REVIEW: "Earth 2" #1

[CBR News]

Greg McElhatton gives "Earth 2" #1 by James Robinson 3.5 stars saying the pages by interior artist Nicola Scott gives readers "a clean-cut, iconic look for her characters."


Full article here.

[Jim Thompson]

Greg McElhatton gives "Earth 2" #1 by James Robinson 3.5 stars saying the pages by interior artist Nicola Scott gives readers "a clean-cut, iconic look for her characters."


Full article here.

I completely disagree with him about the time spent in the "past" being excessive in this issue. I think it's an absolutely necessary element to build this particular story.

[Nayrman]

I really enjoyed this issue overall. I still don't really get what happened to Superman though. But overall I think all the exposition in the past is completely necessary to set up the world, and where everyone is coming from once the "real" story kicks in.

The only thing I didn't really like was the somewhat stilted inner monologues. I'm one of those people that the language in the inner mind shouldn't be too different than how they speak, as I've noticed I don't really change the way I think and how I speak. So yeah, just kind of odd to me. But still, overall I liked it.

[Volkditty]

Yeah, I feel like the reviewer missed the point. Starting off with the Trinity and building them up as if they will be the main characters of the series only to kill them off halfway through pulls the rug of familiarity out from under both the readers and the surviving characters. It was a great turning point.

And also, he complains about Earth 2 spending too much time in the past while acknowledging Justice League spent 6 whole issues on it?

[Volkditty]

Also, given Robinson's tendency to do occasional "Times Past" stories in his other works, and given the depth of characterization and unfinished business invested in the Trinity characters, I wouldn't be surprised to see them pop up still from time to time.

[The Greatest Hero]

I really liked it. I didn't really know much about it when I picked it up, but I thought it was great. The art, the disparity, the fall of the heroes - I loved it.

[Jim Thompson]

Yeah, I feel like the reviewer missed the point. Starting off with the Trinity and building them up as if they will be the main characters of the series only to kill them off halfway through pulls the rug of familiarity out from under both the readers and the surviving characters. It was a great turning point.

And also, he complains about Earth 2 spending too much time in the past while acknowledging Justice League spent 6 whole issues on it?

Very much agreed. Nice post.

[SteveGus]

More tragedy, angst, and ultraviolence. :yawn: I will leaf through this, buy it if I like Scott's art in the issue, but not adding to my pull list.

[Desaad]

I completely disagree with him about the time spent in the "past" being excessive in this issue. I think it's an absolutely necessary element to build this particular story.

Exactly. Because this is "Earth 2", not "Justice Society".

[galactica]

More tragedy, angst, and ultraviolence. :yawn: I will leaf through this, buy it if I like Scott's art in the issue, but not adding to my pull list.

It is a superhero origin story. The Trinity in this case are more like Jor-El and Lara, Martha and Thomas, Uncle Ben, and whathaveyou. The only thing different here is that you may have gone into it expecting the story to be about Jor-El and Lara making scientific discoveries on Krypton. Or Martha and Thomas helping fight social injustice in Gotham. Or Uncle Ben doing whatever Uncle Ben did before he died.

[Cavemold]

Yeah, I feel like the reviewer missed the point. Starting off with the Trinity and building them up as if they will be the main characters of the series only to kill them off halfway through pulls the rug of familiarity out from under both the readers and the surviving characters. It was a great turning point.

And also, he complains about Earth 2 spending too much time in the past while acknowledging Justice League spent 6 whole issues on it?

Agreed.....

[LoneNecromancer]

It is a superhero origin story. The Trinity in this case are more like Jor-El and Lara, Martha and Thomas, Uncle Ben, and whathaveyou. The only thing different here is that you may have gone into it expecting the story to be about Jor-El and Lara making scientific discoveries on Krypton. Or Martha and Thomas helping fight social injustice in Gotham. Or Uncle Ben doing whatever Uncle Ben did before he died.

Nice way of putting it.

[Mr Prince]

I completely disagree with him about the time spent in the "past" being excessive in this issue. I think it's an absolutely necessary element to build this particular story.

I echo Jim's disagreement. We needed to spend time with the doomed Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman to set up the world of Earth 2 and the catastrophic events that created a hero "vacuum" and will likely influence the emergence of new heroes and villains.

I thought it accomplished it superbly and in no small part due to Scott's dynamic and gorgeous art. It was a wonderful read–great superheroics.

[Rakzo]

A CBR reviewer failing to get the point of a series?. What kind of madness is this?!.

[TJKernan]

I agree with the reviewer totally. While the art was beautiful, the story lacked severely.

Oh look at me, I am a first issue, but I am not going to spend but a fraction of my time with the people who are going to (supposedly) star in this comic. instead, I am going to make a big deal about the big three, and kill them off. It is sensationalist fluff, a Michael Bay summer film-all boom and bam and no substance. I was very disappointed, especially after I picked up some old issues of Goyer and Johns JLA this morning and read them fondly, because they were so very passionate about their characters...