Earth Two #0 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Tomás Giorello (art), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: Does it really take the smartest guy on the planet to suggest blowing everything up as a solution?

The Review: Of all the titles that could really use a mandated origin issue, Earth Two probably needed it the most.  True, the current arc is an ongoing origin story of a kind, but obviously, the history of this parallel Earth predates Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and Al Pratt.  We know the Age of Wonders began on this world as a response to the Apokoliptian invasion, but we don’t know much of the details.

Unfortunately, Terry Sloan, originally the prototype for Mr. Terrific and now known as “‘Mr. 8’—the eighth and final wonder,” seems more interested in the sound of his own voice than actually enlightening us on much of anything.  No one denies that Robinson has a gift for words, and writes some pretty phrases from time to time, but at his worst, he just rambles with dry commentary and exposition.  No other writer churns out language that sounds like it comes from a clinical dissertation: “And since then, my partners in resistance (in this instance Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman) and myself have been, I think by now, to every country in the world carrying out counterattacks and assaults to keep the invaders at bay.”  Sheesh.