By Todd Allen

What is James Robinson’s and Nicola Scott’s Earth Two comic really about?  The official line is, it was originally to be titled Justice Society.  We know that Worlds’ Finest is about the Earth Two Power Girl and Huntress (who is confirmed as the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, per the original concept of the character) getting trapped in whatever DC is calling its main dimension.  But I don’t think anybody’s ever said Earth Two was necessarily going to be where the superheroes started out in World War II.  Like most people, I’d just been assuming that was what they were talking about, and then DC releases an alternate cover for the first issue:

I’m looking at an armored Wonder Woman splitting a skull with her sword and an armored/ridged shoulder Batman thrusting some sticks through a couple more heads and it feels like I’m looking at a lost Flashpoint cover.

DC has been pretty quiet about what’s actually going on in Earth-Two. There’s going to be some menace that brings the worlds together.  There’s going to be an extra-dimensional issue of Action Comics leading into it, which is interesting as one of the possibilities is this leads into Grant Morrison’s long-promised Multiversity mini-series/Event.  I’ve heard it suggested the sticks indicate that this is Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson having picked up the Batman Mantle.  Maybe.  Is Earth-Two going to be the Grim’N’Grity version of the “normal” DC universe?  Maybe.  When all you get is teases, all you can do is speculate.

The only thing that’s certain, that cover is all about killing the parademons, so Darkseid is likely the villain for the first arc.

Past that, I’m wondering what this is really going to be about and if this is going to be something very different from the traditional Justice Society.  If I were the sort of person who pre-ordered his comics, I’d probably be pulling my order and waiting for a little more information before making a decision.

Then again, maybe this variant cover’s primary purpose is to get us all riled up.

To be continued.

1 COMMENT

  1. Good catch!

    Might be right since there never was a “real” connection from Flashpoint to the new continuity. (

    Nor an explanation for Dick’s dropping the Batman role, for that matter.)

  2. As somebody who has worked on Flashpoint, I’ll say it doesn’t remind me of the Flashpoint costumes AT ALL.

    It looks like the DC One Million JLA:
    http://www.itsalltrue.net/requests/2011/justicelegion.png

    The duotone E2 Wonder Woman is red+silver instead of DC1M’s blue+gold. And ridged shoulder E2 Batman has an open mouth instead of ridged shoulder DC1M’s full face mask. But otherwise very similar, especially the Superman designs. (I did the Superman 1M covers).

  3. Costumes and looks dont look alike imo, WW was more fully armored in Flashpoint and sunwithheld superman from flashpoint v this guy –> really?

    As to the universe being the same, well:

    Why would the Earth 2 universe not look like Flashpoint??

    Flashpoint was essentially still the same earth, things had just unfolded differently in the past, and so there were….”differences”.

    Earth 2, if it’s the same concept (Parallel universe) as they were doing before CoIE, I beleive was also an earth with the same people, but where things had happened differently in the past, and so there were, again, “differences”.

    Batman (Bruce Wayne) being dead was one of them I beleive.

    So I’m not surprised they look alike, universe wise, as they’re essentially the same “idea”.

    What I’m really wondering is:

    Where the heck is Jay Garrick, Sentinel and co. I’m almost hoping they kill off Superman, Wonderwoman and Batman in the first arc just to let the (JSA) cavalry ride in to save the day.

    and…

    What happened to Wonder Womans left hand. Right arm = normal wrist-thingy.
    Left arm = armored quite a way to the shoulder. Robinson isn’t captain random when it comes to storytelling, I doubt that’s assymetrical by accident.

    Disclaimer: This post and it’s spelling may be slightly influenced by beer.

  4. Until DC releases actual information, instead of “alternate covers” with no explanations, they’re actively encouraging speculation. Especially when “killing parademons” with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman isn’t likely to scream “Justice Society” to people.

    It’s a form of buzz marketing.

  5. ” Is Earth-Two going to be the Grim’N’Grity version of the “normal” DC universe?  Maybe. ”

    This current ” regular ” nDCU is already to grim ‘N gritty. How could it get worse?

  6. Yeah, I don’t think we need a grittier and grimmer version of the ‘main’ reality, either. There’s a strong vein of ’90s “oooh look comics for grown-ups with sex and violence” schlock in the New 52 that’s very off-putting to me.

  7. This Superman and Batman look kinda young for an Earth 2 which has heroes dating back to the Golden Age. This is speculation after all. Everyone seems to assume that Earth 2 means Justice Society and All Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. and all that, so I’m joining in that assumption too.

    What if this Superman and Batman are James Robinson’s take on the old Bob Haney Super-Sons stories from World’s Finest? THAT might blow a few minds…

    Then again, if we’re following the pattern here as set down in the Silver Age with the introduction of the Flash and the Earth-2 concept, maybe the heroes of Earth-2 are the heroes of the DCU before the Flashpoint event took place? Thus Wally West and Dick Grayson and maybe Donna Troy have stepped up and become the new generation while the old on went into semi-retirement.

    We’ll see…

  8. “For the record not a single one of Todd Allen’s speculations about Earth 2 are correct. Just saying.” – James Robinson

    Therefore:

    (A)There’s going to be an extra-dimensional issue of Action Comics leading into it
    Apparently not?

    (B)which is interesting as one of the possibilities is this leads into Grant Morrison’s long-promised Multiversity mini-series/Event.
    Apparently not?

    (C)I’ve heard it suggested the sticks indicate that this is Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson having picked up the Batman Mantle. Maybe.
    Apparently not. It just might be Brane instead.

    (D) Is Earth-Two going to be the Grim’N’Grity version of the “normal” DC universe? Maybe.
    Apparently not. It might just be the Grit Magazine version of the DC universe.

    (E)The only thing that’s certain, that cover is all about killing the parademons,
    Apparently not, although maybe that’s two assumptions?

    (F)so Darkseid is likely the villain for the first arc.
    Apparently not. Maybe they’re the Crime Syndicate and the Darkseid And The Paradaemons (aside from being a truly outrageous pop band) are the superheroes?

    (G)Past that, I’m wondering what this is really going to be about and if this is going to be something very different from the traditional Justice Society
    Apparently not.

    When all you get is teases, all you can do is speculate.
    Sorry, Todd, but apparently not. All I can do is lose interest rapidly.

    Did I miss any?

  9. Hey, this is the NEW DC!! (perfectly represented by the worst logo thus created in this century, btw) Earth Two is about the JSA, the original superheroes, etc etc, and has been for over a half century. I think we all know what the NEW DC says about everything that represents their once proud history and tradition… hint: it starts with F87K and ends with “DC fans born after 1999.

  10. “maybe the heroes of Earth-2 are the heroes of the DCU before the Flashpoint event took place? Thus Wally West and Dick Grayson and maybe Donna Troy have stepped up and become the new generation while the old on went into semi-retirement.”

    That’s my guess too, something along those lines. Huntress could still be a previously-undisclosed daughter of the pre-New52 Batman & Catwoman, JSA served in WWII, etc.

    Can’t get grimmer or grittier than what’s in print right now…

  11. “There’s going to be an extra-dimensional issue of Action Comics leading into it”

    Is there? What happened to Action Comics just being like how it was, issues 1-4? You know, the Superman-in-jeans-starting-out story?

    Now it’s going to be all extra-dimensional this and that. Boring.

  12. The Superman in jeans arc was only meant to be from issues 1 to 6. Like Justice League, it jumps to present day setting starting with issue 7.

    I don’t think Earth 2 is meant to just be Justice Society in the New52. There elements and characters from several past stories but not an exact copy.

    Does looking interesting though.

    Robinson writing is a plus ( Don’t hold his JLA run against him. Anyone writing that book over the past 5,6 years should get a pass. The book is/ was more editorially mandated than Uncanny X Men.)

    Scott is one of DCs’ best artists.

  13. Back in the day, Earth-3 was where everyone was the opposite of how they were on Earths 1 and 2. So perhaps there’s an Earth-3 where the DC characters aren’t brutal, nasty thugs in ugly costumes.