Earth 2 has fallen to the evil Superman while the Marvel Superheroes deal with the aftermath of Infinity and the explosion of Attilan. Quantum finds himself in deep as he takes an assignment for the government, and Annikin and Luke fight to get the Princess and her brothers off of Aquilae.
With a Dark Horse, a Valiant, a Marvel, and a DC there was a lot of variety this week. The only problem is that it was a rather ho-hum week. Though most issues were positive (even just average positive), there were no stand-outs that wowed me. If I had to pick a “must read”, I’d encourage people to give Earth 2 a chance.
Reviewed this week: Earth 2 #18, Inhumanity #1, Quantum and Woody (2) #6, and The Star Wars #4
Earth 2 #18
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Nicola Scott
Date: February 2014
Title: “The Dark Age” Part 2
Earth 2 #18
Earth has fallen again. Superman has returned and unleashed the hordes of Apokolips that many believed had been stopped by his sacrifice. Now Superman appears to be after someone else and the Wonders may not be able to stop him. Meanwhile, Batman, Red Tornado, and Major Sato enter the cryogenic chambers to free people…who are Aquawoman and Accountable and what does Batman want with the Joker?
I was worried when I learned Robinson was leaving Earth 2. It was a strange comic which was almost like an Elseworlds combined with something like Watchmen…dark and different than the standard “52” DC Universe. Fortunately, Taylor has proven to be a good replacement.
I do like this comic. The stories are different and twisted and since you know it is a continuing series, it isn’t like it’s “all a dream” like many Elseworld or alternate reality stories (Flashpoint would be a good example of one you knew was going to end).
It is backed-up with strong are and interesting character designs. I look forward to seeing new characters introduced to the Earth-2 lexicon just to see what they look like and how they are changed.
Earth 2 remains a bright spot in the New 52 relaunch. I like that they are trying something different with it while still feeling like a real DC comic. I look forward to seeing where this “Dark Age” storyline goes and hope that Superman and the other big heroes aren’t simply brought back at the end.
Inhumanity #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Olivier Coipel
Date: February 2014
Title: —
Inhumanity #1
Attilan has fallen and Terrigen Gas has been released into the atmosphere. As new sleeper Inhumans enter a pupa stage, Karnak searches for clues as to why this occurred. Captured by the Avengers, Karnak tells the Avengers and Medusa how the destruction of Attilan was planned by Maximus and Black Bolt and what it could mean for the future of humanity. Karnak’s power is the ability to find faults…and unfortunately he’s found a fatal one.
Written by Matt Fraction, Inhumanity #1 spins out of the Infinity series. I have to say I didn’t like Infinity (it felt like I was reading half of a series instead of a complete tale…a big gripe of mine). I have always been an Inhumans fan and couldn’t resist Inhumanity.
I was pleasantly surprised by Inhumanity. I while I did have problems following Infinity, I think Inhumanity cleared some stuff up. I was a Karnak fan and love solo Inhuman stories (especially when they have to interact with regular Marvel heroes as solo characters). I do hope that the end of the issue might have some hope (I won’t spoil it).
The only problem I see with Inhumanity is a problem with how it is being released. Instead of just being able to follow Inhumanity, Inhumanity: Medusa #1. I don’t intend to get Inhumanity: Medusa but I do want to know what is going on…I definitely don’t plan to pick up the other crossovers in Inhumanity: The Awakening, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Indestructible Hulk, Avengers Assemble, Uncanny X-Men, and Avengers A.I. That is simply asking too much of readers both with time and money.
Inhumanity has hope…I will get Inhumanity #2, but if I pick it up and don’t understand what is going on due to all this crossover stuff, I might drop it then. Make a solid series and don’t worry about cross marketing. Companies like Image are proving that. It will attract more readers and make them more interested in picking up other books…don’t strain the reader until you have the reader hooked (and I still say don’t strain the reader).
Quantum & Woody (2) #6
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: James Asmus
Artist: Ming Doyle
Date: December 2013
Title: —
Quantum & Woody (2) #6
Eric’s superpowers have landed him a promotion at work. Asked to infiltrate a separatist compound in Montana, Eric thinks he’s doing it for the good of the country…but his boss Magnum has other plans. Woody find himself tagging along and learns he might have to rescue Eric. 69 deals with nosy neighbors and debates killing them.
Quantum & Woody continues to be a fun but goofy title. The comic is often a bit too “on”, but I’m coming to expect that from it now that we are in the second storyline.
The last issue of Quantum and Woody didn’t have a lot going on…it is obvious now that it was set up for this issue which has a lot going on. I realize that for the sake of money, that comics have to be written for graphic novel collections, but I do wish it was a little more balanced for month-to-month readers (this is more of a general criticism than a criticism of this comic).
I don’t know that I love Doyle’s art. It isn’t bad, but there is a hint of Steve Dillon’s Preacher to it…and I didn’t like that comic’s style. It isn’t a complete waste however because there are also moments of Michael Allred who I do love…I wish she’d lean more to the Allred than the Dillon.
Quantum and Woody is a fringe book for me. I keep getting it, but I’m not exactly sure why. I feel in the Valiant world, my humor is covered by the smartly written Archer & Armstrong which has a similar tone but is less in your face about it (plus the action is much better). Quantum & Woody has a unique tone to comic books (adult but not completely lewd), and I think with some tweaking it could be really good…I hope it makes it there.
The Star Wars #4
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: J.W. Rinzler
Artist: Mike Mayhew
Date: December 2013
Title: —
The Star Wars #3
Getting to Gordon Spaceport is proving more difficult than planned as the Empire increases their patrols in search of Princess Leia and her brothers. Annikin and Luke must find their contact Han Solo if they have any hope of getting off the planet…getting off the planet, however, might cost one of the group their life!
The Star Wars continues to prove to be an interesting title. The comic is primarily for fans of the movie who want to see “what could have been” and realize that it wasn’t that good before rewrites.
A lot of the comic here does have some interesting comparisons. The biggest switch of course is that the debonair Han Solo is a green monster…plus, you get some guy named Whitsun hanging out with Princess Leia, the twins (who are her brothers), Annikin Starkiller, and Luke. It is all quite interesting, but I can’t imagine a casual Star Wars fan enjoying it.
I do like the artists for the series. The first couple issues were rough since it was a bit hard to distinguish some of the characters, but now that they are familiar, it is easier to follow the story. I do however wish that Vader and Valorum were either more involved or cut from this portion of the story since their small cameo are a bit of a distracting way to remind people that they are part of the story.
I recommend reading The Star Wars, but with a weird flow, this is probably one of those series that will benefit from a collection more. I don’t know how deep Lucas went into the original story after Star Wars IV: A New Hope, but it would be interesting to see more interpretations after this series is over.
Preceded By:
This Week in Comics—November 27, 2013
https://basementrejects.com/latest-news/week-comics-november-27-2013/
Followed By:
This Week in Comics—December 11, 2013
https://basementrejects.com/latest-news/this-week-in-comics-december-11-2013/
