Earth 2 #14 Review

There’s a moment in this issue where Green Lantern says, “This is war, Flash. War! Remember that.” and it actually made me laugh, but not in a good way. War has high stakes, tragedy, and sociopolitical ramifications. You don’t just say "it’s war" like The Office’s Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy by shouting it out loud and then going back to his desk. Yes, there has been some buildup, but you’d be hard pressed to say what each main character has at stake. And yes, there’s a few lines about Green Lantern using his news outlet to sway public opinion, but it only serves to point out how severely underdeveloped the element of public perception has been in this series.

Despite any complications with the narrative, Nicola Scott makes it all look pretty gorgeous. There are some big action scenes that look all sorts of amazing with Green Lantern, Flash, and Doctor Fate engaging in a dazzling battle against the enemy. Scott is as good as it gets when it comes to showing fantastical superhero battles, which makes it all the more disappointing that the story doesn’t match in quality to the art.

The concept of Earth 2 has never been bad, and I’ve truly wanted to enjoy it. A gay Green Lantern and a world of Wonders and a grim war against Apokolips? I’m totally there. I live for that stuff. But the start-stop plot, the cumbersome dialogue, and the unexplored overarching themes all weigh it down so much that I just can’t recommend you invest your time or money in it.

Joshua writes for IGN. If Pokemon, Game of Thrones, or Green Lantern are frequently used words in your vocabulary, then you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.

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