Review: Earth 2 Volume 1 - The Gathering

On an Earth without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, a new age of heroes rises up against the threat of the monstrous Solomon Grundy. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Flash, and the Atom are the only ones who have a chance of preventing their foe from turning the planet into a barren wasteland. Having only recently come into their powers, these heroes must learn to master their abilities and work together as a team to save the Earth.

Earth 2 Volume 1: The Gathering collects Earth 2 #1-6, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott.

Earth 2 is conceived as an updated take on the Justice Society of America and the concept of the Silver Age multiverse. Its traditionally multi-generational cast is revamped as a singular group of young heroes coming into their own shortly after acquiring their unique abilities. Alan Scott (Green Lantern), Jay Garrick (the Flash), and Kendra Saunders (Hawkgirl) form the nucleus of this book. For decades, Alan and Jay have been depicted as middle-aged veteran heroes, so seeing them as 20-somethings is both jarring and refreshing. It’s exciting to read stories about these characters at that age from a modern perspective, even if it does negate part of what helped distinguish them from their Silver Age successors. Thankfully, we get a clear sense of their personalities and Robinson makes it easy for us to relate to their struggles (Alan has just lost his partner, while Jay’s girlfriend has dumped him). Kendra is not nearly as developed as they are, but there’s a mystique about her character that makes her intriguing.

The arc itself features a creative reimagining of Solomon Grundy as the Big Bad and who is the agent of the Grey (similar to the Rot from Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man run). With an origin more grounded in mysticism and natural forces, it contrasts nicely against the Justice League’s foundation (which was based around a conflict with alien forces). The resolution of the conflict is smart and the usage of the characters throughout is managed rather well. That said, there is a bit of a pacing issue. Given that the cast is on the smaller side, it’s disappointing that Robinson only ever scratches the surface of who they are. He introduces them in relatively quick succession, provides a bit of contextualization, gives them powers, and then has them face off against the Big Bad almost immediately. As such, there’s this sense of something being missing from this first arc.

The most consistent and praise-worthy work in The Gathering is done by artist Nicola Scott. She’s perennially impressive in her output. It’s expressive, dynamic, and distinctive. She really knows how to set a scene and illustrates textiles in such a way that they feel tactile. While she didn’t come up with all of the designs for this book, the ones she did are those that stand out the most. Hawkgirl’s is especially fierce in both its colour scheme and functionality. Similarly, I admire what she came up with for Jay’s Flash seeing as he’s basically only ever worn one costume prior to this. Her Wonder Woman redesign is quite possibly superior to Jim Lee’s New 52 look (which I adored), though I could do without the lobster tiara and the overly ornate gauntlet. There’s very little I enjoy seeing more than Nicola Scott’s Wonder Woman, so it’s a real treat to have that in the series’ first issue.

Earth 2 Volume 1: The Gathering is sure to be contentious amongst fans of the Justice Society. On the one hand, it gives us the opportunity to see these characters from a new and fresh perspective by seeing them reimagined in a way that takes us back to the beginning of their careers. On the other, doing so erases a lot of what made them so unique in the world of comic books. Regardless, this volume is enjoyable and is further elevated by the quality artwork done by Nicola Scott. For those looking for a more diverse alternative to the Justice League, Earth 2 is worth a read.

RATING: B