The Good

With the news about Alan Scott's sexuality hitting the web, all eyes were on the release of the second issue of EARTH 2 today -- and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The issue opens with Mr. Terrific who had recently landed on what appears to be the island of Manhattan -- only very different. I think the way James writes Mr. Terrific's deduction of where he landed was great, and felt it was a good scene. Nicola Scott does a great job of setting up EARTH 2's Times Square, as well. The flow of the story kicks off really well, and the pacing is consistent throughout the issue. We quickly move to Jay Garrick in a scene between the Earth 2 Flash and the God Mercury in Lansing, Michigan. The exchange between the two characters is brilliant and I felt that the dialogue between the two characters was really powerful. In fact, this was probably my favorite moment in the entire issue. The exchange between the two characters and the passing of the torch from a God to a man with so little confidence was an all-around great moment. It was really powerful and did both characters justice. More importantly, I think James spent just the right amount of time on this scene, and the scene following it where Jay is discovering his powers.

The scene with Alan Scott is nice -- I thought it was a great way to introduce the character's sexuality: by showing him being in love with Same, without talking about the subject -- introducing it this way really made the moment feel natural.

Great art by Nicola Scott as always; she did a fantastic job portraying the emotions of the characters in this issue. Also, what a beautiful image of Hawkgirl! Her appearance is breathtaking, and her new costume is really nice.

The Bad

I admit, I'm not so sure about the end. I'll be disappointed if we are introduced to Sam (Alan Scott's boyfriend), and he is killed off so quickly following Scott's proposal. Again, this can happen in a comic, but it has to be done right. If it does happen, I will want (as the reader) to see a dramatic change in Scott's character, behavior, and outlook on life. Also, if it does happen; I hope that Robinson will reinforce why Sam was so important to Scott in the first place. There are ways for a writer to memorialize a character even in death, and I look forward to seeing if this is something Robinson does with these two characters in this series.

The Verdict

A lot of really big developments happen in this issue, and I love that Robinson is taking his time introducing readers to these characters before he established the EARTH 2 Justice Society. Although it's inevitable, the journey getting there is just as important and it what makes the reader care about the characters. While I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this issue, I will definitely be back for more. Definitely looking forward to this.