Earth 2 is one of the new lines introduced to DC’s New 52 to replace some of the poorly performing comics, and has set itself up to be quite an epic tale.
Earth 2 depicts the story of an alternate world, in which the fate of the Justice League varies wildly compared to the story in the primary DC story world.
This first issue shows us the alternate world’s loss of its final remaining super heroes, at the end of a terrible war with an alien force (not a spoiler as this is revealed in the opening scene).
Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin (Batman’s daughter in this world), and Supergirl are all that remains, and here they are all lost, having saved the world at great expense.
So, the line is essentially starting us off with a blank slate. This is an Earth with no heroes, and now some heroes must be found because a greater threat is on the horizon.
Interestingly enough, the title isn’t full of its own histories or reliant upon past stories. It is also not going to have much opportunity to tie into other New 52 titles, since Earth 2 takes place in an alternate universe. Yes, Earth 2 is is a DC line entirely independent from other lines, but at the same time, entirely familiar. This would be a great comic for the reader who only wants to read a few titles.
The writing here, courtesy of James Robinson, is superb. In this first issue at least, the dialogue is snappy and well connected, the characters neatly rounded and clearly motivated, so everything fits together quite nicely.
The artwork with Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott is nothing to scoff at either. The lines are crisp, the coloring vibrant and real, the characters emotive. It’s one of the most attractive issues yet from the entire New 52 project.
I recommend this title to everyone. It’s a great issue, and would be a good read for anyone, even a comics fan who hasn’t necessarily been following the New 52.
Earth 2 #1 is available now wherever you pick up DC comics, including the Comixology store.
