Earth 2 #1
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Earth 2 #1

Writer: James Robinson Artist: Nicola Scott Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: May 2, 2012 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 29 User Reviews: 7
7.9Critic Rating
7.5User Rating

• Who are the heroes of EARTH 2 – and what befell them?• Starring ALAN SCOTT, JAY GARRICK and many others!
• You may think you know Earth 2…but this is DC Comics – The New 52, where anything can happen!

  • 9.6
    The Comic Book Revue - Jay Mattson May 2, 2012

    The final pages of the issue are dedicated to giving readers a bit of the retooled backstories for both Alan Scott, who is the owner and CEO of G.B.C. Media, and Jay Garrick, a recent college graduate with no plans for the future and a girlfriend who dumps him for a better life. Already, it's quite obvious that the Justice Society is going to be a parallel to the Justice League instead of their forefathers. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck May 4, 2012

    I can't wait for the next issue! Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    Batman-News - Sean Buckley Jun 22, 2014

    After Batman, this might have been my favorite #1 issue in the entire New 52. A fantastic and daring story, gorgeous artwork, and something along the lines of real stakes look to propel this story of a new world for readers to explore. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 10 is an unnecessary soldier scene in a book so revolved around heroes. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Multiversity Comics - Brian Salvatore May 3, 2012

    Because if this is what it feels like to have creators perfectly matched to their titles, shouldn't DC have thought longer and harder about who to put on all the New 52? Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Forces Of Geek - Atlee Greene May 7, 2012

    This series has the juice to go a long way and I hope that this creative team will stay intact in order to ensure it's success. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Heretical Jargon - Heretic May 5, 2012

    James Robinson makes the upset, delivering a comic book completely worth the $3.99 price mark. I promise you all, if you haven't picked this up, do so…You'll be happy you did! Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Major Spoilers - Stephen Schleicher May 6, 2012

    I was very hesitant about the Next Wave, but this first issue entertained me to no end. The story is a great way to introduce the reason for the JSA, and it keeps the story set in a modern time. I was hoping to see some WWII tales, but I'm on board with what plays out here. Unlike the last time Robinson took on the JSA, I'm hoping he keeps the team roster simple, doesn't go too far off the deep end, and delivers a tale that is interesting as this first chapter. I'm ready for issue two, and I'm giving Earth-2 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - Aaron Duran May 3, 2012

    You know, from Page 1, that this is the final showdown for our heroes, but it's a showdown they will face with honor. It's exactly what you'd expect from men and women that dedicate their lives to defending those they love, yet Scott is able to capture the sadness in their actions. These are people for whom even victory will bring no joy, and still they stand strong. Were you not all but required to read World's Finest as a companion book, Earth 2 just might be a perfect comic. Still, as it stands, Robinson and Scott are drafting a compelling world, one I can't wait to revisit in a month. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Population Go - Population Go Staff May 3, 2012

    Basically, Earth 2 is everything I would have wanted it to be and more, but at the same time nothing that I expected for it to be. I didn't have high expectations here, but I'm really happy I decided to grab this issue anyway, despite my reservations. It was a really fantastic intro to this new series, and this new world, really. In fact, I would have much rather have had this as the first issue to usher in the New 52 than what we got with Justice League. Not exactly in what transpires within the issue itself, but in the daring plots that were explored, and the amount of awesomeness that is stuffed into this single issue in order to introduce us to a new world. My consensus? If you're wavering on this one, then check it out. It's well worth the price of admission, and I really hope the quality continues. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - David Pepose May 2, 2012

    Perhaps James Robinson's greatest trick in Earth 2 is that he manages to engage readers even as he spends most of the issue playing with characters that we likely won't see again. Like DC's best epics " think Kingdom Come or JSA " Robinson and Scott's Earth 2 is about living up to legacies... but it isn't solely defined by them. There's a new pantheon being born on Earth 2, a new history, a new generation of hero. This may be the relaunch we were all waiting for. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    A Comic Book Blog - Phillip Carson May 3, 2012

    If nothing else, this series is a chance, like the old Elseworlds used to say, for us to see these familiar as yesterday characters made as fresh as tomorrow. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Crave Online - Andy Hunsaker May 1, 2012

    It's a good issue, and sets the stage for something that feels pretty fresh. There are some residual nerves at work, hoping we won't lose some of these beloved characters to that pit of reinvention for its own sake in the Billy Batson Is A Dick vein, but so far, only Joan is in danger of that, and we don't really have enough information to pass judgment on that shift just yet. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    Weekly Comic Book Review - Minhquan Nguyen May 2, 2012

    A very promising start to another whole new DCU, supported by Robinson's even writing and Scott's magnificent art. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Examiner - Anthony Schultz May 14, 2012

    I am giving Earth 2 three-and-a-half stars out of five due to the fact that it's entire existence owes itself to another comic set in another universe and that the drastic changes made to core DC characters might be off-putting to some. However, the art was slick, and like a coin, some might like the shinier side of Alan and Jay. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Examiner - Michael Seigler May 2, 2012

    That being said, though, Earth 2 is a riveting read, and a standout in an already terrific week of DC Comics. Between Earth 2, Dial H, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Action Comics, Detective Comics, Stormwatch, and so many others across all the weeks, its clear that while Marvel may rule the feature film arena at the moment, DC is the unchallenged king of the comic book throne. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Entertainment Fuse - Eric "djotaku" Mesa May 4, 2012

    That criticism aside, I really enjoyed this issue. The dialog seemed right. The art and fight choreography didn't leave me feeling lost. And I enjoyed it a lot more than the Justice League. I think the biggest thing that might keep me from enjoying the book to the maximum is that I don't really care too much about the DC universe. So I don't know if I'll appreciate the differences between the origin of, say Earth Prime Flash and Earth 2 Flash. But I definitely intend to get issue #2. So if you didn't pick up Earth 2 on Wednesday, grab it when you go to your shop this Saturday for free comic book day. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comicosity - Keith Callbeck May 7, 2012

    One unique point that had me heading to Twitter after reading this, Earth 2 #1 is the only debut title from the New 52 that does not feature an appearance by the mysterious Pandora. The other three Wave 2 books we've seen this week do have this hooded woman search game, but not this one (unless someone leaps in to prove me wrong). My only thought is that Pandora is limited to Earth Prime. I will assume regardless that it is a story reason to have her absent. More to come. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Vine - Sara 'Babs' Lima May 2, 2012

    I thought it was interesting to see this story launch five years into the past, just like the JUSTICE LEAGUE series did. It's interesting to see how much more mature these characters are compared to the way they are, act and work together in the New 52 JUSTICE LEAGUE. I enjoyed this book a lot. In fact, I liked it better than the relaunch of the JUSTICE LEAGUE series we saw last September. I loved Nicola Scott on this book, and really liked Robinson's work here. I think it's a solid start to a new series that takes characters we haven't seen in the current DCU, and breathes new life into them (Alan Scott, Jay Garrick). The next part I will put in the spoiler box, so you have been warned. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Supergirl Comic Box Commentary - Anj May 8, 2012

    And for a first issue, this wasn't bad, doing what it needed to do. It set the table. This is a world without heroes still recovering from the horrors of this interdimensional war. The world is a pock-mocked mess. What is coming that will spur the birth of a new generation of heroes? But as I said above, the million dollar question is are readers interested in a young and untested JSA nouveau. I wonder ... I suppose that I will get the next issue to see just where this is all going. Certainly, Nicola Scott's art is engaging enough to warrant another issue. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Comic Book Resources - Greg McElhatton May 3, 2012

    "Earth 2" isn't off to a bad start, but it does make me wish that we'd had a little less of the history lesson (for characters doomed from the start, no less) and more of the main characters of the title. It's good enough to read a second issue, but hopefully the pace will pick up a bit more there. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    cxPulp - Walt Kneeland May 3, 2012

    Worth checking out, but not likely to blow your mind. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Fandom Post - Chris Kirby May 3, 2012

    By setting up Earth 2 to be a parallel story has great potential because we aren't forced into an immediate event between multiverses. It is allowing DC to re-introduce beloved characters and take them on their own adventures without complicating matters greatly. I am looking forward to where this series will go with its cold reboot concept of the Golden Age characters but feel slightly misled by this first issue. That battle was terrific but it was just a setup for the world, not the characters. The brief few pages at the end of the issue is really where the story begins. In fact, it should've began there. The back story could've been implanted later but clearly DC wanted this series to start with a bang. It does but….it's ultimately unnecessary in the grand scheme of what they appear to be trying to accomplish. Read Full Review

  • 6.5
    Comic Addicts - Anubhav Dasgupta May 7, 2012

    Despite a lackluster first issue, I've got a feeling Earth 2 will get much, much better. And even if it doesn't, I'll be reading it for Scott's art alone. And Atom is going to be showing up soon. Gotta love the Atom! Read Full Review

  • 6.5
    IGN - Joey Esposito May 2, 2012

    Earth 2 #1 on its own is an enjoyable if somewhat confounding read. It doesn't offer much more than a prerequisite for future installments, and the series has got its work cut out for it establishing the Justice Society from scratch. However, DC finally diving into the multiverse through the lens of the New 52 is certainly welcome. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Razorfine - Alan Rapp May 6, 2012

    I don't need a rambunctious Wally West-ish 21 year-old Jay Garrick (although the foreshadowing of how he receives his speed is kind of interesting). Alan Scott as a mogul doesn't impress me much either. This is a little shakier than I'd like from the first big release of DC's Second Wave. I liked parts of this first issue, but I'm not sure I'm going to want to stick around Earth-2 very long if this is the best heroes than can offer. Hit-and-Miss. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comic Book Therapy - MrComicBook May 3, 2012

    Earth 2 #1 could have been a hell of a lot better, but it also could have been worse. It's a book to watch in the future, to see if it's quality improves. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comics: The Gathering - lucstclair May 5, 2012

    The second wave of The New 52 begins with a what if? storyline with new & forgotten heroes with endless possibilities. An exciting story about true heroism & sacrifice brought to you by James Robinson (Starman Omnibus Vol. 1) & illustrated by Nicola Scott (Teen Titans : Prime Of Life). Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Eye On Comics - Don MacPherson May 2, 2012

    Robinson and DC made a major misstep, though, when they called this Earth 2. Clearly, this is a parallel world that's like and unlike the universe in which the rest of the New 52 is set, but the term "Earth 2″ carries a lot more baggage. Packed in that baggage are readers' expectations, and this comic book doesn't live up to them. "Earth 2″ inherently points to classic takes on characters and to traditions. Robinson's goal here is clearly to buck tradition and presumably to bring a cooler and apparently grittier tone to old concepts. The title DC has chosen would seem to tell a different story, and that story's not to be found here. I'm still intrigued and entertained enough to follow what comes next, but the creators and the publisher need to cast off the chains of what's come before so the audience's attention is focused on what's new. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    Comics Bulletin - Jim Beard May 7, 2012

    Maybe a new Justice Society of America doesn't really need to be anything special. Read Full Review

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