Earth 2 #10 - A Review

Despite continuing an increasingly involved storyline, Earth 2 #10 is a good jumping-on point for new readers.  I love James Robinson's work but he's better known for his sprawling epics and finely detailed scripts than his accessibility.  Yet this issue begins with a flashback illustrating events that were mentioned before but not shown in detail and a pompous new villain explaining the current state of affairs to half of our confused heroes and, by proxy, the reader. 


Robinson's main plot evokes the memory of H.P. Lovecraft, with ancient, powerful beings playing sport with humanity and magical artifacts best left untouched.  Like many of Robinson's revisions of the classic concepts behind the original Justice Society of America characters, this idea leaves the larger character concept intact while putting a twist on it that will make the character interesting to long-time readers while still respecting DC Comics' rich past.  Such is the case with the new Dr. Fate - a mild-mannered archeologist who has become the unwitting recipient of a magical helm that offers great power and great madness to the one who wears it.

We see something of this in the B-Plot as well.  More, we see Robinson's uncanny ability to develop a complex character in a short span of time.  The scene where Alan Scott makes peace with his boyfriend's father is short but no less touching for that brevity.  Too, the revelation that the violent attack which triggered Scott's transformation into The Green Lantern was aimed at his boyfriend promises to add to the drama of the upcoming issues. 


I've spoken before at length of my love for Nicola Scott's artwork.  This issue is now my Exhibit A in the case for why Scott is perhaps the most underrated artist working in the industry today.  There are few artists who could manage the level of detail and scale required to depict The Tower of Fate but Scott manages the task with style.  This image moves past being simply Escheresque or simply surreal, suggesting an actual depth and solidity that boggles the mind as we rebel against the impossibility of what we see. 


If you haven't picked up Earth 2 yet, now is a fine time to start.  The artwork is amazing in its' scope.  The writing is similarly detailed yet the stories remain simple enough to be accessible to new readers.  And the whole thing is basically a gigantic love-letter to the characters and stories that got DC Comics - and indeed, superhero comics as a genre - started.  It's awesome stuff and I can't recommend it enough.   

Earth 2 #9 - A Review

Earth 2 #9 brings Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott back to provide more of the same wonderful art we've come to expect on this title.  I've been a brazen Nicola Scott fanboy since her brief but enjoyable run on Birds of Prey and she's been one of the few artists I've actively followed since then.  Her work here is up to her usual standards and Trevor Scott's inks are also true to form.


This issue also sees James Robinson introducing another revised hero into the world of Earth 2.  This time the hero in the spotlight is Dr. Fate - the most powerful magician in the world.  Seemingly drawing inspiration from Geoff Johns' and David Goyer's portrayal of the character in JSA, Robinson has revived the idea of the Helm of Nabu - one of the mystic artifacts that bestows The Power of Fate - possessing a host rather than being wielded.  The helm's current possessor - or possesse, as the case may be - is an Arabic man named Khalid, who has some past connection with Hawkgirl.


The main thrust of the issue concerns Khalid trying to keep an eye on Jay Garrick, as the newly dubbed Flash heads home to tell his mother about his new-found powers.  Naturally the World Army is laying in wait and it falls to Khalid to try and help without losing his mind or tapping into the power that has chosen him.  The action here is well paced and Khalid is an immediately sympathetic character.  The issue-ending cliffhanger is guaranteed to bring you back next month.