As the march of war continues on for the Earth 2 residents, the road too Earth 2: Worlds End looms ever closer. The feeling of this book has the feeling of a blockbuster spectacle, minus the Michael Bay silliness. It’s definitely not the same book when it launched two years ago, but rather it feels more of a natural next step for the characters involved.What started with James Robinson, Tom Taylor has handled the passing of the torch with flying colors. Which leads to the 25th issue of this series, and just when you think this cracked mirror of a universe can’t get any worse, Taylor and Scott find a way.
The issue opens in the most a truly amazing double splash of Green Lantern, Flash, and Hawkgirl, leading a horde of parademons across the Pacific oceans. I want to be elegant with my choice of words here, but I can’t and I’ll simply say that this spread kicks ass. A great way for a new reader to get excited about the book. Great job Nicola Scott.
Switching to the new Superman, Taylor officially gives us his origin story and we learn why he was ashamed of wearing the House of El, symbol. It makes sense due what the current Superman has done with while wearing that symbol. This scene serves as to connect Val with Superman, making sure that the upcoming conflict more personal.
Plus, thanks to this flashback Taylor reveals that in this universe, not only did Superman, Supergirl, and Val escape Krypton along with a fourth ship. Leaving the reader to ponder, perhaps a plot point for another time.
Back to the action with the battle of the Pacific, and just when you thought Nicola Scott couldn’t deliver a more epic double page splash, she does it again with the Queen of Atlantis summoning a huge wave that engulfs all of the parademons. Scott even drew sharks coming out of the wave, and eating some parademons.
That splash serves as the turning point for the heroes, as Flash gets his moment to shine. Flash grabs Beguiler and in his words “pushed her into infinity.” This was the moment where Jay Garrick stepped up and proved he belonged with the rest of the heroes. Yet even after finding out that his new power limit, Jay is still the same old Jay.
Some may not like that and would like some change but I enjoyed that Jay remains the same. He doesn’t let the power corrupt him.
Since I called the book a cracked mirror universe, Taylor shifts the focus back to the most awkward dinner in all of Earth 2 with evil Superman, Red Tornado Lois Lane, and Pa and Ma Kent. Superman’s cheeriness, while in normal circumstances is fine but here it’s a brilliant twist on an age old trope.
It’s like coming home, and you’ve changed as you as person but you don’t it. Well the weirdness quickly ends with Jonathan Kent having enough of the charade, with Superman killing his adoptive father. Take that Man of Steel haters.Which leads to the situation to dissolve quickly with Lois proclaiming that the Clark she knew was long dead.
Nicola Scott’s facial expression for Superman is outright depressing. To see the Man of Steel in this tortured state, while still believing that he is in the right is powerful. Perhaps Clark is still inside somewhere.
Enough with the character building for now, Taylor kicks the ball right into the silver ages court with a portal to Apokolips, filling the sky with Kirby Krackle, The finale for this issue heads into over the top madness, and I can sum it up with Green Lanterns line of “I’m going to hold the world.” Which really says it all. It feels epic in scale, like how a superhero team book should feel like once in a while.
The final page concludes the excellent art from Nicola Scott as they tease the match up of Val and Superman, with Green Lantern holding back the world from being sucked away. While Taylor delivered on the script, the true powerhouse of this issue was Nicola Scott on art. She brought her A++++ game with this one.
Earth 2 #25 earns a 5/5
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