Written by Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson, & Cullen Bunn
Art by Scott McDaniel, Robson Rocha & Guillermo Ortego, Eduardo Pansica & Dan Green, Jorge Jimenez
Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Published by DC Comics
Like a weekly root canal, it’s time to endure Earth 2: World’s End again. At least there’s solace that this defilement of this once great universe will soon end. What is truly making this final stretch of World’s End appalling is how little is happening. The last twenty two issues have featured their cast effectively spinning their wheels in the mud and one would assume that’s to kill time, both to justify this book’s status as a weekly and to build up to a great planet shattering climax. As previously stated, the end of the world is shockingly dull.
It’s mighty impressive how much a comic can make something as horrific as the apocalypse feel inconsequential. The last issue of the Earth 2 main title which this one succeeds has not influence impact on the events of this story, if it can be called that. The only big changes in this entry is that Big Barda shifts sides, again, this time in rejection to Apokolips and the Superman family/Green Lantern battle in the stratosphere might amount to a resemblance of catharsis next issue. The relationship between Helena and Thomas Wayne takes on a new level as Huntress tries to convince her jaded grandfather to trust her other family. That being said, nothing else all that interesting happens. Terry Sloane and Mr. Terrific continue to bicker with each other as Sandman and Fury just sit awkwardly in the corner wondering if they’ll get any lines of dialogue this week only to be disappointed.
What’s to say about this series art that haven’s already been said? Not much, that’s for sure. The best there is to talk about is that at least this issue has only five pencilers and inkers on board, something that can only be said once in a blue moon. The artwork isn’t necessarily bad though it retains the same rushed, sloppy nature that it’s had since day one. The read eyesores are the pages done by Jorge Jimenez. He’s the mastermind behind the hideous Dick Grayson segments and unfortunately he’s to be the regular artist for Earth 2’s characters post-Convergence with the ongoing Earth 2: Society. His work is sloppy, and ugly to look at. The comparison that’s been used before and continues to be applicable is that his people look like action figures that have been left in the sun for too long. It’s really a testamount to how far this series has sunken from the great pencils of the great Nicola Scott to this. None of this is helped by Andrew Dalhouse’s coloring which is far too dependent on gaudy shades of red.
Earth 2: World’s End continues to disappoint in new depressing ways. For all of the buildup, all of the characters, the very end of civilization as this world knows it, it’s amazingly boring. Few to no characters have undergone any interesting arcs; the art has failed to improve on any level; character motivation changes with the wind; and to top it all off it’s not even building to anything interesting. At least it will all be over in a few weeks.