In our new column, Brian Salvatore will take a glimpse at “Earth 2” from James Robinson and Nicola Scott, and address one aspect of the book in an in-depth column we’re called “Greetings From Earth 2.”
The fantastic image above is by Tim Daniel. Check out more of his work here.
However, issue #1 ends with DC’s Trinity presumed dead (although co-publisher Dan DiDio has openly questioned Superman’s death), and at the end of #2 the foundations of the Justice Society are beginning to coalesce. So, it appears that this is, in essence, a Justice Society book and a book about all of Earth 2’s heroes, because those two are one in the same.
It appears that, before the attack by Steppenwolf and the Parademons, Earth 2 had five heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin and Supergirl. As the narration in issue #1 says, in one day, the Earth lost “all” of its heroes, so that presumes that those give were the only patrolling Earth’s skies. So, how did the Earth cope with a five year absence of superheroics?
Apparently, they devised a “World Army,” mentioned in issue #2. This makes sense; after relying on capes to stop the big threats, the nations of the Earth would be more willing to work together to secure their planet. Especially with Steppenwolf still at large, the need for some global security would be pretty high.
Luckily for the world, it appears that new heroes are popping up left and right. In this issue alone, we have seen Jay Garrick become the Flash, we have met Hawkgirl, aka Kendra Saunders, and Michael Holt, Mister Terrific, has arrived from New Earth (or whatever DC is calling its main Earth right now).
Along with those three heroes, plus the tease of Alan Scott becoming the Green Lantern and the appearance of Al Pratt, aka the Atom, in Issue #1, there is a great cipher in the form of a two-page spread of Lower Manhattan that gives us a lot of clues as to what the world of Earth 2 is like, and drops a lot of hints as to what we are in for as the series progresses.
As a denizen of the New York metropolitan area, I can assure you that every year around the anniversary of 9/11, local news and chatter all turn to remembrances and tributes to the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center, as I’m sure the DC-area focuses on the Pentagon, and Western PA on United 93. So, V.A. Day, presumably short for Victory over Apokolips Day, is still fresh in people’s minds 5 years later, as the Wonder Woman memorial is still under construction (and delayed, according to a billboard), the Alan Scott-narrated special is being released, and tributes to all five “fallen” heroes are underway. In fact, some parts of the world,
There was a mention of Tyler Chem (it is where Jay Garrick’s girlfriend is going to work) last month too, but here we get a news report about Tyler Chem acquiring WayneTech, which I would guess means that we will be seeing Rex Tyler, the Hourman, eventually as part of the JSA crew.
Continued belowSimilarly, we see a billboard for a “Grant Vs. Montez” boxing match. This is referencing Ted Grant, aka Wildcat, professional boxer turned superhero and his longtime friend/sparring partner/father to Wilcat II “Mauler” Montez. In the modern day JSA books, Wildcat was the third cornerstone member, alongside Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, so it makes sense that Grant will be a regular player here as well.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that “Starman” is my favorite series of all time, and that is due in no small part to the love and care that James Robinson put into connecting the Golden, Silver and Modern ages together in that book. And so, it was nice to see a street sign for “Fox Way,” honoring Golden Age writer Gardner Fox, and “All Star Shop,” an homage to the All-Star Squadron. So what other bits of Golden Age ephemera can we expect to see next? Boy do I hope its some Super-Pets…
Just beneath the double page spread, we see Holt interact with someone named Terry Sloane. In Golden Age comics, Terry Sloane was the original Mister Terrific. Here, he knows who Holt is when he arrives, declares himself the smartest man on Earth (2) and attacks Holt by turning his own technology against him. Whether or not this is a misunderstanding that will result in the two eventually teaming up (as they have in the pre-Flashpoint times through time travel) or the two becoming archenemies remains to be seen.
But the real star of this issue is Jay Garrick, who we see get his powers from Mercury (as well as a healthy dose of sass from the dying god, who calls him boy more than a slave owner in a bad Civil War period piece), test his abilities, and do his first heroic action. To be fair, Apokorats aren’t exactly the most dangerous foes in the New 52 but hey, a hero has to start somewhere.
Nicola Scott has done absolutely stunning work in the first two issues of the book, perfectly capturing the naivete of Garrick, the confidence of Scott, and the insane throng of Parademons. Here are two particularly beautiful Scott pieces:
As in my “Manhattan Projects” column, the Multiversity Projections, I’m going to take a stab at some predictions as to what we’re going to see in future issues of “Earth 2.”
#1 – The Guardian, James Harper
Originally an Earth-2 character, and one later written by Robinson during his run on “Superman,” the Guardian was James Harper, a police officer who went rogue to catch criminals that slipped through the cracks. He was also trained by the same man (Joe Morgan, though not this Joe Morgan) who trained the Atom (Al Pratt) and Wildcat (Ted Grant), two characters we have already seen in this book.
Specifically, we see a man named Harper serving in the army with Pratt – perhaps in the New 52, Joe Morgan is their superior officer, and Harper is a soldier instead of a cop? I could see that happening.
#2 – Seeing Double
Presumably, there aren’t 52 Jay Garricks across the Multiverse, with one popping up on each Earth. But we have already seen two Clark Kents, two Bruce Waynes, and two Dianas of Paradise Island. So, are there 52 Garricks, or are certain people just so predetermined for greatness that they exist the Multiverse over? Could Michael Holt of New Earth run into his Earth 2 counterpart? Would they do that Groucho/Harpo Marx mirror routine?
My personal theory is that the “Trinity” is just so integral to the Multiverse that each universe needs them to be them, in whatever way fits their respective reality.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for this column, leave a comment below or email brian@multiversitycomics.com
See you next month!
Oh, and Alan Scott is gay now.
