The DC Comics universe has been an extremely busy place the last few years.
After rebooting the whole thing with the "New 52" initiative, and then allowing the writers and artists to play in these new playgrounds for a while, the Future's End saga feels like DC is finally taking off the kid gloves. It's time to get messy, to rain down fire and brimstone, and go completely over-the-top nuts.
The world of Earth 2 has, from the start, been a fresh, exciting new take on the Justice Society, setting them on another planet and depicting a world where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman gave their lives to end a massive war with Apokolips. Familiar, yet new, versions of superheroes like Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl and Red Tornado have arisen to fill the void "The Trinity" left behind, but with new twists. All in all, it feels a little like DC's version of Marvel's Ultimate universe.
"Future's End" time-jumped Earth 2 to five years in the future, where we're shocked to learn that Earth 2 is gone, a victim of its final battle against Apokolips, and its survivors have fled to the Earth of the regular DC universe. Every piece on the board has been shifted dramatically, some members of the cast are dead, and very little in the way of explanation was given about it all.
Earth 2: World's End is DC's new weekly title that will depict exactly what happened in the war that brought about the end of Earth 2. Will it truly be the end? Might the creative team throw a curve ball and zig when we expect them to zag? We'll find out soon enough.
Earth 2: World's End #1 sets the stage for what's to come. The first half serves as a recap of the monthly title, and it features the return of some long-lost heroes, some surprising team-ups, and the official kick-off to the final war against Apokolips. Very little story actually unfolds since the purpose here is all setup. But as setups go, it's pretty compelling stuff, especially the touching moment that comes from a pair of long-awaited reunions.
Robopocalypse novelist Daniel H. Wilson is at the helm, steering a creative team and writing much of the action himself, with a crew of artists on hand to visualize the story. The art team manages to put together this double-sized first issue with fairly consistent visuals. Sure, there are times when you can tell a different artist has taken up the pencil, but it's never so jarring as to take you out of the story.
Noobs need not apply; despite the lengthy recap, there is virtually nothing here to hang your hat on if you haven't been following Earth 2 for the last year or more.
Story:
★★★½☆
Art:
★★★★☆
Overall:
★★★½☆
