Review: EARTH 2 #26

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EARTH 2 #26
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott, and Pete Pantazas
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: August 6, 2014

The final confrontation between the original Earth 2 Superman and his successor, the pacifist Val-Zod, is here, and everything rests on the younger man being able to stop his namesake — a hero who has stepped far past the point of redemption. Meanwhile, the rest of the remaining Wonders and World Army tackle Darkseid’s forces, and it’s up to Batman to stop the Earth from being moved across space and time into the dark lord’s clutches. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

And it is magnificent.

Tom Taylor had a tough task ahead of him a lifetime ago when picking up the reins on a book like Earth 2. With an entire world to continue building and heroes disorganized amongst themselves, Taylor upped the ante immediately, making Earth 2 a title that could stand as THE monthly event book. But even events must have endings, and this week’s #26 brought us to a very satisfying one indeed.

After such a prolonged battle against Darkseid (which admittedly is far from over), it wouldn’t have been enough for the heroes just to succeed. The manner in which the darkened Superman is defeated by his successor — through peaceful resistance and not actual violence — has not only given readers a new hero to look up to, but redefined Superman for an entire generation. Val-Zod, quite plainly, is a very different Man of Steel than we’ve had over the last 76 years, and not simply for the color of his skin. His core beliefs take the concept of Superman much further than we’ve ever seen in the books, and it reminds me what a world of possibility exists in this alternate universe.

Overall, this issue is practically littered with wonderful moments, from Aquawoman’s defeat of Bedlam (genius) to her allegiance to Batman over all others (he was the man who returned the Queen’s freedom to her). Lois’ moments with her mother-in-law were as touching as her bravado against Superman was daring, and it all adds up to the perfect balance of action and personality that a book with such a large cast of characters needs to maintain its must-read status.

Nicola Scott’s pencils, of course, are a key part of this balance, as her ability to communicate pure emotion and graphically rip through a planet are equally matched. As #26 is her last issue of Earth 2, I am simultaneously devastated by her imminent departure and in awe of what she has accomplished in the course of two years. Scott’s sheer prowess in delivering real looking characters, strong women, a range of ages, and making everyone look so damn heroic is just unparalleled.

A brilliant conclusion to a true roller coaster ride, Earth 2 #26 gives me so much to love and get excited about for the future of the title. Seeing how Taylor weaves into every scenario an elegant solution that leaves things even better than they were before makes waiting for the next issue even harder than ever. Thank you, team, for your hard work, and most of all, thanks for our new Superman. We never knew he was exactly what we wanted (and needed) all along.

The Verdict: 10/10

 

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One Comment;

  1. jpooch said:

    God I love this book. I just hope the weekly and Tom Taylor taking a smaller role as co-writer of this book doesn’t take away from just how special it is. I thought this issue was great.

    Actually I like this series so much that while I thought this was one of the best of the week I was still a bit underwhelmed. That sounds ridiculous because it is. I hope the weekly leads to an even better Earth 2 book. I have my doubts, but I felt the same post Robinson and that worked out more than well!

    BRING ON WORLD’S END

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