By Todd Allen
DC is being a big tease about Earth 2 again. They’ve released Jim Lee’s design sketch for the Earth 2 Batman.
They also have an interesting quote in:
“Who will Batman kill to save his own daughter?” asks EARTH 2 editor Pat McCallum. “Right out of the gate that should tell you we’re dealing with a different kind of Dark Knight here. More ruthless, dangerous…the costume is familiar and yeah, there is a Wayne under the mask, but we’re looking at a man desperate to save the only family he has left. EARTH 2 is about to become a very bad place to be a bad guy.”
Again, the PR run-up makes it look like they’re trying to go even darker with Earth 2, than they are with the relatively dark flavor of the New 52. Now just because this is how they’re hyping it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how it’s going to read.
Here’s the solicitation copy:
EARTH TWO #1
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by NICOLA SCOTT and TREVOR SCOTT
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale MAY 2 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
• First issue of an ongoing series from writer JAMES ROBINSON and artist NICOLA SCOTT!
• 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!
• Don’t miss the extra-sized debut issue!
We really haven’t had much by way of premise for this book’s opening story revealed. Just a lot of teasing and hints about how dark and different it’s going to be. When you spend more time hyping the new costumes than the premise of the book, I start to get a little concerned.
Take off the cape, and he looks a lot like a certain Man Without Fear, if you ask me… Am I the only one who thinks this “dark and gritty” worldview is headed for a backlash? In about five years will we have to face the return of 1960s optimism and bright colors? I don’t know if that would necessarily be a bad thing.
Wait, so wasn’t the premise of the line-wide New 52 relaunch to wipe the continuity slate clean and make it an easy jumping-on point? And not a year later, we’re already into alternate earths? I’m convinced that they manage by Magic Eight Ball over there.
OK, so it is an ongoing series. Heard some talk it might be a limited series.
Can’t wait to see the costume designs for Jay and Alan.
So if this is Earth 2 then who will be their Starman?
Just how gritty can they go? Razor bladey bits sticking out of his costume AND he’s carrying a big stick. Lighten up, DC, and bring back the days of the Zebra Batman!
I was looking forward to reading Earth 2 until I saw that costume.
Well, someone besides Jim Lee is going to have to do costume designs, because his are already pretty dull. Second, Nicola Scott is a wonderful artist, but based on what we’ve seen from her so far,”grim & gritty” is NOT an accurate description.
I’m trying a couple issues, just because I thought the old JSA was as dull as dirt anyway. and I’m hoping a new approach will bring some life to this team.
I like the messaging of launching EARTH TWO the same month that BATMAN EARTH ONE comes out.
-B
It’s a nice drawing, but at first glance he looks like he’s wearing shorts.
In all honesty, when Todd first told me he was writing this post I thought he was talking about the GN series…Earth One.
I’m with Mister Stringer, make Earth 2 the Adam West Batman universe!
Brian, Batman Earth One may be solicited in the same Previews as Earth Two, but it’s probably an advance solicitation and won’t come out the same month.
I dunno. I’m torn on this, as I enjoy both Robinson (sometimes… his Shade has been good) and I adore Nicola Scott… and the JSA is very, very important to me. But “Ooh, here, Batman’s a killer! Jime Lee sez this Batman is pointy and sharp!” isn’t turning me on to this… it’s turning me off.
What kind of Batman do you people want? Soft and cuddly?
One that’s not embarrassed to be Batman.
I would pay GOOD MONEY (waves money at screen) for an Adam West Batman comic.
“but this is DC Comics – The New 52, where anything can happen!”
*yawn*
Am I the only one who thinks this “dark and gritty” worldview is headed for a backlash? In about five years will we have to face the return of 1960s optimism and bright colors?
@Mike Mitchell—
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.
5 years? That seems about right: while it took DC 50 years to clean up their Earth-1/-2/Prime “continiuty problems” with COIE… with nuDC’s bringing out an “Earth-2” without having a full year under the DiDio/Lee/Harras/Johns reboot, it shouldn’t take a tenth as long before the various New 52 characters’ histories and storylines become a tangled mess!
And, maybe DC can get Mark Waid to write it, too?
/fun with mainstream comics