Earth Two #17 – Review

By: Tom Taylor (story), Nicola Scott (pencils), Trevor Scott (inks), Dezi Sienty (colors)

The Story: The World Army suspects Superman’s problem is want of a wife.

The Review: I’ll be honest; I don’t really have a good reason to remain on this title after the seemingly endless streak of thoroughly underwhelming issues James Robinson put out up until his departure.  Goodness knows, I’ve Dropped many other series for less dire reasons.  On top of that, Tom Taylor isn’t exactly a name that inspires immediate confidence, especially when the task before him is rehabilitating a title that’s been left lifeless and aimless for so long.

While this issue doesn’t represent a radical shift from the storytelling we had before, there are some noticeable improvements, modest as they are.  The issue certainly moves a little faster without any of that exhausting narration Robinson was so fond of, and the dialogue is a little smoother and more credible.  The incessant repetition of information is gone, replaced with lines that actually advance the plot.  These are all worthwhile changes.

Earth Two #2 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Nicola Scott (pencils), Trevor Scott (inks), Alex Sinclair & Pete Pantazis (colors)

The Story: Getting rejected is apparently not the worst thing to happen when you propose.

The Review: You’ve all heard me talk about how much I love parallel universe stuff before, so this time around, let me tell you about the more disappointing aspects of those stories.  Many times, writers either go too big or too little with their changes, either giving you completely devastated, apocalyptic dystopias (which all tend to look the same) or worlds that have a few aesthetic differences, but otherwise resemble their original counterpart in every way.

If Robinson manages to pull off Earth Two as an immersive universe all its own, it’ll be because he’s made specific alterations to the planet’s history and let them develop in both subtle and unsubtle ways.  Obviously, the devastation left behind by the Apokolips invasion and the death of the Trinity are major changes, but Robinson doesn’t make the case that these events alone made Earth Two what it is.  The essential differences between it and the primary DCU run deeper than that, and may be a little harder to put your finger on: the pointed lack of superhuman activity post-Apokolips invasion, a perpetual sense of fear and wariness scarring the global consciousness, the slight differences in technology and lifestyle.