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seejeremyread's review
3.0
I enjoyed this compilation of first six issues of DC's New 52 EARTH 2 series-- enjoyed, but didn't LOVE. There was nothing specifically wrong in it for me-- I bought it because I was very much interested in the updates and rebranding of familiar Golden Age heroes like Alan Scott's Green Lantern or Al Pratt's Atom. I was also a big fan of James Robinson's STARMAN series in the 1990s, so I thought this was a surefire hit...and maybe it will be eventually. The biggest problem for me with this book, and perhaps comics in general anymore, is the pacing. "Less is less" seems to be the motto and it just didn't feel enough "happened" in this initial run of the series. The stage is set well and at least two characters get well-developed origins, but several other characters and plot points are just glanced over or are given the "cameo" treatment. In short, I would read EARTH 2, Volume 2 when it comes out, but I'm not sure I would buy it.
scolton97's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
colindalaska's review
3.0
Really disappointed with the lack of scope. This is Robinson’s opportunity to reinvent the Justice Society on a brand new world, and other than ditching the Flash’s iconic hat, and making Green Lantern gay he does nothing new. (Including doing a minimalist Blackest Night and retreading the end of Avengers movie)
daphne_dlcrz's review
4.0
Great Artwork and interesting story. Earth 2 is very different from Earth 1.
cassie_grace's review
3.0
I love how central Alan Scott is to this story and how unabashedly queer he is. The fight with Grundy wasn’t particularly compelling for me, though, and it was half the book.
rhganci's review
4.0
Zany antics abound in our first glimpse (sort of) of the New 52 Multiverse, and James Robinson and Nicola Scott give us a weird, quasi world government, a lot of saint language to celebrate the fallen Trinity (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, of course), and a new use for a B-list villain that can only provide just the right degree of adversity to bring together, hopefully, the fledgling team of new "Wonders" to protect the world.
It sounds like a scaled-back mega-plot, and to some extent, that's exactly what it is. The plot revolves first around the Earth-2 version of Darkseid's Parademon invasion, the tragic aftermath that martyrs a more-experienced trio of Wonders than the Earth-Prime version we encounter in Justice League, Vol. 1: Origins, and a struggle that unifies a trio of apostate and new metahumans, including a college-age Jay Garrick (the Flash), a Hawkgirl on the run from the World Army, and a brand-new, totally different Green Lantern. Robinson hurries to fill in a lot of the gaps in the 5-year jump forward in time that comes as part of this catch-up volume, and as such, the size of the conflict that the story centers on never feels quite as big as they want it to be. Ultimately, we can be sure that there is much more to come, a larger conflict and a more robust roster of Justice League members (or whatever they're going to be called) in the issues to come, but as that's the expectation that we take away from the story, the end of this first arc falls somewhat flat.
The artwork, however, is stunning. Nicola Scott sketches up a beautiful, detailed world with expressive, easy-to-follow action sequences and impressive settings, especially on splash pages or other large panels. She also gives the story some of the most expressive facial models that I've seen in a while, especially in issue #1, as the entire issue revolves around the final moments of Darkseid's invasion. The drama of that issue lends most of its power to the art of Nicola Scott, and even as the storytelling stumbles towards the end of the collection, the artwork gets better and better, and as such, is worth checking out.
It sounds like a scaled-back mega-plot, and to some extent, that's exactly what it is. The plot revolves first around the Earth-2 version of Darkseid's Parademon invasion, the tragic aftermath that martyrs a more-experienced trio of Wonders than the Earth-Prime version we encounter in Justice League, Vol. 1: Origins, and a struggle that unifies a trio of apostate and new metahumans, including a college-age Jay Garrick (the Flash), a Hawkgirl on the run from the World Army, and a brand-new, totally different Green Lantern. Robinson hurries to fill in a lot of the gaps in the 5-year jump forward in time that comes as part of this catch-up volume, and as such, the size of the conflict that the story centers on never feels quite as big as they want it to be. Ultimately, we can be sure that there is much more to come, a larger conflict and a more robust roster of Justice League members (or whatever they're going to be called) in the issues to come, but as that's the expectation that we take away from the story, the end of this first arc falls somewhat flat.
The artwork, however, is stunning. Nicola Scott sketches up a beautiful, detailed world with expressive, easy-to-follow action sequences and impressive settings, especially on splash pages or other large panels. She also gives the story some of the most expressive facial models that I've seen in a while, especially in issue #1, as the entire issue revolves around the final moments of Darkseid's invasion. The drama of that issue lends most of its power to the art of Nicola Scott, and even as the storytelling stumbles towards the end of the collection, the artwork gets better and better, and as such, is worth checking out.
shane_tiernan's review
3.0
This started out really dark and then became about the gathering of a new Justice League on an alternate earth. Art was cool, characters were decent, looks like the line-up will probably be Green Lantern, Flash, Atom, and Hawkgirl, but they're not actually "together" yet.
scottpm's review
4.0
A good reboot of the classic JSA set in the modern world. I can't wait to see where it leads. Hopefully the events of the first issue continue and don't get "fixed."