Review: Earth 2 Volume 3 - Battle Cry

After staging a violent coup, Steppenwolf becomes the ruler of the nation of Dherain and immediately engages in a war with the World Army. The wonders of Earth unite against this threat, but Steppenwolf’s warriors may be too powerful for them to defeat. Meanwhile, Hawkgirl continues her search for answers regarding the death of Green Lantern’s fiancé.

Earth 2 Volume 3: Battle Cry collects Earth 2 #13-16, Earth 2 Annual #1, and Earth 2 #15.1, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott. Additional writing is by Paul Levitz and art by Yildiray Cinar.

Battle Cry is a bit of a mess. Where the previous two collections featured some solid character development, this one fails to deliver on that end and instead focuses on a war between the World Army and Steppenwolf that doesn’t quite get the build-up it needed. There are also numerous subplots – namely the introduction of a mysterious new Batman, Fury’s pursuit of Mister Miracle and Big Barda, and Hawkgirl’s investigation into the death of Sam Zhao. As such, Robinson is throwing too much at the reader and doesn’t spend nearly enough time developing the cast he’s reinvented. I would have preferred for him to focus more on Hawkgirl, Fury, and Big Barda since the few female characters in Earth 2 have very little to do.

There are some highlights to this trade. I really enjoyed Robinson’s take on Commander Steel (named Captain Steel in this series). He manages to reinvent the character’s origin in order to make him more relatable and to increase the diverse representation Earth 2 has become known for. He’s a character I’d loved to have seen more of, but he’s sadly not folded into the main cast. Robinson manages to get in a few good twists as well. The appearance of a new Batman adds intrigue (though the cover to this trade kind of spoils that surprise) and there’s a surprising reveal during the battle against Steppenwolf that I certainly didn’t predict. Finally, Nicola Scott’s art continues to be excellent throughout. The men she draws continue to be scrumptious and I’m glad that she’s finally given more women to draw besides Hawkgirl.

This is the final volume collecting James Robinson’s work on Earth 2 (he is replaced by Tom Taylor by issue 17) and he unfortunately goes out with more of a whimper than a bang. He began the series with a lot great ideas and concepts, reinventing Golden Age characters brilliantly for a modern audience. After two decently entertaining arcs, he stumbled with this collection and ended up delivering a lead-up to Taylor’s run rather than neatly tying up the loose ends of his own. The art and high octane action compensates for this, but the drop in quality is far too noticeable not to lament.

RATING: C+

Review: Earth 2 - The Tower of Fate

Having been spirited away to another dimension, the Flash must work together with the newly minted Doctor Fate in order to rescue his mother from the clutches of the nefarious sorcerer Wotan. Then, Green Lantern seeks out Hawkgirl’s help in investigating the death of his fiancé.

Earth 2 Volume 2: The Tower of Fate collects Earth 2 #0 and 7-12, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott.

This trade opens up with the prequel comic Earth 2 #0, which provides exposition for the (apparent) Big Bad Terrence Sloan. As one of the original wonders, he betrays Earth’s heroes and commits a grievous crime before eventually being appointed as the head of the World Army. It’s an issue that provides some much-needed context for the character, but is largely diversionary and does little to actually establish the origins of Earth 2’s heroes (which is what the New 52 #0 issues were intended to do). The art is provided by Tomas Giorello, whose style isn’t quite as detailed as series regular Nicola Scott.

When we return to the present, we meet Khalid Ben-Hassin, a young Egyptian man who is struggling to accept his fate as the vessel for the ancient mage Nabu. He is reluctant out of fear of losing his sense of self in this new mantle. In the midst of this personal crisis, Khalid is forced into battle against Wotan after the sorcerer kidnaps the Flash and his mother. The Tower of Fate thus functions as a neat character arc for Khalid and examines the themes of identity and insanity. It also serves to further develop the Flash and establishes him as the runaway star of the title (pun intended). Jay’s growth from screw-up to full-fledged hero makes him relatable and easy to root for. The dynamic he has with his mother is also quite touching and adds an additional layer to his character.

As far as villains go, Wotan is a step up from Solomon Grundy. His motives are flimsy, but there’s at least an attempt made to establish a history for the character. Wotan is a fairly standard vengeance-seeking antagonist who is further motivated by the pursuit of infinite power. I do wish a more credible and personal vendetta had been established between Nabu and Wotan in order to better solidify the mad sorcerer’s centuries-old grudge as what we got was a bit lazy. Robinson also fails to develop Hawkgirl any further. She gets a couple of great scenes, but aside from that she’s largely absent from the action throughout this arc. As the only female wonder, the optics of her exclusion is really bad. What we do get of her I love, so we really need more.

The Tower of Fate is a satisfying continuation of the Earth 2 line. I appreciate the fact that it furthers the diversification of the (mostly white) JSA cast and brings them into the 21^st century. Khalid Ben-Hassin is a great addition to the cast and is shown to be quite complex as a character. The story itself is entertaining and features a lot of great action sequences. As always, Nicola Scott’s art is on point and is a major selling point for this title. That said, given how small the cast is, I wish that Robinson would spend more time actually developing these characters. He does excellent work on Jay and Khalid, but everyone else falls to the wayside. Of course, the Steppenwolf subplot is really intriguing, especially with the usage of Fury as his right-hand woman. It’s not difficult to become invested in this world and to wonder how Robinson and Scott will further reinvent the JSA, so The Tower of Fate is still a great read for that reason alone.

RATING: B

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

Review: Worlds' Finest Volume 1, The Lost Daughters of Earth 2

A year after DC Comics re-launched their universe under the New 52 initiative, the company introduced a second wave of books to replace those that had been cancelled. Among the new titles was Worlds’ Finest, starring the fan-favourites Power Girl and Huntress. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated jointly by George Perez and Kevin Maguire, Worlds’ Finest had everything it needed to please fans. Unfortunately, many were displeased with Power Girl’s costume and the return of Helena Wayne (and, therefore, the death of Helena Bertinelli). Could this have been DC Comics’ biggest misstep?

When an alternate Earth is on the brink of destruction, two of its heroes – Supergirl and Robin – are transported to another world. Now stranded on an Earth not unlike their own, the pair are determined to find their way back home. In the meantime Supergirl transforms herself into the bodacious Power Girl, while Robin becomes the stealthy vigilante known as the Huntress. Honestly, the premise has promise. The pacing is a little bit slower than usual and spends time in both the past and present, so it gives the characters ample opportunity to show off their personality. Power Girl is a single-minded individual whose determination to get back home has become an obsession. She’s blossomed into a business tycoon and has more sass than she knows what to do with. Huntress, on the other hand, is very much a realist. She’s more or less relegated herself to life on this new world. Also front and center is their indisputable friendship. These two women clearly care about one another and their banter is truly quite funny at times. It’s refreshing to read a comic where the women get along and aren’t spending every waking moment reflecting on their relationships with men. In fact, it may even remind some of Gail Simone's early work on Birds of Prey.

While Paul Levitz may have come under fire for his writing, the biggest point of contention should be on the art. The story itself is fun and light, while the characters are equally as bubbly and tenacious. Unfortunately, the decision to split the art between Perez and Maguire brings the title down. Perez takes care of all panels relating to the present. His art has aged poorly and is terribly clunky. The main females look disappointingly dull and his decision to draw Power Girl with a flipped hairstyle is a crime. For all the people complaining about the lack of a boob window, they really should have been focused on the fact that she’s wearing a hairstyle from 2000. She’s supposed to be a CEO for crying out loud! To go back to the boob window fiasco, what was the point of covering the character up if Perez was just going to draw her in tatters half the time anyway? Maguire’s art, however, is bursting with character. The heroes are expressive and full of life. He should have been given full art duties, rather than just the panels focused on the past.

Given all of the criticism Worlds’ Finest has received, it’s safe to say that the book has suffered from a severe case of nitpicking. When stripped down to its core components, the title has everything it needs to succeed. It’s funny at times and has tremendous heart at others. Power Girl is still as brash as she’s always been and Levitz has taken great care to emphasize her skills as a businesswoman (something that largely fell to the wayside previously). The contrast between the two main characters is right on point and their chemistry is fantastic. Though it may not be one of DC Comics’ best titles (not every title can be as stunning as Batwoman or as impressive as Wonder Woman), it is one of the few that truly showcases the importance of friendship.

Rating: B