Earth 2, Volume 1: The Gathering

This New 52 title does a nice job of exploring cool new ways of introducing us to our favorite DC supers. Set in an “alternate” DC universe, five years after Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and others have been killed in the Apokolips War, a handful of new supers arises to deal with an even greater threat. The entity known as the Grey and his agent, Solomon Grundy, are endeavoring to drain all life from the planet, with only Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, the Atom, and the Flash to stop them. With the excellent line work of Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey, Superman) and the rich color palette of Trevor Scott (Stormwatch, The Authority), the visual is engaging whether the action is muted or full-throttle. What is so enjoyable, though, are the ingenious origins that Robinson designs for Green Lantern and the Flash, and the characters’ own efforts to understand what they have become and how they can save the world. Any origins story like this one will have its awkward moments but Robinson is really good at not lingering in these moments, making this a promising start to the series. (Mar.)