Anghus Houvouras reviews Earth 2: World’s End #1….
I’m an alternate universe junkie. It’s probably why I’m such a fan of Grant Morrison’s Multiversity project. Since I was a kid I found myself more drawn to the other Earths. The ones with variations of our well know icons. The worlds where Superman was old, or evil, or where Batman had been murdered by the Joker. These were exciting concepts. The idea that dark or twisted versions of the same heroes existed in another universe parallel to our own. It was very much like the What If? series from Marvel, but instead of a single issue delivering an alternate take on an established concept, a world could be constructed around it.
As a fan of the Pre-New 52 Earth 2, I was eager to see what the new version would look like. The main Earth 2 series has been something of a hit and miss proposition. There’s some very good ideas at play, but the characters have taken a back seat to a rapidly escalating world war between a new generation of heroes and the minions of the lord of Apokalips: Darkseid.
World’s End is a new weekly series featuring the many characters of Earth 2. Where Superman is a pawn of Darkseid. Where Thomas Wayne is a hybrid of Batman & Hourman, and Green Lantern isn’t an agent of the Green Lantern Corps but a champion of the Earth powered by green energy. The first issue serves as a primer for the uninitiatied. If you haven’t been following the Earth 2 series, the first half of the issue pretty much brings you up to speed.
The world of Earth 2 seemed a strange fit for a weekly series, mainly because the core title has been running at a snail’s pace. Some two years into the series, not a whole lot has happened. The battle between the remaining forces of Darkseid and the newly aligned super powered defenders of Earth has been going on for what seems like an eternity. World’s End is a good jumping on point for anyone who has been tinkering with the idea of exploring this alternate universe where the world was practically destroyed by Darkseid’s invasion.
Once we get past the the initial setup we learn the new status-quo: in the aftermath of the was with Darkseid’s acolytes, Earth is in ruins. Camps have been set up to tend to the survivors and the new Trinity of Earth 2 Batman’s Dad, Superman’s Black Cousin, and Lois Lane/Red Tornado meet up with the displaced Power Girl and Huntress who have returned after a five-year holiday on Earth one. A lot has changed since they left, and acclimatizing to a world decimated by war with Apokalips takes some getting used to. As does two strangers wearing the mantle of Batman and Superman.
The first issue was a nice catch up to this alternate Earth, but it shares much of the same problem the core title has had. I’m interested in world building, and the main series has very little. The old Earth 2/Justice Society books always excelled at bringing old and young heroes together. Conflicts between generations, different ideologies, and importance of passing the mantle of heroism on to a new generation. The new Earth 2 is more about redesigned characters and en endless battle that seems to have played out like one long season of Dragonball Z. World’s End doubles down on that concept. With half the issue dedicated to getting the unfamiliar up to speed and half the issue setting up a new conflict, there’s barely a moment to appreciate the differences of this Earth or what makes the potential for it so much fun. The story is plotted by a half-dozen writers and drawn by a half-dozen artists. It’s all very polished. As a weekly series, i’m sure it’s going to evolve into something with layers and subplots, but the first issue very ‘one note’.
I like the idea of weekly series. I was a huge fan of 52 when it launched from the aftermath of Infinite Crisis. Future’s End did little to pull me in and I’m only interested in Batman written by Snyder and drawn by Capullo. Earth 2: World’s End is just like the regular series: full of potential but undermined by an immature narrative focused more on fights than characters. Let’s hope that changes or I doubt I’m going to make it more than a month on this one.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.
