Overall, great art, wonderful structure and a great superhero centric story. Although it may not be the best jumping on point, this is still a fantastic read. Read Full Review

Earth 2 Annual is a bittersweet issue. It continues the strong world-building that has been happening since Earth 2 began, debuting new characters and adding to the variety that is the book's strength. However, all of this happens under the shadow of the news James Robinson is leaving this and DC Comics at large in a few months. Robinson is setting up many interesting things for the future, but it's now an uncertain future when we don't yet even know what writer will be taking over for him. But if this issue is any indication of how Robinson's final story arc will be, at least we know he will probably end his run on a strong note. Read Full Review

All of which is a long way of saying that Earth 2 Annual #1 is an excellent jumping-on point for a well-told story in a rich, unique, and yet insistently familiar world. Just as long as you're not expecting more Batman than is actually there. Read Full Review

The protagonists of "Earth 2 Annual" #1 all get a nice turn in the spotlight, a chance to flex their muscles and show readers what they've got. Batman's scenes sharply distinguish this Dark Knight from all others while the rest of the book uncovers more of the connective tissue left behind following the invasion from Apokolips. Placed under the prism of his nearing departure, "Earth 2 Annual" #1 multiplies the loss of Robinson to this title and the larger DC Universe. For now, however, there are a few more stories still to come from Robinson to showcase what could have been (or might yet still be), and this Annual does a spiffy job of seeding those story vines. Read Full Review

Fans expecting a thorough explanation of Earth 2's latest Batman will certainly be disappointed, but readers who have been following Earth 2 from the start will already have an understanding for why the book is paced the way it is, and why we rarely spend too much time on one storyline. The references to a DC Universe that may be a little familiar, but is ultimately far more different from what we've become accustomed to than anything the New 52 did to the "main" DCU continue to intrigue, assuming you have the patience to wait for them to pay off. Still, Earth 2 is one of those rare superhero titles that encompasses an entire universe of characters within just ONE title. That alone makes Earth 2 worth picking up each month, and hopefully future creative teams don't lose that magic! Read Full Review

I like Earth 2 Annual #1. It's a fun read. Regular readers of the series will appreciate how much James Robinson is pouring into Earth 2 from all angles. That being said, it's really only for regular readers. Read Full Review

Great art and quite a lot of new developments makes this annual a worthwhile read, even if Robinson's flawed writing remains clearly prominent. Read Full Review

Artists Cafu and Julius Gopez share art duties for this oversized Annual and turn in a nice looking book. The Captain Atom bits are the best, with lots of drama being expressed in just the way he takes a drag off his cigarette or stares into his memories. Plus, as mentioned before, he gets gigantic and chases a huge robot across the city rooftops. Can't be mad at that. Read Full Review

Cafu and Julius Gopez turn in a solid effort. The Captain Atom work has a dream state quality to it, as though we’re inside his thoughts and seeing his memories through his eyes. The panels outside of Captain Atom is harsher, thicker lines, heavier inks, more in your face color work. Cafu and Julius also know how to maximize panel placement. Some of the sweeping two panel action scenes are epic. If the story here is a bit frazzled, the art helps hold it together. Read Full Review

It's a good world-building issue that should please frequent readers of Earth 2 and it makes a nice jumping on point for curious new readers. The artwork by Cafu is quite good with expressive faces and fun action scenes for an all around good-looking book. But was it worth $5 bucks? Not for me. I actually found it to drag in the middle and the lack of attention to the new Batman was a disappointment considering how heavily it was advertised. It's an okay comic, but it feels falsely advertised and the price is too steep for what you get. I think an annual should have a higher re-read value than this when you're asking people to pay so much. Read Full Review

For those like me who haven't been keeping up with the events of Earth-2, the annual does a fairly good job of getting you up to speed and teasing you with reasons to think about picking up the title. Given it's emphasis on Pratt's story I'm not sure it's worth picking up on its own but it has me considering paying a little more attention to what is happening in the monthly title. Hit-and-Miss. Read Full Review

And not even a single pin-up. I'm not impressed. Read Full Review

James Robinson creates a great annual issue for Earth 2. Although most of the stories are compelling, they have nothing to do with the main story arc and reveal little in regards to the coming war between the World Government Army and Steppenwolf. At about five dollars, it's a good issue to add to the collection, but expensive enough to skip it. Read Full Review