Earth 2 #20 Review

Innocence is overrated.

This is a take-your-breath chapter amid the chaos taking place on Earth 2. Though the annual last week was also something like that, this is firmly rooted in the present.

But frustatingly, the same beats are repeated over and over again until they begin to feel irritating.

The art is now in Rocha's hands and while he is inferior to Scott's detailed pencils, he is okay for this chapter where the pressures of widescreen battles are absent.

The plot has slown to a crawl with the annual and this issue, so hopefully next time it's gonna start with a bang.

SPOILERS FOLLOW........

There isn't too much to say here.

Parademons chase Hawkgirl and the people she is carrying. Aquawoman tells her to go near some storm clouds and then forces Hawkgirl to drop her.

Using the water in the clouds, she takes out the parademons. With the chase scuttled, the rest arrive at the batcave to find Red Arrow aka Conner Hawke (for those not in the know, Connor was Oliver Queen's son Pre-52)and a deranged Dr Fate already there with Hawkgirl.

Batman tries to force the new Kryptonian Val to use his powers to help them but it is only when robo Lois comforts him and tries to relate to his predicament (through Lois' comes off infinitely worse), that he decides to try.

There is a lot of Flashpoint Superman here, as we see a boy who's spent his entire life in a cell and still has a core belief of non-violence and it is up to a fragile Earthling to give him the confidence to rise up and face his abilities.

Elsewhere, Dark Superman continues the destruction of Earth 2 as he commands the parademons to annihilate every religious facility on the planet, claiming only the worship of Darkseid is absolute.

At the batcave, Val finally relents and comes in contact with pure sunlight.

SPOILERS END..........

Val gets some character development here, but the rest is just filler and seems to be dragging it's feet until the second showdown begins.

The art takes a step back with Rocha here, as details suffer. The cover by Jae Lee is gorgeous though.

So, I give it 6.0 out of 10

+Val gets some character development
+The art is acceptable

-The plot slows to a crawl
-Unneeded padding of a scene