The Michael Show Podcast

James Robinson Describes the New 52′s EARTH 2

James Robinson is finally getting to talk about Earth 2, and while he’s not giving much away.

The comic, which Robinson is launching in May with artist Nicola Scott, will tell the story of heroes first emerging on the alternate Earth. It will focus on heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash — but the people wearing those costumes may not be the same as the more familiar heroes on the main DCU Earth.

Robinson revealed that:

• This is a complete reboot of the Earth 2 concept.
• Earth 2 has a “five-year jumping on point like the main DCU Earth” for its superhero story.
• The story of issue #1 begins with a few characters (including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) who are “gripped” in a dire situation. But then an “event” happens, and “out of that conflict,” some familiar faces begin to “take the mantles of superheroes in the future.”
• Jay Garrick is the “everyman” through which readers are introduced to the world of Earth 2. While the name Jay Garrick may be familiar to older DC readers as the elderly Golden Age Flash, in this comic, he’s younger, as seen in our exclusive art for the cover of Earth 2 #2.
• Alan Scott and Al Pratt are also key characters in the story of Earth 2.
• Robinson said: “It isn’t the Justice Society. It’s Earth 2. So it’s going to be a whole world of different characters.”
• The comic also introduces different versions of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, but Robinson said Earth 2 is an “ensemble” book, and doesn’t just focus on the Trinity
• The first issue also includes Helena Wayne as Robin, and Karen Starr as Supergirl, before they somehow end up on the main DCU Earth as Huntress and Power Girl (as seen in the current Huntress mini-series and May’s World’s Finest).
• The differences between the main DCU Earth and Earth 2 are not traceable to one easy explanation (such as, “they lost the war”).
• Fans of Wally West and Donna Troy should not expect to see them on Earth 2, because Robinson said he doesn’t know what the plans are for those characters.
• Although Parademons show up on the first variant cover to Earth 2, don’t expect to see Darkseid
• DC and its writers have a tough time figuring out what to call the main DCU Earth. Robinson originally used terms like “Earth One” and “Earth Prime,” but Newsarama inquired with DC editorial and was told that Robinson should have used “main DCU Earth.” This is the second time a DC writer accidentally used the wrong name for the main DCU Earth in an interview with Newsarama.