@pikahyper said:

Way to soon, they should have waited at least a year before muddling things up again so the roster of titles and fanbase can solidify. I love the JSA but this is just too much too soon and it really does conflict with their overall strategy way too much.

agreed

Maybe they shouldn't have had a reboot/revamp at all if their gonna just go back to what they used to do.

Haha, oh irate fanboys, they're so cute.

I guess they might be fangirls, but then I might actually mean the aforementioned.

Anyways, I don't see Earth-2 being a problem, at all. Here is why.

1) New readers won't be confused if the concept is rebooted properly and doesn't exist as old DCU Earth-2. The concept of a parallel world was easy enough the first time around, give the people some credit.

2) New readers don't HAVE to understand the concept, if they're not reading it. If they look at it and go 'meh' too much, the 'outcry' crowd that demand their old school characters and depictions are more than willing to be the appropriate audience.

3) As a universe where titles can stand alone, the fact that Earth-2 exists poses no problem for any title except those set on Earth-2 or involving a crossover between Earth-2.

4) More characters, more spaces, more stories, these things to me are good things.

5) We don't know exactly what Earth-2 is yet. We are making assumptions that there will be a Batman of Earth-2 and a Superman of Earth-2. While one or more of these concepts may appear at some point, the likely depiction would rather be those character that didn't headline a spot in the New 52, making their appearances fresh in the alternate universe.

6) We love the alt universes. At the very least the sales record suggests we do. COIE, Grant's JLA Earth-3, Infinite Crisis, 52, Thy Kingdom Come, tons of different stories use these ideas and the very presence of the alternate universe receives a surge of unit support.

7) If the multiversal concept isn't explored early, people will claim that it is either being discarded or disregarded. Especially seeing as Earth-2 is the first building block in a larger plan, I'm gonna go ahead and say that this foundation work is important.

8) Fortunately, if you hate Earth-2, won't buy it and think this is all a terrible idea... I take comfort that your Earth-3 counterpart loves Earth-2, will buy multiple copies and finds this to be a stellar strategy! Hurray for multiversal logical triumph!

Are they making earth-2 characters mingle with new 52 one or is it just another branch of dc comics to get more of the older readers into reading them? I think its not horrible to have them there even if they want them to co-exsist. They are a major part of dc History and so is the multiverse. I can only hope they spin this in an easy to read and follow way. Ive only been reading for a couple of years and felt that before the new 52 i had a pretty good grasp of the multpile universes and understood the combination of heroes on the main DC world. everything has its bad moments but it always seems to get better with DC. I still cant find find a place i feel safe jumping into when it comes to Marvel.

Skimmed through the article.

Just one thought, you seemed to have assumed that this Earth-2 is going to include counter parts of certain characters. This isn't exactly true, since, you knows, the only thing that's been Confirmed are Justice Society right? I mean sure, this means that there are two flashes and Green Lanterns, but they're distinguishble. I just really don't think that we'll be seeing two Bruce Wayne, Supermen etc etc...

so stupid

I'm not opposed to alternate demension. Thaqt ould be kind of cool eventually to meet up with the Crime Syndicate of Amerika and what not. But Earth 2 is stupid and confusing. All of the Crisis on bla bla bla is what kept me from reading DC for so long. All of that stuff being gone was one of the things I liked best about the New 52. Bringing it back is a really bad idea. I hope DC realizes that soon and changes their mind about bringing Earth 2 back.

Really over thinking it. General audiences are familiar with alternate realities shows like Fringe heavily explored them DC animation used them it in Justice League Crisis on Two Earths in Justice League Unlimited on Smallville it does not take much to know how that something is different when usually it is addressed in the comic. The complications come from the why's and the how's not the device itself. Hell if anything then it can be used in a similar fashion like Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, All Star Superman or Superman Red Son and tell stand alone stories in their own little world.

I have a suspiction that Captain Marvel/Shazam will be in the Earth 2 timeline as that version of Superman. I don't know something is telling me Cap will be in the JSA.

@Omega-Man : He is suppose to be on Earth 5 with the other Marvel Family characters where he is the Superman stand in there.

You're totally wrong!

The return of Earth-2 is awesome!!!

I can't wait for the super cool crossovers like they used to have in the Silver/Bronze Age!

@johnny_spam:

When did they say there was going to be a Earth 5 ongoing with Cap?

Just excited cause maybe we can get Power Girl, Jade and Star Girl into the universe again.

New readers. That's so adorable.

Parallel worlds are easy. Way less confusing than the reboot itself.

Personally I'm not upset by the characters that haven't made it into the new 52 (not even Power Girl because they can make Supergirl have a characteristics and stories just like her's and I'll be happy) but I do think the JSA should have been included.......in World War 2.

We don't need Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Ted Grant and the other original members in the present. They were the last generation of heroes and we should get a limited series run that details their origins (should there be any changes), how they were formed, their adventures/missions during the war, and what eventually caused them to break up. They are known, they are remebered but they aren't active in the present.

Doing it this way fits a lot better with some of the other books the new 52 has going for it as Demon Knights is set in the Dark Ages (at least for now) and All-Star Western in the late 19th century. So you slip the adventures of the JSA (though I would shorten it down to only be called the Justice Society and maybe changing the nationalities of a few members so that it was an Allies group rather than just an American one......say making Kent Nelson British, Ted Grant French, and so on) into the 30's - 50's and you have a good progression leading into the modern day superhero.

It would give DC a chance to re-introduce villains like Vandal Savage as well as still bring in Star Girl and Jade as descendants of Society members. Though one thing I would revamp with Jade is that she's not actually green skinned. Unlike her father she decided to fully embrace the Starheart by absorbing it into her body. Because of that she can switch between her normal human form and the normal green-skinned version we all know, giving her a perfect reason not to wear a mask.

You're all over thinking this. Earth 2 will not be confusing for new readers because they will not consider all the things everyone, including G-Man, is thinking about. There's nothing wrong with DC doing this, you're just analyzing it too much.

@TheOptimist said:

Haha, oh irate fanboys, they're so cute.

I guess they might be fangirls, but then I might actually mean the aforementioned.

Anyways, I don't see Earth-2 being a problem, at all. Here is why.

1) New readers won't be confused if the concept is rebooted properly and doesn't exist as old DCU Earth-2. The concept of a parallel world was easy enough the first time around, give the people some credit.

2) New readers don't HAVE to understand the concept, if they're not reading it. If they look at it and go 'meh' too much, the 'outcry' crowd that demand their old school characters and depictions are more than willing to be the appropriate audience.

3) As a universe where titles can stand alone, the fact that Earth-2 exists poses no problem for any title except those set on Earth-2 or involving a crossover between Earth-2.

4) More characters, more spaces, more stories, these things to me are good things.

5) We don't know exactly what Earth-2 is yet. We are making assumptions that there will be a Batman of Earth-2 and a Superman of Earth-2. While one or more of these concepts may appear at some point, the likely depiction would rather be those character that didn't headline a spot in the New 52, making their appearances fresh in the alternate universe.

6) We love the alt universes. At the very least the sales record suggests we do. COIE, Grant's JLA Earth-3, Infinite Crisis, 52, Thy Kingdom Come, tons of different stories use these ideas and the very presence of the alternate universe receives a surge of unit support.

7) If the multiversal concept isn't explored early, people will claim that it is either being discarded or disregarded. Especially seeing as Earth-2 is the first building block in a larger plan, I'm gonna go ahead and say that this foundation work is important.

8) Fortunately, if you hate Earth-2, won't buy it and think this is all a terrible idea... I take comfort that your Earth-3 counterpart loves Earth-2, will buy multiple copies and finds this to be a stellar strategy! Hurray for multiversal logical triumph!

This. People seem to be overreacting to this. Seriously people, give DC some credit. This could very well help quell the protests of the hardcore fans. So I'm all for it.

Having 2 versions of charactrers is going to be so confusing to so many readers that are new to comics. Unless they really get into comics and come into forums where it's going to be explained it's going to be really mind blowing I would think. I wonder if some charaters are going to be more powerful then their counter parts are like Superman and Superboy are. This in my opinion is going against what DC had planned with the 52 reboot. I don't understand why they just don't have one big world still. It's stupid.

I think introducing the multiverse is great. G-Man, you should not assume all new readers will be confused. I'm sure they're smart enough to sort things out.

Huntress and Penguin didn't have "New 52" splashed on them because THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE NEW 52. Their inclusion would make "New 54". Common sense at play there.

Secondly, some people need to brush up on their Post-Infinite Crisis multiverse.

Thirdly, introducing a new universe will not confuse people. People were confused about the old universe because of characters like Batman and Superman operating both on Earth-One and Earth-Two and no one being able to tell which stories took place in which universe. Such a thing is easily avoided these days. Simply having no character overlap or having obvious design differences between characters that do overlap will eliminate confusion.

Fourthly, I really, really, really cannot stand the majority of G-Man's "Off My Mind" articles. They tend to have inane premises that can be counteracted by fifteen seconds of critical thinking.

There's absolutely no reason not to have a couple of books that are set in an alternate reality from the main one. Has anyone ever heard of a little thing Marvel did called the Ultimates?

Seriously, only a mouth-breathing retard would be confused by an alternate reality, and they're too busy watching American Idol and eating lard to drive to a specialty shop and pick up a comic book.

I love Earth 2. I grew up with the Multiverse and dealt with the Crisis wiping everything out. I can not wait to see the story of this second Earth. Maybe I will get lucky and Helena Wayne will show up in costume. :)

I guess it's possible that this Ultimate...err I mean alternate, universe could be confusing to new readers, which appears counter-productive to what DC has achieved with the New 52. Has DC noticed how alternate universes succeeded for Marvel and now second-guessed the decision to erase Earth 2? Perhaps DC's intention is not just a new starting point for readers, but also to bring a refreshing change to the DC Universe.

Oddly enough I feel somewhat comforted by the remarks and optimism on this page and am far less worried than I was in my previous statements. I think we will be fine. You have to assume going into this that DC wouldn't have invested themselves in this enormous relaunch without the deepest thoughts of what they were going to do. And on one other note I kinda agree w/ ThanosIsMad about G-Mans "off my mind" rants.

As readers, why should we care about strategy? I know we are in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, and so forth, and comic books are -needless to say- a particularly pertinent example of this (after all, they are produced on demand, published on tight schedules to meet deadlines, and publishers tend to have a house style, not only to have unified, homogenous identity/look, but also to make artists and writers more replaceable, for lack of a better word). But my question still remains the same: as readers, why should we care about strategy? Shoudn't we be focussing on matters of quality and aesthetics, instead of marketplaces and pie charts?

I don't see the big deal just direct the new readers to comicvine. I didn't read a single issue of crisis but I have a pretty good understanding of it thanks to CV. I can't wait to see the new 52 JSA Especially Green Lantern.

I'm always happy to read stories set in alternate universes and i've been wanting to see something done with Earth-2 for a long time (Isn't Grant Morrison working on some Multiversity project?) but I understand how it could confuse new readers. However, all those characters have to go somewhere. I think as long as its made clear that its a different earth they should be fine.

maybe the flashpoint, must have caused to bring back the realities that the antimonitor destroy.

Instead of bringing back Earth-2 why don't they just have an Elseworlds series where they could do the questions like "what if Batman retired and married Catwoman?" or what if the two Flashes met each other?

I don't want people to start introducing more and more Worlds until they have to reboot the universe again!

So let me get this straight. If Marvel wants to publish a line of alternate-universe Ultimate titles, you don't have a problem with that. Or a standalone series taking place on an earth inhabited by Marvel Zombies.

And nobody complained that Batman Beyond was "too confusing", or The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, or Young Justice, or Superman: Earth One, or DC Universe Online Legends, or Batman: Arkham City, or Neal Adams' Batman: Odyssey -- none of which take place in the "regular" DC Universe.

Or that Dynamite Entertainment has 3 different ongoing Green Hornet titles (and 2 different companion Kato titles) set in 3 separate universes. OK, I will give you that one, since all three books were launched around the same time, and they're taking place in the past, present and near-future -- you actually had to read the books to figure out that they don't take place in the same universe, and Dynamite didn't exactly advertise that fact. Then again, nobody's forcing anyone to read any of them.

But gods forbid that the JSA should get their own series again, and have it set on Earth-2. Now THAT'S just too confusing for new readers.

The entire argument is moot, anyway -- like biological evolution, the survival of the fittest applies to comic book titles. If too many people REALLY find such a series too confusing, then it won't have enough sales to sustain publication and it'll be cancelled. Problem solved. See? The "too confusing" theory is self-correcting. If you're confused, don't buy.

I see both sides of it... I've been reading comics for many years and don't get me wrong I'm a big fanboy. If I understand the new 52 (I may have missed something so forgive me if I do)

Pessimistic me - Reintroducing Earth-2 sounds good, but potentially opens the door for more Earths. I can also see it as a cash in if DC made even more titles (ala Marvel Ultimate titles alongside regular universe and so on). Keep the old stories & worlds in their own, read the reprints, tpbs etc. Leave the new 52 in its (their?) own singular universe for at least a good few years to let it grow & develop. Otherwise in 2015 we'll have another Crisis...

Fanboy me - I love the silver age stories, Earth-2 et al. They are timeless and we owe so much to them. It was always cool when the alternate heroes got together from different Earths by almost casually opening a portal or vibrating etc. to fight evil. Excellent classic tales and I love them dearly. If Earth-2 was reintroduced it would be cool and have a lot of potential. As long as it is handled carefully and the powers that be draw a line so we don't have any more future Crises on any Earths then it will be all good fun!

Just my humble opinion..

@Frobin: Yeah, I'm really confused here. I thought that the concept of the "New 52" was more than just them only having 52 different comic books on the market. Wasn't it supposed to mean that there are 52 different parallel Earths where one is the main Earth, and another is the one for the "Young Justice" cartoon series, another is for "Batman Beyond", a lot of them for the various "Elseworlds", and so forth? Plus, if Earth-2 is now JSA Earth again, then is the antimatter one Earth-3 again? God, my head hurts!

As a reader since 1955, a Golden Age Collector, Comic Fandom pioneer, I loved the JLA, Action (Superman) and Stormwatch (a real place for the Martian Manhunter also around since the 1955!) New 52 books.

I am truly unsure of my feelings on most of the rest, but know the ones no one likes/buys will be gone so it will not matter.

I do know that I had all the All-Stars and the original Justice Society team was always my favorite golden age idea, and has always wondered how the real team would be rewritten/presented without the "Earths" getting in the way, from the first time we saw them rebirthed in Flash # 129 & 137.

From the get-go, it bothered me that the entire REAL membership of the team, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Dr. Midnite, the Sandman,the Spectre, Starman, Hourman, Johnny Thunder and his magic Thunderbolt, and the Atom, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman plus the original Superman & Batman were never seen as a group. We were instantly feed the one issue of All-Star Wildcat, and new version of one issue of All-Star Mr. Terrific, and fed a false history that included Star Spangles Kid membership and children of JSA, a stupid looking costumed Robin, Huntress and a Power Girl who seemed to be from a bit later although so many of the original JSA just were still around.

That bothered me horribly, but I tolerated the fact all they were trying to do is sell magazines.

I was devastated by them putting Alan Scott in a tubed boiler-Living Lantern suit, and out of the iconic suit that had been around sixty years.

I would love to see various members of that original team and that Batman & Superman in stories exclusive to the real members. I don't care if they use a few rotated line-ups. I don't even care if the tweak the old time characters because if the Flashpoint Sandman was any indication of what we may get more of the John's Smallville Sandman, who dreams premonitions and still carries a gas gun and the kirby version wirepoon gun.

I see any of those real original JSA members interacting, without the fake members would be something I would read.

A second Earth is the perfect place for it.

...and all they have to do is say from 1940-50 there existed a Justice Society of America somewhere...

Well I grew up reading the Mutiverse and loved those classic cross-over with the JLA & JSA. Lets face it, they did bring back the multiverse. I was happy about this. I was not happy with the DCnU. After the first month I have already dropped half my list. Now I hear the news that the multiverse is still there and we will be getting a Earth 2 JSA comic. That I get and have went back and picked up the Huntress to see were it fits in. I still up they release the DC Multiverse maxi-series were the first half deals with Earth 4 (Charlton charaters) since Jamie is the ONLY Blue Beetle in the DCnU. The Multiverse works great in the new universe. DC has not explored much since it came back, so this gives them a little room to work. As far as I thought, the DCnU was one of the unnamed Multiverse Earths.

@BillPlaczek said:

"From the get-go, it bothered me that the entire REAL membership of the team, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Dr. Midnite, the Sandman,the Spectre, Starman, Hourman, Johnny Thunder and his magic Thunderbolt, and the Atom, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman plus the original Superman & Batman were never seen as a group. We were instantly feed the one issue of All-Star Wildcat, and new version of one issue of All-Star Mr. Terrific, and fed a false history that included Star Spangles Kid membership and children of JSA, a stupid looking costumed Robin, Huntress and a Power Girl who seemed to be from a bit later although so many of the original JSA just were still around."

It's interesting that you don't consider Wildcat and Mr. Terrific (both of whom only made a single appearance in the Golden Age ALL STAR COMICS) as "REAL members" of the JSA, while you DO consider the Golden Age Superman and Batman (both of whom only made a single appearance in the Golden Age ALL STAR COMICS [discounting cameos]) as real members.

That said, even ignoring those 4 characters, the entire "REAL membership" of JSAers that you listed above never appeared together as a group in a single issue of ALL STAR COMICS during the Golden Age. So why should they do so during their Silver Age (and later) appearances? Since their appearances for the first dozen years after their revival in JLA were pretty much confined to the pages of that comic (and a few others) prior to the late-1970s revival of ALL STAR COMICS, you couldn't expect the writers and artists of JLA to squeeze in the entire membership of the JSA plus the JLA and whatever guest stars were featured that year. Even after ALL STAR was revived (and the JSA later continued in a few issues of ADVENTURE COMICS before returning to cancellation limbo again for a while), there just wasn't enough room to squeeze all those characters into every story.

And the addition of Star-Spangled Kid, Robin, Power Girl and Huntress to the JSA bothered you ( -- no "false history", as you claim; they just joined the team after the Silver Age stories began, simple enough) -- but you're OK with the rebooted "false history" of the New DC 52 Action Comics and Justice League? Unbelievable. "They're just trying to sell comics" will only excuse so much.

If you ask me, I don't think alternative universe should never interact.

I grew up and read comics during the multiverse and was never confused by it. I never really understood why DC thought that comic book readers were incapable of discerning who was from which Earth. It was not that hard at all. Earth One was the current universe or Silver Age characters. Earth Two was the Golden Age characters. Earth Three was the evil version of the Silver Age characters. Earth S was Shazam and Marvel Family. Earth X was the Quality Characters, Freedom Fighters and so forth.

This was never truly a problem till DC wanted to meld them all together with the Crisis storyline and culled alot of good characters and stories in the process.

By bringing back Earth Two, DC has finally admitted their error. Hopefully we will get to see the stories that never were in the last 30 odd years. I want to see Helena Wayne and Dick Grayson finally together, carrying Bruce Wayne's memory forward. Would not mind seeing the original Bat Girl, Betty Kane.

And IMO your assertion that comic readers will be confused shows a lack of understanding for the reading public. To assert that they cannot process and be able to piece together the different storylines and Earths. Glad that this is only your opinion G-Man.

i want to see stephanie brown appear again, maybe Stephanie, Wally...and the other 'cut' heroes will be part of Earth-2?

That would explain the hooded figure i have noticed in the number 1s batwing page 16,savage hawkman pg.16,grifter pg.15,blackhawks pg.8,nightwing pg.9,justice league dark pg.11,fury of firestorm pg.18, mr.terrific pg.4

I disagree, I think reintroducing them now, in the way they are, is the best possible way to indoctrinate people into the characters. Then when the next event rolls out (HOPEFULLY AT LEAST 2 YEARS), they can roll them into the continuity with built fan bases.

I mean while the JSA books were decent under Johns etc, JSA kinda suffers from the same ailment as the Legion. Most modern fans don't know enough to care, or just don't care. JSA to a lesser extent than legion stuff. So rool out Mr. Terrific and Huntress now, and work them in.

didnt bother to go over every post this time my bad if this was said, but how do we know this new earth-2 isnt the original earth from old dcu? with dick stilll being a batman, maybe jsa running the enture city as justice city or some such etc.? seems to make sense fan wise, wasnt that the deal back then, that they get readers from different eras to boost sales? also if theyre serious about this new world sticking (hope not) then theyre going to need to solidify the fact that the before flashpoint world is gone then making it earth-2 (and mind you, this willl be next summers event so alot wuld have happened in oldtrue dcu) and thyll show the obvious divergence of both universes

honestly they need to destroy earth-1 and start a new one with better writers :P

Hey, G-Man, look at it this way: the Earth-2 they're bringing back is probably the one reintroduced in 52 and the Thy Kingdom Come story arc from JSA volume 3. Only difference--no Golden Age Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow and Speedy, if they play their cards right. As for the issue of PG in this sense--simple: they take her origin at face value, only stating that she's a survivor of another planet/universe, and not mentioning other relatives outside her parents, and everyone's happy.

REPLY to positronic: @BillPlaczek said:

"From the get-go, it bothered me that the entire REAL membership of the team, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Dr. Midnite, the Sandman,the Spectre, Starman, Hourman, Johnny Thunder and his magic Thunderbolt, and the Atom, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman plus the original Superman & Batman were never seen as a group. We were instantly feed the one issue of All-Star Wildcat, and new version of one issue of All-Star Mr. Terrific, and fed a false history that included Star Spangles Kid membership and children of JSA, a stupid looking costumed Robin, Huntress and a Power Girl who seemed to be from a bit later although so many of the original JSA just were still around."

It's interesting that you don't consider Wildcat and Mr. Terrific (both of whom only made a single appearance in the Golden Age ALL STAR COMICS) as "REAL members" of the JSA, while you DO consider the Golden Age Superman and Batman (both of whom only made a single appearance in the Golden Age ALL STAR COMICS [discounting cameos]) as real members.

I was making what i thought was a good assumption since various DC folks have mentioned the idea of this JSA WAS to give birth to the "other" Batman and Superman. I wasn't trying to kick out the 2 guys who were in one book in a biased way. (BTW the two characters Wildcat& Mr. Terrific were thrown in there as replacements when AA and DC quit, right?) ....and Superman and Batman were around at the beginning I belieb when Starman was added and when Wonder Woman was added ... but as cameos as falgship characters, who were "busy."

But I totally understand you calling me on my logic...

positronic: said... the entire "REAL membership" of JSAers that you listed above never appeared together as a group in a single issue of ALL STAR COMICS during the Golden Age. I tend to agree...maybe the book could cover the pre-war team, jumped to the later 46-50 team (with different Atom costume), and even the Justice battelion team.

There is room for a few stories with Mr. Terrific and Wildcat, but not to the excess that we have seen their involvement.

I would love to see smaller combinations of those characters...they can change and even stay in chronological order of the All-Stars.

The "Gimme" I gave was that THEY ARE including Batman and Superman. Maybe the DC folks who have made those commenst were just talking.

I just think that you have 30 years of readers who think that Jay and Alan spent as much time working side by side as they did with Wildcat and the fake JSA members added later. And if you want Dan the dynamite from World Fair comics and Stripesy, and even a convoluted Robin in batman tights, place them elsewhere.

You are correct that some lame writers added those characters as supposedly added later...and I hated it

positronic: but you're OK with the rebooted "false history" of the New DC 52 Action Comics and Justice League?

Yeah, I like the reboot.

I would be happy with the team from SMALLVILLE

I loved the Marvel Family in Flashpoint.

I just want an ELSEworlds Justice Society with the big 3 and only the original team from All Star comics.

I want a reboot that reboots things that way, ok?

THE BEAUTY of the DC Reboot is Flashpoint can turn it all back, right?

Awesome article!

I see Earth-2 as a nod to long time fans. They will probably separate it from the New 52 pretty heavily to avoid confusion along new readers. As much as I think DC wants to start fresh they still love the Multiverse concept. And like people have said it's a good way to have DC's Ultimate universe and still link it to the regular verse for some good crossovers.

Well i'm a new DC reader and although i've read comics for over 20 years and i am not new to alternate universes i could have done without this at this time.

It's way too soon for new readers it should have been at least a year before this would happen, let me get comfortable with the new comics and characters first and decide which comics i'm going to pick up regularly, before hitting me with alternate earths, characters etc.

It was explained to me that Earth 2 is more like a marvel AoA kind of alternate universe, but i get the feeling it's more than that after reading this article.

Wrong move DC, although interesting, it's way too soon.

Wow.  
Barely into issue #2 and DC already have a fucked up their continuity.  

As much as I am excited in the prospects of an EARTH 2 book, when Robinson says the Big Three are Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and Ted Grant, all I think is what all the other possibilities where in reagrds to the original JSA from the 1940-43 years.

Ted Grant never really a member and he ranks in Big Three status!???

If they are going to grace us with a few pages as the book's caretakers (and I don't need all three of the Big Three in each book) that is fine, but it seems there are so many stories that we all have wished for, ones that had the Earth 2 "others" from theSuperman Batman Wonder Woman, to the gas masked Sandman, Dr. McNider to Starman, to Hourman, to how Spectre and Dr. Fate fit in that group dynamic (They just all seemed to say, "Hi we're here", with no awe to the magic omni-potent. The lightning Bolt with Johnny even!

I guess I understand how Superman there just makes another variation time period/dimension that would confuse....but these ongoing Batman titles seem be running concurently....or how another WW confuses the issue and since Hawkman has gone through more redos and recons already he doesn't fit either. But there is plenty to tell there especially by refurbishing those old 1940 villains.

I would mind seeing all the originals as they start their downward descents into problems / retirement.

I just don't want an overdose of Wildcat....we have gotten that for the last forty years!

I don't see the problem. The details are there sure, but their details presumed put their by the readers imagination, not actually there, and that problem will always be present, in any fictional universe for that matter. The truth New 52 = new continuity = prior to New 52 continuity no longer exists nor is relevant. Period. Denial doesn't change that, and looking for examples of prior continuity still standing in the New 52 continuity will only lead to even more confusion on anyone's part. Definitely expectations for DC to cater to old continuity at this point will only meet with failure. So why does mean introducing a Golden Age will work imo? Because it's being " introduced " not iterated. Meaning this Earth 2 is as new continuity as the New 52 itself is, and owes nothing to previous continuity nor answers to it, and DC can write it however they please and it still works. What would be difficult or confusing about working off a clean blank slate, which is what New 52 is? Nothing. The only problem is again some readers can't accept that old continuity no longer stands. So they hear Earth 2 and think the same thing and past from continuity prior to New 52 is being used, when it would not be "phew ". As for example, see Wildcats Vs X-Men continuity. See The Tick. See Amalgam/Marvel Vs Dc/All Access. All of these clean slate continuities established Golden Ages well after the fact, and showed them in detail. Tick was years after the fact and very deep in it's plot by that point actually. In fact I have to personally say I think it's a good strategy, because they more the explain about the new continuities new past as well, the more they uncloud the story itself and encourage readers to be less apt to seek answers in back issue stories that are no longer even relevant.