New Earth 2

J.M. DeMatteis’ and Ray Fawkes spoke with CBR about...

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:35:24 -0400

J.M. DeMatteis’ and Ray Fawkes spoke with CBR about upcoming plans for the Trinity of Sin and the “Dark” books. They had an interesting tidbit about Shazam.

Before the New 52 relaunch, Constantine was in his own, separate Vertigo universe, and Phantom Stranger existed on the fringes of the DCU, almost like the Crypt Keeper, introducing other characters’ stories in his original incarnations. In some ways, it seems like it would be easy to bring them in by turning these guys into magic-based superheroes, like Shazam/Captain Marvel. How do you integrate characters like these into the interconnected New 52 without making them just traditional DC heroes?

Fawkes: In straight up terms of raw power, John is much less powerful than many of those characters. He would never have been able to stand toe-to-toe in a fair fight with somebody like Shazam or Black Adam. But what John does have that they don’t is a very, very clever mind and a quick wit. We keep the con man aspect of him, because he plays things very close to his chest and because he knows the only advantage he has over these guys is remaining a mystery and doing things they wouldn’t expect. One of the things that define John Constantine is that he’s a trickster, a character you’re never really sure where you stand with him or what he’s capable of. That’s something he carefully cultivates so he can end up in the arena with more powerful creatures and end up on top.

DeMatteis: I think it’s all there in the kinds of stories Phantom Stranger was involved in. The themes we’re dealing with, which are the classic themes of the search for meaning and redemption, all these big sort of cosmic, spiritual themes run through there. The book itself really does not get involved in the superhero side of the DC Universe. I love the supernatural corners of the DCU, I love these characters. I said before, usually when someone offers me a gig, I’ll take a day or two to think about it, but with Phantom Stranger, I kind of went “Ok, I’ll do this!” [Laughter]

I think the trick when you get involved with the more traditional superhero characters is to look at them through the eyes of your character, who views the world in a very different way. It allows you to recast them; you’re seeing them with new eyes and you’re not seeing them the way you’re used to seeing them. It’s really through the more metaphysical and supernatural lens that you’re looking at them which makes your characters interactions all the more interesting, I hope!

James Robinson is leaving Earth 2 and the DC Universe. Today he...

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:06:00 -0400

James Robinson is leaving Earth 2 and the DC Universe. Today he posted on Twitter:

So as of today I am leaving Earth 2 with Issue #16. It’s been a blast. Man, it’s a lovely day. Think I’ll take Rex to the beach.

Which was followed by:

Yes, this also means I’m no longer working at DC Comics. Best wishes and regards to Dan, Geoff and everyone.

I’m really sad to see him go. I’m guessing in four more issue we will not get to see a JSA/JLA team-up. I hope we get to see him bring in a new Starman, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Wildcat before he leaves. It’s a tall order for four issues.

I’m nervous to see who replaces him. Geoff Johns, David Goyer, Roy Thomas, and James Robinson are a handful of writers whom I trust with the JSA. If I had to point to a new writer to take over, it would be Sterling Gates. I don’t know why but I think he would work wonders with the wonders of Earth 2.

What are your feelings on James Robinson’s departure? Who would you like to see take over for him?

Thoughts on Wednesday's Books

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:29:00 -0400

This is the most fun Power Girl has been in a long time. (Supergirl #20)

Did anyone catch the first appearance of the New 52, Molly Mayne, the original Harlequin and the second wife of the pre-New 52 Alan Scott? She appeared as the Earth 2 news anchor in DC Comics back two advertorial pages. As soon as I saw her my mind when racing. Is this cannon? Does she know Alan Scott? Does she work for Alan Scott? Does Alan Scott own Channel 2? Is she a villain in her spare time? Oh the questions.

The same pages gave us another view of the new Earth 2 Batman. The newscaster described this image as being from a camera, “found in Cambodia amidst the rubble of an industrial park destroyed in a large explosion.” It’s interesting that the first place we see this Batman is not Gotham.

We also get to see the new Red Tornado appear differently than we originally saw her. It appears she has hidden her robotic andriod body in a costume that is very similar to the original Red Tornado’s. The news matrix described this scene as being kitchen fire in a hotel by the Hudson River in New York. The Red Tornado saved a dozen children. That Red Tornado, always helping out the kids.

Speaking of that news matrix, this is what she looks like. Her appearance makes me wonder if she has some connection to Red Tornado. Maybe they both are built from Apokolptian technology. Her name is MC2, which is an obvious nod to the Mass Engergy Equations (E=MC²). MC2 is also the line of Marvel books set in a future alternate timeline (Spider-Girl). I wonder if this is a nod to those books since both Earth 2 and MC2 take place in alternate timelines.

A Superman memorial in California? I”m still hoping for an Iron Monroe in a Connor Kent Superboy t-shirt.

I think I would have liked this series more if it was not attached to the JSA or the JSA members were in more than a couple panels of the six issues. The next mini does look promising. I am looking forward to rereading the series without any expectations. It was beautifully illustrated (JSA Liberty Files: The Whistling Skull #6)

Is it just me or has Black Canary seemed like a bit of a wimp in her last few appearances. Remember when she was flying with her sonic scream? (Birds of Prey #20)

Did you spot anything interesting this week?

While reading a post on Crisis on Earth Prime I realized I...

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:03:00 -0400

While reading a post on Crisis on Earth Prime I realized I missed some coverage of C2E2. During DC’s New 52 Panel, the Freedom Fighters and Earth 2 came up. Here is what was said.

Harras said there are no plans for “Freedom Fighters” at present. “That would have to be a little further down the line.”

I kind of wish that the characters from the Freedom Fighters were placed on Earth 2. They seem to work so much better with the JSA related characters than the main DCU. Well, who knows, the Freedom Fighters have a history of earth jumping.

Asked about a new Superman-esque character for “Earth 2,” Harras said there are plans for that series that “may have ripple effects for other worlds, as well.”

This to me still points to the new Earth 2 Batman having something to do with Crime Syndicate. But because I feel so strongly about it I think I am probably wrong. However I would like to see Iron Monroe pop up in the place that use to be Metropolis, maybe in Superboy t-shirt or a Death of Superman t-shirt.

Along with a page from Wonder Woman: Earth One ZAP 2 it has page...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:44:15 -0400

Along with a page from Wonder Woman: Earth One ZAP 2 it has page from the “Thunderworld” issue of Multiversity written by Grant Morrison with art by Cameron Stewart.

I have to say I am looking forward to reading this issue and the Freedom Fighters issue the most.

I came across an interview Geekscape did with James Robinson...

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:11 -0400

I came across an interview Geekscape did with James Robinson back in April on DC Cosmic Teams. It’s a short interview but quite interesting. Here is what part of what he had to say about Fury.

Robinson-Yes you will, and you’ll see them both in general stuff as you see the world taking shape, because I’m still building the world every issue. You’ll also see it very specifically with Fury and her backstory, and who her father is… that will blow your mind when you find out who her father is.

Geekscape-Does she even have a father?

Robinson-She has a father. She wasn’t sculpted out of clay.

Geekscape-Now was your Wonder Woman sculpted out of clay? (the main Earth’s Wonder Woman was changed from being sculpted from clay to the daughter of Zeus as part of the New 52 reboot)

Robinson-I believe so. I wanted to keep that part of the mythos alive, but with her daughter Fury there is a whole back story and a whole drama about who her father is, and it ties in to the whole more feminist culture and everything, so just bear with me.

The interview also goes into what James thinks about the Spectre and how he could possibly use him.

August Solicits

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:38:33 -0400

EARTH 2 #15
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by NICOLA SCOTT and TREVOR SCOTT
Cover by JUAN DOE
1:25 B&W Variant cover by JUAN DOE
On sale AUGUST 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Dr. Fate, Red Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern and The Atom all fall victim to the Hunger Dogs of Apokolips as the war against the forces of Steppenwolf continues!

WORLDS’ FINEST #15
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
On sale AUGUST 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Power Girl and Huntress find that a major player from Apokolips is stuck on Earth just like they are! How will their next move affect Earth 2?

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #3
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEE
1:25 Variant cover by PATRICK GLEASON
1:100 B&W Variant by JAE LEE
On sale AUGUST 7 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
It’s a showdown that could shatter two worlds when Batman and Superman battle the Superman and Batman of Earth 2!

EARTH 2 VOL. 2: THE TOWER OF FATE HC
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by NICOLA SCOTT, TREVOR SCOTT, EDUARDO PANSICA, YILDIRAY CINAR and TOMAS GIORELLO
Cover by NICOLA SCOTT and TREVOR SCOTT
On sale OCTOBER 2 • 176 pg, FC, $24.99 US
In these stories from EARTH 2 #0 and 7-12 and a story from DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #0, the World Army has begun rounding up the Super Heroes of Earth 2, but for what dark purpose? In an attempt to avoid capture, Dr. Fate and Kid Flash find themselves in the powerful magical realm of Nabu, and Wotan, the protector of Nabu, seeks Dr. Fate’s assistance in obtaining a secret locked deep within a tower…
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

BIRDS OF PREY #23
Written by CHRISTY MARX
Art by ROMANO MOLENAAR and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by RICKEN
On sale AUGUST 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Birds are locked in combat with Basilisk when Black Canary learns a devastating truth!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7
Written by GEOFF JOHNS and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:25 Variant cover by MIKEL JANIN
1:00 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
“We Can Be Heroes” Blank variant cover available
On sale AUGUST 14 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with five covers. Please see the order form for more information.
TRINITY WAR CHAPTER 4! The hunt for a murder suspect leads Superman and his new teammates to the secret behind the Secret Society, while Batman finds the key to the crime—and one of the Leaguers will be forever changed by it. Plus, who is the Secret Society of Super-Villains and what are their plans for Pandora?
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by MIKEL JANIN
Cover by DOUG MANHKE
1:25 Variant cover by MIKAL JANIN
1:100 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
On sale AUGUST 21 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
TRINITY WAR CHAPTER 5! The Justice Leagues continues to fracture as the murder of a hero is solved—and the line between justice and vengeance blurs as they head off to find those responsible!

JUSTICE LEAGUE #23
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:25 Variant cover by MIKAL JANIN
1:00 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
On sale AUGUST 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
TRINITY WAR CHAPTER 6! Trinity War concludes! But that doesn’t mean all ends well for our heroes. The secret behind Pandora’s Box is revealed and it means the end of the Justice Leagues!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

DC COMICS—SUPER-VILLAINS BLACK ADAM ACTION FIGURE
The DC COMICS—THE NEW 52 look of Super-Villain Black Adam featured in the SHAZAM! bonus stories from the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE is perfectly captured in this action figure based on the designs of comics superstar Gary Frank.
* Action Figure * $24.95 US • On Sale November 2013
*Allocations May Occur

Ain’t it Cool News has a preview of Birds of Prey #20...

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:53:44 -0400

Ain’t it Cool News has a preview of Birds of Prey #20 written by Christy Marx, with art by Romano Molenaar and Jonathan Glapton.

Thoughts on Wednesday's Books

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:06:36 -0400

It looks like Stargirl’s cosmic rod is no longer golden nor a cosmic rod. Way back in Justice League of America #1 I noticed the change in name. It made sense, most people chuckled at the term cosmic rod, but I didn’t notice the color change until this issue. At first I thought it was coloring error because there have been a few in the series.

Stargirl’s mask was miss-colored as red twice in issue #1.

Martian Manhunter was colored as a the Batman robot in issue #3 (unless I was missing something and he was trying to look that way.

But in every appearance except the front cover of issue #1 the cosmic staff has been colored as silver.

I’m not sure about the color change. I always liked the gold. What are your thoughts on the name and color change? Read anything good this week?

Comic Vine has a preview of Supergirl #20 featuring Power Girl...

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:08:07 -0400

Comic Vine has a preview of Supergirl #20 featuring Power Girl written by Michael Alan Nelson, with art by Mahmud Asrar, and a cover by Emanuela Lupacchino.

ManCave Daily has a preview of the last issue of the mini-series...

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:03:50 -0400

ManCave Daily has a preview of the last issue of the mini-series JSA Liberty Files: The Whistling Skull by B. Clay Moore and Tony Harris.

Comic Vine has an interview with Greg Pak about the upcoming...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:32:00 -0400

Comic Vine has an interview with Greg Pak about the upcoming Batman/Superman series. He talks about the two heroes venturing to Earth 2 and meeting their counterparts.

CV: The solicit for issue 2 mentions them going to Earth 2. Is it an easy adjustment for them, knowing about the existence of another Earth?

GP: It’s going to blow their little minds. [laughs] The exciting thing about it is that they are going to end up, as the cover to issue 2 implies, face to face with Earth 2’s version of Superman and Batman. It’s a really interesting set of opportunities, conflicts and challenges because we’ve got our world Superman and Batman, who at this stage are young and raw and their coming face to face with Earth 2’s version. They are both older and established. They’re both incredibly good at their job, they like what they’re doing and their best friends. There’s great challenges that the characters will face that’s a ton of fun to write.

CV: Will there be any repercussions or mentions later in either Earth 2 or Justice League over this trip?

GP: All I’ll say is, all will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Comic Vine’s Sarah Lima asks what Worlds’ Finest...

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:31:08 -0400

Comic Vine’s Sarah Lima asks what Worlds’ Finest needs to make the series more of a consistent good read?

CBR has a preview of Team 7 #8 written by Justin Jordan and Tony...

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:56:00 -0400

CBR has a preview of Team 7 #8 written by Justin Jordan and Tony Bedard and art by Jesus Merino. This is the final issue of the series.

Thoughts on Wednesday's Books

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:36:00 -0400

Though she has been present before, Earth 2 #12 gives us our first look at Lee Travis. If she becomes the Crimson Avenger it will be a slow burn. As always this book is great.

Worlds’ Finest #12 seems pretty much same as usual except New 52 Desaad is as creepy on the outside as he is on the inside.

IGN has a preview of Justice League of America #3 written by...

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:35:48 -0400

IGN has a preview of Justice League of America #3 written by Geoff Johns, with art by David Finch and Richard Friend.

CBR talked with Jeff Lemire about the upcoming Justice League...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:01:41 -0400

CBR talked with Jeff Lemire about the upcoming Justice League cross-over Trinity War. Here is what he had to say about the interaction between the Justice League teams.

“Justice League Dark” has always been on the outskirts of the Justice League corner of the DCU by dint of them being magic-based. How would you describe the Justice Leagues, plural, relationships to each other?

[Laughs] Well, it’s going to shift dramatically over the course of the story, but at the beginning, we kind of know the Justice League as the world’s greatest superheroes. We know that at this point, the Justice League Of America was created as a foil to them. Really, the wild card in the whole thing is the Dark team and what the hell they’re doing. Without spoiling anything, one of the major Justice League characters goes to the Justice League Dark team seeking help because of their connection to magic, and that kind of sparks all kinds of new problems for all three teams.

It is really fun to write those Dark characters interacting with the major Justice League characters. Frankenstein is a lot of fun, for instance; we’re having a lot of fun writing Frankenstein and Star Girl together! These weird mixes of characters is really fun.

DC Comics has a sneak peak at the Earth 2 Annual #1.

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:45 -0400

DC Comics has a sneak peak at the Earth 2 Annual #1.

ManCave Daily has a preview of Ame-Comi Girls #3 featuring Jade....

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:18:47 -0400

ManCave Daily has a preview of Ame-Comi Girls #3 featuring Jade. This issue is written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with art by Santi Casas, and a cover by Sanford Greene.

Comic Vine has a preview of Earth 2 #12 written by James...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:11:23 -0400

Comic Vine has a preview of Earth 2 #12 written by James Robinson, with art by Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott, and a cover by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.