off with James Robinson and Nicola Scott's Earth 2 #1. Fans have been clamoring for the Justice Society since DC the 'New 52' relaunch came with no mention of the heroes of yesteryear (except for Mister Terrific). Obviously, DC has answered those fans with a series built around not only the Justice Society, but about an entire parallel universe.

Earth 2 #1 kicks things off spectacularly with a brief history of the Apokolips War - a conflict similar to the one faced by the Justice League of the 'primary' Earth, except the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman from Earth 2 sacrifice themselves to end the war and save the planet. The first five pages alone depict the three pillars of DC against an unending army of Parademons. It's actually quite incredible that Robinson is able to make Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all likable and emotional investment-worthy within the span of 20 pages. It's sad that these three main characters won't be around going forward, but it means we get to see that much more of Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and the the rest of the JSA.

Earth 2 also sets up another Second Wave series being debuted this week, World's Finest, starring Power Girl and Huntress, a.k.a. Supergirl and Robin of Earth 2. Batman's task involved infecting Apokolyptian technology with a virus from within one of their communication spires. After the virus caused all the alien technology to start malfunctioning, Supergirl and Robin take off after Steppenwolf (the leader of Apokolips, as far as we know) through an unstable boom tube.

The final pages of the issue are dedicated to giving readers a bit of the retooled backstories for both Alan Scott, who is the owner and CEO of G.B.C. Media, and Jay Garrick, a recent college graduate with no plans for the future and a girlfriend who dumps him for a better life. Already, it's quite obvious that the Justice Society is going to be a parallel to the Justice League instead of their forefathers.

GRADE:

A