There are multiple reasons to love Earth 2. One of them is that is just keeps getting weirder. Issue #18, the continuing attempt to battle a newly evil and pissed off Superman, starts with a simple hero battle and ends up with a sci-fi twist on The Wizard of Oz. Think I’m kidding? Strap in and discover the many wonders of Earth 2.
Superman is essentially wrecking the entire planet. Nobody has come close to even slowing him down, much less stopping him. The focus of his ire seems to be the World Army Compound, which houses multiple super-criminals as well as the Red Tornado, who is actually Lois Lane in robot form. As Superman’s assault continues, the few heroes left standing try to come up with an evacuation plan. The Flash, using a plan only a scared teenager could come up with, throws rocks at Superman and then tries to outrun him. The end of that idea is a bad one for the fastest man alive.
Meanwhile, in the bowels of the compound, Batman is trying free super villains. Naturally, this isn’t the true Batman, the one who died saving Earth, but rather a superhuman version. His quest to free certain villains is met with violent resistance, which he casts off easily. Batman frees only two villains, one once known as Aquawoman. Interestingly, Batman bows to her and uses the term, “your majesty.” The next is Jimmy Olsen, leader of a information freedom group who releases top secret documents to the public. Olsen is not only head of the group, but also some kind of hybrid-human computer. He uses anything, even a smart phone, to instantly download every single scintilla of information from the digital world into his brain.
This is when things take a turn. Right before Batman takes his procured villains and leaves, he shoots the frozen Joker in the face. Then come the flying monkeys. Yep, you heard me. Out of the fire pits where we first heard the Red Lantern lives, thousands of mechanical and heavily armed Parademons, who look like flying monkeys, start pouring out. There are tons of them. Writer Tom Taylor has stepped seamlessly into James Robinson’s shoes. The work is on par with that level of excellence, as is Taylor’s dialogue, and pacing.
Naturally, the art from Nicola Scott is as gorgeous as she is. There are certain people who just understand comic book art. They get the flow, the detail, the character needs and how to connect with the text. Scott is one of those, like Jim Lee, Greg Capullo, and Steve Epting – she’s that level of greatness. The work on issue #18 is elegant, with strong lines giving weight to all the destruction. Each character has an individual identity, and altogether the issue looks spectacular.
Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott continue to make Earth 2 a hidden jewel in the DC Crown by constantly shifting reality and playing with the icons we love. Amazing stuff.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
