Things are starting to come together for the band of heroes currently inhabiting Earth 2. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are on a quest to find out why Lantern’s lover was killed, while Flash is attempting to save his mother from the mystical Wotan by helping Khalid accept his destiny as Doctor Fate. Once Khalid puts the Helmet of Fate on, the war with Wotan gets downright nasty. This battle will rage to Earth and will bring together these heroes for the first time as a team.
Earth 2 #12 centers around this epic magic war. Khalid refuses to listen to the magic of the helmet, preferring to try and stop Wotan on his own. Flash rescues his mother and stands beside Doctor Fate. Just as Green Lantern and Hawkgirl find some rather gruesome evidence, Lantern is summoned by the power of the Green back to the states to try and help defeat Wotan. Together, they face not just the evil sorcerer but also the World Army, who don’t take kindly to heroes.
Writer James Robinson fires on all pistons here, and he has to. This issue moves at such frenetic pace and has so many storylines woven into it that it could easily fall apart. Robinson avoids this by maintaining the focus on the battle between Doctor Fate and Wotan. Building off that powerful core, Robinson elaborates on the internal struggle between Khalid and the forces that are within the helmet, the mystery that Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are unraveling, and the story of the heroes coming together to battle a single threat. By the end of issue #12, you’re breathless.
Robinson also keeps his distance with the reactions of mortals. Humans watched their heroes eviscerated during a horrible war. Are they ready for new blood? Do they want heroes? Robinson leaves these questions untouched, opting instead to throw the next big enemy at the Earth 2 team. Steppenwolf has risen to take control of one nation, forcing the World Army to declare war on him. The new heroes will have their work cut out for them, as Steppenwolf is unlike any foe they’ve ever faced.
Nicola Scott’s artwork is astounding. Right out of the gate, I love the new Doctor Fate costume. It’s just much cooler than earlier renditions. Scott understands the pacing of issue #12 and pencils accordingly. After a one-page introduction, a gorgeous gatefold splash sets up how epic the Doctor Fate/Wotan battle is. From there, Scott uses her heavy lines and really interesting panel layouts to tell the story. Trevor Scott’s inks are perfect. He uses them heavy on the outlines but light on the details, allowing colorists Barbara Ciardo and Pete Pantazis room to work, and it shows. All four artists come together in just the right balance to tell this story.
Earth 2 continues to astound. It’s easily one of the best New 52 titles going.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
