Review: Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1- The Lost Daughters of Earth 2

Quick Summary

Pros: The storyline here is interesting and develops plenty of mystery to be explored later. The main characters are unique and bring a lot to the book. The artwork looks nice throughout the collection.

Cons: The exposition is often mishandled and the book’s main action sequence is unappealing. Great moments from the main characters are a bit rare.

Overall: Though the concept behind this book is great, the narrative here is often lackluster and fails to let the book shine as bright as it could. This is especially disappointing as this book shows a great deal of promise, particularly in some great moments from the main characters and some tantalizing mysteries. The negatives are not plentiful enough to make this a downright bad book but the positives are not plentiful enough to make this a good book either. In the end, this collection still has potential, as long as future volumes are able to capitalize on this potential.

Story

Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1: The Lost Daughters of Earth 2, by Paul Levitz, is a volume with some potential that ends up being rather mediocre. It has unique characters, some interesting backstory, and plenty of mysteries to be explored. However, many of these features are often mishandled and presented in a way that ends up being unappealing. Plus, the volume’s central battle is disappointing. If future volumes improve, this series could be something to watch out for; however, as of this volume, it is still pretty mediocre.

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About half of The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 is dedicated to exposition. Readers learn about the two main characters’ past and what they have been doing recently. In some places, this exposition is exciting and even emotional, such as the duo’s first meeting. However, in other places, this exposition feels repetitive as it always centers around a familiar conversation. All in all, these portions of the book aren’t necessarily bad, they simply don’t add much.

The other half of The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 is spent detailing a battle currently being waged in the present. This battle has a radiation-powered man attacking a variety of high-profile targets, putting him in direct conflict with the collection’s heroes. Unfortunately, their battle with this villain is pretty uninspired and remains unappealing throughout. It also drags on far longer than necessary and receives a rather strange resolution, wherein Huntress defeats the monster by using a tactic that had escalated the situation earlier.

The biggest positive found throughout this collection is the mystery generated throughout the narrative. Right from the start, there is uncertainty about the heroines’ journey to Prime Earth and the repercussions such a journey may have had. It seems possible that this tear in reality brought over some sort of evil with it and that this evil could threaten the world they now inhabit. Plus, there is constant uncertainty on whether the heroes will ever be able to return home and reunite with their lost world. All of these plot points create interest in the series as a whole and made me want to see more from this comic.

The other positive in The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 comes from brief moments that highlight the unique character traits of these titular lost daughters. Helena’s father raised her with an eye on major crisis, yet her mother taught her never to stop caring about the common man. Meanwhile, Kara was raised in secret for most of her life, yet she now has the opportunity to revel in the fame and attention her new life has brought her. When these character traits are emphasized, the story becomes interesting and turns into something more character driven than before. Unfortunately, there are only a few places where these traits are truly managed properly. Hopefully, with exposition in the past, the following volumes will be better prepared for more of these moments.

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Art

The artwork in The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 looks good and does a solid job in telling this collection’s story. The modern day scenes, featuring artwork from George Pérez, are full of action and energy. Pérez utilizes Kirby Krackle and creative panels to ensure the present-day fighting is as tense as can be. Meanwhile, the flashback scenes, featuring artwork from Kevin Maguire, are more laid back and character focused. This allows the emotional moments to have a deeper impact. Both artists also do a fantastic job with the visual structure of the comic, which helps the action flow easily. Overall, this is a good looking book that most fans will likely appreciate.

Continuity

Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1: The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 starts the Worlds’ Finest New 52 series. This series is a spin-off resulting from the events of the Earth 2 series.

The story here continues in Worlds’ Finest Vol. 2: Hunt and Be Hunted (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• The brief mention of the name “Helena Bertinelli” is a reference to the pre-Flashpoint identity of Huntress. The real Helena Bertinelli appears later in this continuity through Nightwing #30, collected in Nightwing Vol. 5: Setting Son (Review).
• Almost all of the details regarding Earth 2 and its war with Apokolips are explained in Earth 2 Vol. 1: The Gathering (Review). The beginning of this volume also shows the exact moment when the main characters are transported to their current location.
• The story behind Kara’s relationship with Mr. Terrific and the origin of his quantum tunneler are told in Mr. Terrific Vol. 1: Mind Games (Review).
• Darkseid’s invasion into the main DC Universe is mentioned. This invasion took place in Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Review).