Written by Tom Taylor
Pencils by Nicola Scott, Cover by Andy Kubert
Published by DC Comics
There aren’t many ethnic minority characters in comics, so there is something heartening about seeing Val-Zod, a person with dark skin, sporting a symbol as important to comics as that of the House of El. In the nightmare world of Earth 2, where the world’s greatest heroes are no more and the best of them has been corrupted by Darkseid, this young boy may be the best hope that world has.
Issue 25 has these alternative versions of comic mainstays fighting a desperate battle to save humanity. Tom Taylor’s writing is taut and humorous, and he gives us a moment of rage that Superman will no doubt deeply regret when/if he is ever freed. Nicola Scott’s pencils are crisp, and when combined with Taylor’s colours (it’s his book — he can do both if he wants), the art reaches what can only be considered “industry standard”.
For those who are picking this book up late or aren’t as well-versed in comic-lore, Earth 2 may be a difficult title to get into. However, the final panel alone, where a scared young boy squares up to the Man of Steel himself at the same moment Green Lantern is struggling valiantly to pull the planet back from the brink…now that is a cliff-hanger worth coming back for.
– Christopher Smith