Earth 2 Annual #1 Review

(w) James Robinson
(p) Cafu and Julius Gopez
(i) Cafu and Cam Smith

What should have been a knock out of the park for James Robinson turned out to be a rather wishy-washy issue with very little connecting the various elements. Earth 2 Annual #1 was advertised in a big way because it would include the first appearance from Earth 2's brand-new Batman. And that's pretty much the only element of the issue promoted. Which is unfortunate because the new Batman bit was easily the weakest part of the issue. 

I like that Robinson has the freedom to do almost whatever he wants on this title (which makes his recent departure announcement all the more frustrating), and creating a whole new Batman is interesting for this world. What I don't like is how little we know. We get to see the new Bats in the field. We see him helping other wonders from the shadows. We ever get some of his thoughts. But that's it. There's nothing explaining his motives, who he is, how he became to agile and strong, where he got a Batman suit and what his expectations are for being a masked vigilante. I wouldn't have a problem with all of these unanswered questions if the new Bats wasn't plastered on the cover like it's all about him.

The World Army aspect of Earth 2 hasn't been focused on much, simply because Robinson was playing with Green Lantern, Flash, and Hawkgirl. Earth 2 Annual #1 goes more in-depth with the WA's going-ons, and even introduces a brand new wonder that's sure to be part of the Justice Society whenever that gets around to forming.

The real problem with Earth 2 Annual #1 is how disjointed it feels. Yes, it's supposed to act as an "interlude" in between arcs here, but the drastic shift of focus from the pre-JSA to the wonders employed by the World Army is too abrupt with absolutely no transition. Usually, this isn't a big problem. Here, though, since Robinson is building the entire world, he's got to make the world more cohesive. Right now, we have a lot of different elements that may or may not fit together.

I like Earth 2 Annual #1. It's a fun read. Regular readers of the series will appreciate how much James Robinson is pouring into Earth 2 from all angles. That being said, it's really only for regular readers.

GRADE

7/10

ACTION COMICS #12

STORY: Grant Morrison

ART: Rags Morales, CAFU, Brad Walker, Rick Bryant, Bob McLeod, and Andrew Hennessey

Since last year's relaunch, Grant Morrison's phenomenal run on Action Comics has brought about a lot of history for the DCnU. We get to see Superman's earliest days as a superhero - before he could fly - in Metropolis, wearing little more than a t-shirt with his emblem, a pair of cuffed jeans and some work boots; we learn about the monstrous World Collector out to miniaturize and keep a piece of every civilization in the universe; the Legion of Super-Heroes makes an appearance; Superman's new digs are explained beyond a fashion decision; Clark Kent dies, and now, the 'First Superman' rears his head to save a world he believes is coming to an end.

This month, the forgotten 'First Superman' gets a lot more panel time, including a flashback sequence that shows the nigh parallel lives Clark and Adam Blake. Born at the moment Superman's ship streaked through the sky in rural Kansas, Blake was born with incredible telekinetic powers. After years of cautious adoration, Blake's mother died of cancer. Blake's father, angry and spiteful, blames his son for the death of his wife, causing Blake to start down his dark path of misplaced righteousness. Of course, this wouldn't be an issue of Grant Morrison's if there wasn't at least one element of weirdness. In this case, the Oort-Kind have taken Blake as their solider, tasked to help them find and recover Neo-Sapiens. If that sentence sounded confusing, that's perfectly normal, if somewhat annoying. It helps knowing that Morrison has a plan, seeing as his run on Action Comics is coming to an end with issue 16.

Morrison is not one to leave loose ends untied (as evidenced by the inexplicable resurrection of Batman Incorporated), so the Oort-Kind's machinations will surely be made more clear in the coming months.

GRADE

B