When Earth 2 was originally announced, I was one of the people that didn't understand why they just didn't call it Justice Society, after all, the name had a proven track record and would probably bring in more eyes. After four issues, I think I'm beginning to see the reasoning.
With all the characters starting fresh, the personalities have been altered and the legacy aspect is gone. This doesn't feel like the Justice Society anymore. It has a different approach and different dynamics from any previous JSA team this side of the golden age. These heroes haven't any history, they aren't the best, they're not even seasoned. They rush to a crisis because who else is going to go. Their world is just lucky that they'll probably become the best. It feels more like an alternate version of the League than the Society.
Throw in the fact that they're facing alternate versions of main DCnU threats, Apokolips and Rot World and I'm beginning to see why they called it Earth 2. It's more concerned with a skewed reflection of the rest of the line than anything involving mentors and legacies. This is what Countdown aspired to be, a spine of the DCU, just skewed... and interesting. My question is, is this on purpose?
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I had to make some cuts so Earth 2 was a fatality of that. I was behind in reading so that was my reason. The two issues I read were good though. I may revist when it hits the trades.
I agree with your theory that it's more of a skewed reflection of the main DCnU. I had in the back of my mind reading the first issue that it was a parallel of sorts but then disregarded it. Good catch!
I can't answer your question if it was on purpose or not. It's possible that it was the intention of the book from the beginning, though.
I quit on this one after about three issues. I love James Robinson on Shade, but this isn't interesting to me. It's the Justice Society members when they're younger, without the gravitas of their importance to the DC characters. It's the JSA is second-generation to the Trinity, rather than the other way around.
I know that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were technically a part of that first round of super-heroes, but I guess I had just gotten used to the fact that they were inspired by Jay, Alan, Ray, Canary, Nabu, etc. Call me Old School Nu, if you want.
Regardless, this is a title that doesn't interest a man who doesn't have a lot of time to read the comics he does buy. Can't afford the time to read another one.
I would guess it was intentional on Robinson's part, but like the other two above I have bailed on this series. The pacing is way too slow I read enough comics that move at a snail's pace. Plus, I really dislike most of the new costumes.
I haven't got a feel for Robinson's pacing yet. The last couple of issues didn't seem to have much going on but I thought the first couple moved at a nice clip. It's still moving a lot quicker than Justice League.
As far as the costumes, I agree, I'm not terribly fond of the new versions but I could say that about pretty much all the DCnU. At least they don't have seams.
They only costume I really dislike is Flash's, and even that's growing on me.
BTW, I listened to an interview with James Robinson, and he laid out who designed which costume:
Trinity: Nicola Scott
Flash: Jim Lee
Green Lantern: Joe Prado -- but the coloring on it took forever, and eventually Mark Chiarello handled that himself.
Hawkgirl, The Atom: Brett Booth. (Solomon Grundy, too, I think, although he might be Nicola.)
Robin & Supergirl: Kevin McGuire. I'm pretty sure Robinson said he also designed Power Girl's new costume. (It's strange to read old back issues of Infinity Inc, drawn by Jerry Ordway before the boob window. Huntress is showing more cleavage than Power Girl, if you can believe it.)
Anyway, unlike most people on this thread, I absolutely love this book. Nothing has quite hit the highs of issue 2 -- I want to see a few more wheels in motion -- but the team coming together for the first time to face Grundy was a really cool moment. I can't wait for each further revelation about these characters (and the upcoming ones), but at the same time am willing to wait and let Robinson lay it all out. I'm not sure it's the best book of the current 52, but it's my current favorite -- the one I look forward to more than any other.
Like you, I assumed it was going to be the JSA with possibly a wider view, hence the name change. But it's a restart of a different universe for characters with the same names and powers. Been there, done that. It's kind of like an ongoing Tangent title, only not quite so interesting. I'm not sure I see the point.
The hoopla over making "the original" GL gay was astonishing to me. He's got the same name, but after that, the connection is mostly in DC's mind. It's not like he was the first gay DC hero. So why was it worth so much coverage? Are we really sure all the rest of them are heterosexual? It's not like they go on a lot of dates.
-- MSA
But they all hang out with such buxom women.... how could they be gay???!!
Just because they all wear form fitting, spandex tights.... and hang around other muscled guys.... and, er, wait a minute...
I read issue #4 yesterday, and it was probably my favorite so far as it built up some momentum in the story. Now it is going to be totally killed by next months zero issue.
Mr. Silver Age said:
Exactly, I never understood the big deal myself.
Mr. Silver Age said:
I know what you mean. Given all the discussion prior to release, I was kind of looking forward to a new "All-Star Squadron" sort of title. But I am finding the whole New 52 to be almost "Tangent" in a sense. I just don't feel the same attachment I did with the pre-Flashpoint characters. That being said, something HAD to change with DC because there was a certain sense of treading water. Sure there were events but the lack of sense of forward motion was definitely there. I wonder if some Golden Age fans went through the same thing when the Silver Age began? Probably not because most of the characters hadn't been seen for about a decade before the new started. In this instance, it was a month.
Ohhhh....that was so bad....it was good.
Robin Olsen said:
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