Review:
The New-52 series Earth 2, a critically acclaimed reboot of this corner of the DC Multiverse in its early issues, staggers and crawls to its demise in this volume.
From the start, the series tried to do too much. With too many characters, spread over too many settings, with too many competing plot directions, it was always a struggle to tell coherent and compelling tales. The novelty and strong characters and relationships, coupled with stunning art, succeeded for a time. But not anymore.
The stories in this volume are reduced to episodic jumps from one slice of Earth 2 life to another. We find origin tales of the Furies of Apokolips, followed by those of the Earth elemental powers and their champions; then death and destruction in Chicago; and last stands around the world. The singular unifying theme is the death and destruction of Earth 2 in a final victory for Apokolips.
Hence the large number of writers and artists in these tales, each filling a quarter or a half an issue with their little vignette. Missing from this collection are all the in-between bits found in Earth 2 World's End, where even more of the same death and destruction happens.
There are still occasional glints of gold. The best examples include Khalid / Fate and Kendra / Hawkgirl sharing a touching moment; Thomas Wayne / Batman and granddaughter Helena / Huntress with their running generational family dysfunction; and an African American version of Harley Quinn.
The Earth 2 Universe has so much potential, and so much creativity and clever takes on familiar characters. But the authors have written themselves into a tragic corner, and this series ends with a fizzle, to be re-rebooted in Earth 2 Society. One and a half capes out of five.
Description:
Cataclysm has come to Earth-2. The forces of Darkseid, which were thought to have been repelled years ago, have struck back with a vengeance. Apokolips itself is attacking the Earth, with Darkseid’s Furies leading the charge of destruction. This may be humanity’s final hour.
But Earth-2 is not without its defenders. There are the heroes, like Huntress, Power Girl and Batman. There are the soldiers of the World Army. There’s Green Lantern and his fellow Avatars of the Earth, wielding the power of the planet’s plant life, animal life and even the air and water.
But it’s Doctor Fate, the powerful but inexperienced sorcerer, who alone may have the ability to repel Apokolips and save the planet. Empowered by the Helm of the ancient wizard Nabu, Doctor Fate could turn the tide against Apokolips…or, if the Helm were to fall into the hands of Darkseid’s servants, Fate could be handing absolute power and total victory to Earth’s enemies!
Collects: Earth 2 (New 52) issues #27-32
Authors: Marguerite Bennett, Daniel Wilson Tom Taylor, Mike Johnsons
Artists: Andy Smith, Trevor Scott, 10 others
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Feb. 14 2017
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401272616
Pages: 168 pages
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