"Welcome to Earth-2"

It looks like it's official:
Earth-2 is back!

(Click on the image to the left for a larger view)

I've been dying to talk about this since it broke last week, but considering I was up to my eyeballs in Fortress of Solitude stuff, I decided to hold off until now.

Released as an official "teaser image" from DC Comics, this summer's Justice Society of America Annual #1 promises to bring some clarity to the hints and mysteries surrounding the long-lost (yet fondly regarded) cast of "Earth-2" characters. For those of you unfamiliar with who they were and what role they played in DC history, start here for a crash course...but for those who do recognize these shimmering figures (magnificently painted by Alex Ross), I'm guessing you're as ecstatic as I am.

First, I won't bother identifying all the characters, since Newsarama's Troy Brownfield provided a thorough "roll call" here.  Second, let's get the dreary disclaimers out of the way: Yes, I realize these may not be the actual Earth-2 characters I remember.  I also understand how DC's need to generate hype, the vagaries of multiple realities, and fickle editorial whims can create a "mirage" of false assumptions (I fall for it here).  I get the "it might be a trick" and "it's too good to be true" objections. Oh...and yes...I do realize there are many people who don't know about, don't care about, or don't want to hear about older characters or nostalgia of any kind...and to those people I say, "Why in the world are you reading 'Comic Coverage', then?".

There...did I cover all the bases?  Good....then let's get to my thoughts on the teaser image and some of its implications...

1.  The Creative Team: Writer Geoff Johns is, quite simply, the master architect of the modern Justice Society.  Brilliantly straddling the line between nostalgic "legacy" elements and the need to keep things fresh and forward-looking, Johns has almost single-handedly brought the JSA back from the brink of irrelevance.  It's well known that many factions within DC comics desperately wanted to wash their hands of the Justice Society back in the early 90's...and they nearly succeeded ("Zero Hour" anyone?).  Thankfully, creative optimists like James Robinson, David Goyer, and Geoff Johns pulled the characters off the junk heap, dusted them off, and made them one of DC's top-selling properties.

What more can be said about that fantastic Alex Ross cover?  The guy consistantly keeps pumping out the exact kind of artwork I love looking at:  Noble, cinematic, Olympian, mythic, larger-than-life...however you want to describe it, I'm thrilled he's part of this special project.

Another big favorite of mine is artist Jerry Ordway, who has a long and distinguished history with DC in general and the Earth-2 characters in particular.  In fact, some of his first professional work was inking Rich Buckler on All-Star Squadron, which chronicled the wartime adventures of Earth-2's pantheon of characters. Ordway soon became the primary All-Star artist, and later the co-creator of Infinity, Inc., a team composed  of the JSA's offspring and protégés.

With solid pros like these guys on board, how can you go wrong?

2. The JSA of the mid-80's era: Although it's been hinted at for awhile now that an alternate Justice Society was poised to appear (most prominently in Justice League #0 and 52, week #52), I had no idea that such a specifically "bracketed" group of characters would be featured.  Judging from the Ross painting, the JSA characters look to be of mid-80s' vintage...which was right about the time the Earth-2 concept was dismantled by Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 12-issue series that dramatically simplified and streamlined DC's notoriously unwieldy continuity.  Oddly enough, the character named Powergirl (front and center in Ross's painting) was kept around, while all of her Earth-2 friends were wiped from existence.  Two of these lost friends were the adult Robin and the Huntress (daughter of that world's Batman), which are the very two people greeting Powergirl in the painting!

Even more intriguing is who's NOT in the picture.  Curiously absent from the gathered JSA members is their (presumed) versions of the Flash, Green Lantern, Wildcat, and Wonder Woman...who are all prominent members of "our" JSA.  What this means is anyone's guess.  Adding to the cover's mystery is this single panel taken from the concluding issue of 52 (2007):

With the setting clearly labeled as "Earth-2", it's easy to spot alternate versions of Green Lantern (standing next to his green-skinned daughter Jade) and the Flash (behind Robin)...as well as an older-looking Wonder Woman (and Superman in the newspaper photo).  If this is the same Earth-2 as the one in the upcoming JSA Annual, it looks like the members in question do exist in this reality.  Or do they?  We'll have to wait and see.

3. Infinity, Inc.: Seeing the 1983-84 version of what was essentially the "Earth-2 Teen Titans" was quite a pleasant surprise, especially since so many of their counterparts in "regular" DC continuity have had such a troubled history (or are dead). Will we see a world untouched by the Crisis, where these characters lived on and developed in markedly different ways?  I can't wait to find out.

4. Mass-Migration? What will this development mean long-term for the "regular" DC universe?  Will Power Girl migrate back to her "home" on Earth-2...or will she stay with "our" JSA (which she currently leads, by the way).  Will other somewhat "redundant" heroes move to Earth-2....or heroes who deserve a higher profile (like the Marvel Family)?

5. New Titles?  I know...it's incredibly premature to be bringing this up...but could this lead to some new titles set on Earth-2?  If they could publish ongoing titles set on an alternate Earth in the past (such as All-Star Squadron), why couldn't they now?  I mean, we fancy ourselves as so much more "sophisticated" than the fans of old....so I don't think a series set on a new Earth-2 would be too much of a brain-buster, do you?  Complicating the picture is the fact that DC is currently publishing a low profile "Infinity, Inc." title that has nothing to do with the Earth-2 incarnation of the team...but who's to say they're still called "Infinity, Inc." on the new Earth-2?  Maybe they're all members of that world's Justice Society (with most of its older members departed from the scene).

6. An Uneducated Guess:  At this point I have no clue where all of this is going to end up...and with yet another Crisis breathing down our necks (2008's Final Crisis), all bets are off when it comes to any Multiple Earths storyline.  That said, my guess is that Earth-2 will indeed stick around and provide an alternative setting for DC's current (and very crowded) single Earth model. As I mentioned earlier, there are certain characters and character groupings that could benefit from such a setting. The interplay between these two major settings could be a good thing if it's done right, opening up new storytelling possibilities by giving DC a larger, more epic "canvas" to work with.  Also, why did DC go through this exercise of alternate earths and Crisis sequels if they were only going to return to a single Earth model?  It seems like alot of messing around to just return to the status quo...so the weight of that logic points to at least one of these alternate realities enjoying a more prominent role when the dust settles.

Obviously, the teaser image worked its voodoo on me.  The strength of the creators involved points to a memorable story no matter what the ultimate outcome is...but wrapped up in that very basic expectation are my hopes for a more expansive, dynamic DC multiverse.  I'd be lying if I said there wasn't an element of nostalgia coloring those hopes, but there's also a real desire to see DC forge new paths into the future using the full width and breadth of their proud legacy. As they've proven over the past few years, even their most obscure characters have a story to tell...all they needed was for someone to give them a chance to tell it. 

That's all I ask for the heroes of Earth-2.

Comments

[stephen]

I ascertain from the tease image that this is going to be a story about power girl. i Hope power girl migrates back to earth-2 where she can be a vital and significant character.

[Captain Average]

This is so exciting to me!
I hope that the JSA continues to function on New Earth, with their mission of being a moral compass for all heroes.However, it's hard to picture a JSA without Jay,Alan,and Ted, so would one group do without, or would there be duplicates?Hmm.And a line of comics based on the New Earth-2 would surely get attention from me.

[Siskoid]

I totally agree on Ordway and the All-Star Squadron. For all its faults, I still loved that series. I'm a huge fan of Golden Age heroes and era.

[Mark Engblom]

"i Hope power girl migrates back to earth-2 where she can be a vital and significant character."

Well, in the defense of Geoff Johns, he's done a good job of making Power Girl into a decent character...and not just a huge bust with a cape. But there is a real "pull" for her toward Earth-2, and I think the character could really thrive there.

"However, it's hard to picture a JSA without Jay,Alan,and Ted, so would one group do without, or would there be duplicates?Hmm.And a line of comics based on the New Earth-2 would surely get attention from me."

Well, I suppose if they had some interesting "altered" versions of Jay, Alan, and Ted (as the black-uniformed Flash in that single panel shot implies), it could be a fun direction to pursue. Admittedly it gets a little crowded, but again....with strong creators running with this stuff, it could be one heck of a ride. That's key.

"I'm a huge fan of Golden Age heroes and era."

With the success of stuff like "The Twelve" and "Super Powers", in addition to the ongoing success of the JSA, I'm hoping there will be even more Golden Age fans. While the style of Golden Age stories no longer connects with a modern audience, Geoff Johns and others have proven that the characters are still of some value.

[suedenim]

As much a fan of Earth-2 as I have been, I kind of wonder what the *point* of reintroducing Earth-2 is. Seems to me that, aside from Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman - and two of those are already dead on Earth-2, anyhow - most all the good stuff has been seamlessly integrated into New Earth. And while I think Johns' take on Power Girl is great, the "last survivor of Earth-2" part loses some of its poignancy if Earth-2's still there.

But I'm sure they're well aware of all that, and I'm curious to see where this is going.

[Kyle]

Earth-2 and the Infinity Inc'ers are coming back?!? Darn it, Mark, you're just bound and determined to get me started buying comic books again, aren't you!

[Wes C]

I agree with Kyle.

I haven't bought a comic off the shelf in years, but I'll be picking that one up!

[Mark Engblom]

Hey, good to hear you guys are tempted to pick this one up. The fact that it's an Annual should mean that it'll be fairly accessible to people not following the monthly JSA title. Well....as accessible as a story about multiple earths can BE, that is. One of Geoff Johns' strengths is getting people into his stories quickly...so you'll be in good hands if you decide to pick it up. Trouble is, you'll have to wait a little while: it doesn't come out until this summer.

[Joe Lewallen]

Count me in. From the guy who rescued Hawkman and Hal Jordan from 1990's continuity hell, I'll buy anything Geoff Johns writes. I limit my self to collections these days, but I will be making an exception here.

Any word on the format? Will it be like JUSTICE where Ross paints over someone else's pencils? I feel warm and fuzzy looking at the Earth 2 Robin and Huntress welcoming Power Girl. Johns, Ross and Ordway: Failure is not an option.

[Mark Engblom]

My guess is that Alex Ross will be doing the cover only....although since he's been helping plot the ongoing ""Thy Kingdom Come" storyline, maybe he'll have a plotting credit for the Annual as well.

As cool as it would be to see Ross's painting over Ordway's pencils, I'm pretty sure Ordway has the interiors all to himself (no word who the inker might be...so maybe Ordway will be inking it as well).

I sure don't want to get my hopes up too high (since DC's dropped the ball so many times in the past), but it's certain to be a memorable story whatever the outcome.