In case you’ve been wondering what happened to Jay Garrick, look no further than EARTH 2 #24 – Jay is in the not-so-tender hands of the Beguiler!  Can his fellow Wonders find him in time?  And, just what happened in Gotham?  There’s a lot going on here, in another action-packed issue of EARTH 2!

LIGHT SPOILERS ONLY

Jay has been trapped by Apokalyptian technology and is being tortured on a regular basis by Beguiler…but that hasn’t dampened his resolve (or his sarcasm) one bit.  Just a note – the long lightning bolt that goes all the way to his boot seems to have returned in this issue.  Green Lantern and Hawkgirl have survived the massive event in Gotham…but one ally has not, which leads to some strong words from Batman for the new Kryptonian Val.  GL and Hawkgirl race to save Flash, while the rest of our team licks their wounds and deals with just how Val can be convinced to join the struggle.  There is a revelation at the end of this issue that is most interesting…though not entirely unexpected.  As for the rest…you’ll need to read the issue.

This was a truly enjoyable issue, showcasing more of the Wonders without losing focus on the main story thread.  Jay Garrick showed great determination and bravery (and humor) in the worst of situations.  Alan Scott is still struggling to learn that he doesn’t have to go it alone in this fight, though Kendra hasn’t given up trying to get through to him on that point.  Finally, the Jimmy Olsen of Earth 2 steps up to be a mediator between Thomas Wayne and Val, and is becoming a major player in a surprising way.

Tom Taylor continues to write exceptionally strong scripts for this series, one of the best in the New 52.  Eddy Barrows’ pencils and Eber Ferreira’s inks are excellent throughout, with great color work by Pete Pantazis.  I’m not certain if the return of the longer lightning bolt was intentional, but I like it and hope it stays.  The bottom line is that this is an excellent tale, with spot-on pacing and tension – well worth including in the buy pile.

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