Tag Archives: James Robinson

Takin’ It To the Streets (of Boston) with Jay Garrick and Doctor Fate! (review of Earth 2 #12)

earth 2 12 coverIn Earth 2 #12, Doctor Fate is learning how to control the amazing powers granted to him by the Helm of Nabu, while Jay Garrick and Alan Scott provide cover as the battle with Wotan takes to the streets of Boston!  This is a much more powerful Wotan than Nabu himself faced so many years ago, so the outcome is certainly in doubt as we rejoin the battle as this issue begins, continuing one of the best series that DC publishes today!

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!  PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD! Continue reading

Jay Garrick Meets His FATE – and So Do We! (Review of Earth 2 #9)

earth 2 issue 9Earth-2 issue #9 pulls off an impressive feat – introducing a major character without making it feel like a stunt, all the while pushing forward an excellent storyline.  Jay Garrick fans get to see a lot more of his character in this issue, and we find out more about the depths to which the World Army will stoop in an attempt to capture these new “Wonders”. 

SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD – PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE CONTINUING!

Continue reading

Review: Earth 2 #1

Earth 2 was better than I expected, certainly better in terms of an introduction to a world than Justice League , though there were still elements that I found problematic.

One of my big worries about the book had been that DC Comics’ Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman would overshadow the more exclusively-Justice Society characters like Jay Garrick and Alan Scott. They’ve solved this problem neatly, and in the process given the book a bit more of a hook than it would have had otherwise.

I’ve seen the issue described as a prologue, and it is, in that most of the issue takes place five years before the main series picks up. But it’s also a finale: The first 20 pages or so are really the concluding chapter in an apocalyptic war that changed the face of the world. In fact, if Earth 2 does well enough, I can see DC telling the story as a 6-issue miniseries, though the final issue really ought to be a reprint of this story plus an epilogue.

I like what I’ve seen of Alan Scott so far. I haven’t seen enough of Al Pratt to decide. Jay Garrick…well…I’m not terribly thrilled at what’s become of him, but let’s see what we get in issue .

On to the spoilers! Continue reading

News Flash! Jay Garrick’s Earth-2 Redesign Revealed!

Newsarama has revealed the new Jay Garrick design with the Earth 2 cover in this interview with James Robinson.

As the book unfolds, Jay Garrick is very much our point of entry to the world. He’s the “everyman” character that we all like, that we all want to be, want to hang out with. That’s kind of the role he was in the original Earth-2, and I think it suits him well. He’s the likable guy, the one you care about.

The description of Jay himself sounds okay, but I think the costume is a horrible move. Over on Twitter, Greg paraphrased Barry Allen in The Dark Knight Strikes Again: “folks don’t know the difference between ‘old’ and ‘classic’.” The rest of the interview doesn’t do anything to help the concerns I raised yesterday about this this book and alternate reality being his only home in the New 52.

So what do you think? Is this a great redesign? A terrible one? Good for some Flash, but bad for Jay Garrick?

The Shade – 12-Issue Miniseries Launches in October

DC has started releasing information about its October comics this week, including several miniseries launching in the second month of the DC relaunch.  Among them: James Robinson’s 12-issue miniseries featuring The Shade, as reported by CBR.

The Shade is probably more associated with Starman these days, but he started life as a Golden-Age Flash villain, one of the trio whose place in DC history was later secured by appearing in Flash of Two Worlds.

Even though he only made one appearance in the Golden Age (as compared to the many tines Jay Garrick fought the Thinker or Fiddler), the Shade is the oldest Flash villain to survive it. The only older themed/named villain, the Threat (All-Flash ), was a one-off who died in his first appearance and never returned.

THE SHADE
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by CULLY HAMNER
Cover by TONY HARRIS
1:10 Variant cover by CULLY HAMNER
On sale OCTOBER 12 * 1 of 12, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US * RATED T+

James Robinson returns to the world of his acclaimed STARMAN series with a new 12-issue series starring the antihero known as The Shade! An attack at the Starman museum kicks off a globe-hopping, centuries spanning quest that will irrevocably change The Shade’s life, and ultimately shed light on his true origin! Artist extraordinaire Cully Hamner (RED) kicks off the series, and upcoming issues will feature art by such luminaries as Darwyn Cooke, Javier Pulido, Jill Thompson, Frazer Irving and Gene Ha!

UPDATE: CBR interviews Robinson about the series.