Earth 2 #4 review

Five years ago, soldier Al Pratt was caught in an atomic weaponry experiment. Today, he's the secret hero of Earth 2's World Army and about to go public. The Rot champion, Grundy, is destroying the world's ecosystem and the Atom plans to stop him.

Before he gets to Washington, Hawkgirl and the Flash are on the scene, she attacking Grundy with a laser crossbow, he getting members of the public out of the way. And they're joined by the one Grundy has risen to destroy, the Earth's 'Jade Knight', Green Lantern. But three against one doesn't mean an easy win, as Grundy keeps regenerating from attacks, and two of the new heroes have problems getting the most out of their powers.

When the Atom does parachute into the battle, he's not what longtime readers might have expected - and there's existing bad blood between him and one of the other heroes.

It's all going terribly well. Not for the heroes, obviously, but for readers. With Atom debuting this time, and everyone in the same fight, we're a lot closer to the formation of a Justice Society than we were. The differing personalities are creating sparks, even if some of writer James Robinson's dialogue could benefit from his reading it out loud before committing it to the page. Grundy, for one, is equal parts Rot - dig that maggoty tongue - and exposition machine. So far as the bigger story is concerned, there's a real sense Robinson has things planned out nicely, with characters and plot points ladled out at a satisfying rate. And as with the Atom this time, he always has a surprise or to ready to land.

The cover's implication that we get Hawkgirl's origin proves specious, though we do learn that her name is Kendra and see how handy she is with that space age crossbow. Her sending the less-experienced Flash off to do rescue rather than frontline work comes across as sweetly protective where it could seem patronising, and Jay's reaction suggests a foundation for romance. The all-new Atom is military to his bones. And the determination of Green Lantern is inspiring.

Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott have help with the pencils and inks this issue, with Eduardo Pansica and Sean Parsons swapping in on a few pages. It's difficult to see the join, with the whole book fitting the style laid down by the two Scotts in this series' opening three issues. The heroes look vital, Grundy frightful, while the super-action convinces. The visual for the Atom that debuts here is strong, being distinctively superhero - or, as they say on Earth 2, 'Wonder' - but with military stylings suited to Al Pratt's status as a serving soldier.

It seems appropriate, therefore, that I salute the creative team for another fine issue. Keep 'em flying!