Stand down, folks. Step off the panic button. Unclench the sphincter. All is okay. Earth 2 is under new management and, based on issue #17, the second Earth is in good hands. When original writer James Robinson stepped down, fans wondered if new scribe Tom Taylor could step up to the plate. He does. Earth 2 #17 is a massive statement of just how insane Taylor plans to go.
Superman is back – well, not exactly Superman. When the original heroes of Earth 2 died saving it from Apokolips, few expected to see them again. During the battle against Steppenwolf, one of his most vicious War Dogs revealed himself to be Superman, returned from the dead and really, really pissed off. The final issue of Robinson’s run had Superman splitting Steppenwolf in two with his heat vision.
Issue #17 picks up with the aftermath. Superman is on a relentless path of absolute destruction. The new alliance of Flash, Dr. Fate and Green Lantern have been unable to accomplish anything more than making Superman even angrier. His ire is aimed at an underground bunker, where a terrible secret has been hidden. Lois Lane, the one true love of Superman, the woman thought lost in the war, has actually been put into a robot body that keeps her alive. On Earth 2, Lois Lane is the Red Tornado.
While unfolding that arc, Dr. Fate attempts using magic against Superman. No good. The only thing that stops Superman from crushing Fate’s head is The Flash, who swoops in for a daring rescue. When Dr. Fate is returned to the bunker, he begins spewing a random line of nonsense that is either prophetic or just insane. Topping this whole cake off is Batman, the gun toting, ass kicking Earth 2 version who has snuck into the same bunker to try and release the criminals and madmen he believes can stop Superman. The entirety of Earth 2’s existence hangs in the balance, and this is just Tom Taylor’s first issue.
Earth 2 is about as bombastic as it gets. Taylor wastes no time getting right into the action and setting up his own story arc. I’ll be honest, I have no clue how Taylor will do with the interpersonal stories and the emotional connections on Earth 2, but he’s seriously nailed how to bring excitement and intrigue to the series. Issue #17 ends with nothing but questions, questions you are driven to find answers to. Lois Lane as Red Tornado? Batman? Psycho Superman? The new heroes of Earth 2? All of this is going on and yet we still don’t know who, or what, the Red Lantern is.
Some will point to my crush on Nicola Scott as the reason I love her art so much. Not so. Nicola Scott simply knows how to create comic book magic. Her work has so much weight to it, so many dynamics, all of which cleave together into panels that leap off the page. I also enjoy how Scott puts motion into every panel. From something as subtle as a leg draped a little behind a body to the bold power flight of Superman, Scott always drops something in that brings out the movement beautifully.
Earth 2 is an incredibly entertaining ride. The freedom to create a world from the ground up has allowed it to be one of the most exciting, diverse, and entertaining titles DC puts out.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
