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Earth 2 #7 – Review: Red Tornado’s Had Some Work Done

I love Hawkgirl. She's mine. Get away.Earth 2 hits on probably its strongest issue yet. The crisis with Grundy is finished, and we really start delving into the world of Earth 2 in its aftermath. I'm a sucker for world-building stuff, especially when it's done well. James Robinson and company are doing it well.

Early on in the issue, Robinson frames the Grundy crisis as the second coming of the Wonders for the people of Earth 2.It's a new dawn. The world has superheroes again, and it's natural that people are curious. This sets up an issue in which we take a closer look at the main players. It's a good mix of characters we have already seen quite a bit of and others we've barely had a chance to catch up with.

Of course, one of the first we check back in with is Alan Scott. We learn how the world is responding to the horrific train crash that nearly killed him and how he's coping with the loss of his fiance Sam. Okay, so the bit where an upset character trashes everything in his home gets a bit overdone, but besides that, this is a good scene. What makes it so good is the arrival of Hawkgirl, who steals the show as we finally get to learn more about her. She's basically a superhero Lara Croft, which is pretty cool and not far removed from the kind of elements we usually get when it comes to the Hawks. My only disappointment with Hawkgirl is that she's part of an ensemble cast in Earth 2 rather than starring in the Savage Hawkgirl. I know I sure wouldn't miss the New 52's version of Hawkman.

I remain a little offput my Alan's opposition to forming a team with the other Wonders, though. It mostly comes from not knowing where it comes from in Alan. Is this fallout from Sam's death, leaving him wanting to isolate himself from others? Or is it just arrogance that is a preexisting part of his personality? The former makes the most sense, but the latter seems to be closer to how Alan is expressing it. I do like what Earth 2 has done with Alan Scott, but his personality doesn't feel very defined yet.

Terry Sloane fans, if any major ones existed, are probably not happy with what Robinson has done. It is pretty much a total 180 from who the character used to be, as the end of this issue basically alludes to. Sloane has gone the Ozymandias route, which I don't really mind. It's not like Alan Moore created the concept. Having an "ends justifying the means" character like him around adds to the variety. He is also developing an interesting rivalry with Amar Khan, who I think is a brand new character and not another repurposed one. I could be mistaken on that, though.

Michael Holt fans, likewise, are probably not happy either. Now, this isn't entirely or even mostly Robinson's fault. The New 52 has not done Mr. Terrific any favors. Yeah, he did get his own solo series out of it. The problem is that the book wasn't good. The character lost all the history and status he skyrockets to in the decade previous to the New 52 in return for a lackluster ongoing series that DC frankly didn't put much effort into. That book's cancellation and Mr. Terrific's adoption by Earth 2 was something to give fans hope again. Unfortunately, fans are having a long wait of it. Mr. Terrific hasn't had much of a presence in the book yet, and the small presence he has had puts him in the role of Terry Sloane's inferior. Hopefully, Robinson is building to a powerful comeback for Michael Holt here, because his fans really need it.

This issue also gives us more of Wesley Dodds and his Sandmen. This is one of the more drastic reimaginings of a Golden Age character, but I think it's also turning out to be one of the best. The Sandmen as a covert special forces team is just cool, and it really feels at home in the world Robinson has put together here. 

Is it offensive now to call Alan Scott a drama queen?
Yildiray Cinar does a great job of filling in for Nicola Scott. There's no style clash here at all. His style so seamlessly blends in with what Scott has established for the book that it took me awhile to even realize the artist change. And if you've got to change artists for awhile, that's the way to do it. I'm happy to see that Cinar survived the disaster that was Fury of Firestorm: the Nuclear Men to get better assignments at DC. I hope he gets to illustrate most stories that aren't trainwrecks.

Earth 2 was getting on somewhat shaky ground with me as the Grundy plot went on, but this issue really pulls everything back together. This is one of the finest books of DC's New 52. Unlike most of those books, it is actually trying to do things that are new, diverse and modern rather than grasping to recreate the Silver Age or Golden Age. That's really evident in this issue as Robinson and Cinar take the time to look around the new world they are playing in.
 

Rating
9.5

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