Earth 2 #18

By Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott

The second issue of Tom Taylor’s stint on Earth 2 picks up right where issue 17 left off. Although the parallels to Injustice are definitely there, Taylor uses his second issue to paint Earth 2 more in his image and offers new and interesting takes on some fan favorite characters.

Issue 18 picks up right after the previous one, with a resurrected, evil Superman decimating the World Army. This is well trodden ground so these sections of the issue fall a bit flat and aren’t as terrifying as they have been in the past. Where the issue does work is the scenes with the new Batman. Taylor has managed to make the Earth 2 Batman a complete mystery and a wildcard.

The spins on the newly introduced characters from the stasis pods are fresh and fun. Taylor was a great choice to take over this book; He has creative and clever spins on characters that often don’t see a lot of face time and takes them to the big leagues.

Nicola Scott continues to do great work on this book. Keeping the art consistent, when there was a change in writers, really helped keep the book’s momentum. The quick chase scene between Flash and Superman is fast paced and a fun change of scenery. The moments in the stasis chamber also lend a lot of great emotion to Batman and his new rag-tag crew.

If you can get over the fact that this series has a storyline fairly similar to Injustice then you will find a lot to enjoy. The art by Scott continues to be stellar and Taylor manages to make these alternate world stories his own personal sandbox. If you want some unique spins on old characters then check this book out.