Review: Earth 2 Vol. 5- The Kryptonian

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline has a well-executed progression that generates a lot of tension and excitement. The collection’s conclusion feels very satisfying and helps set up the next story arc. The artwork is as gorgeous as ever.

Cons: The Futures End tie-in is rather weak.

Overall: The quality of the Earth 2 series maintains its consistency with another successful volume. This collection has bold moments of action, frightening moments of suspense, and genuinely thrilling moments where all of the comic’s hard work comes to a head. Though each of these moments stands well on its own, the way in which they are played off one another is what truly makes this such an engaging reading experience. Anyone who has enjoyed the series thus far is sure to enjoy this volume.

Story

Earth 2 Vol. 5: The Kryptonian, by Tom Taylor, is another highly entertaining entry in the Earth 2 series. It continues the thrilling war between the Wonders of Earth 2 and the villainous forces of Apokolips. Within this volume, the tides of the war are tightly managed, in a way that generates tons of excitement as they ebb and flow. This creates a volume where wonderful moments of tension are followed by satisfying moments of release. The end result is a highly entertaining volume that is sure to keep readers engaged throughout the experience.

(spoilers start here)

The Kryptonian start outs with a few bold and exciting moments. The World Army is in total retreat, the world’s Wonders have gone into hiding, and the villains are at the height of their power. Witnessing Superman beat the Atom with his own disembodied arm and seeing him destroy a refugee ship set to leave Earth’s orbit are moments that really drive home how hopeless the heroes’ situation appears to be.

With the heroes teetering on the verge of defeat, tensions are at their absolute highest. Writer Tom Taylor capitalizes on this tension and draws it out through some great encounters. This includes the near-death of Val-Zod at the hands of the enemy and a close call upon the Batcave’s evacuation. However, the most memorable scene here happens when the evil Superman returns to Smallville with Lois. Watching him sit down for dinner with people he could destroy upon the slightest provocation is incredibly frightening and feels like the crystallization of everything this portion of the book has been about.

From the villains’ near victory, the story then shifts and goes on to initiate one of the most exciting comebacks this series has seen thus far. The Wonders rally on Amazonia and launch an offensive that actually ends up being successful. Watching the good guys win is a tremendously satisfying experience, especially after seeing them fail so often over the last four volumes. Their inability to achieve total victory also keeps the door open for the next story arc and ensures that there is more drama to come in the future of Earth 2.

The Kryptonian closes with a Futures End tie-in that feels a bit underwhelming, especially within the context of this collection. It peeks into a dystopian future where refugees from Earth 2 are treated like hostile forces on Prime Earth. The doom and gloom here simply ends up feeling like overkill in a series that has already seen more than its fair share of depression.

(spoilers end here)

Art

In The Kryptonian, Nicola Scott continues to provide fantastic artwork for the Earth 2 series. The character and interactions that inhabit this collection have a level of detail that helps bring them to life. This allows the action to stand out in a dynamic and exciting way. It also allows tense and emotional moments, like those that surround the evil Superman, to have a greater sense of weight and importance. Overall, this is another visually impressive entry in the Earth 2 series.

Continuity

Earth 2 Vol. 5: The Kryptonian continues the story from Earth 2 Vol. 4: The Dark Age (Review).

The story here continues in Earth 2: World’s End Vol. 1 (Review). Other story elements continue in Earth 2 Vol. 6: Collision (Review).

This volume also makes a reference to another comic book, detailed below:

• The final chapter in this collection is a tie-in to the Futures End (Review) (Reading Order) event.