When we last left the alternate reality of DC Comics’ Earth 2, wealthy jet-setter Alan Scott’s proposal to his boyfriend Sam literally blew up in his face. Their train erupted in flame, tumbling wildly off course. Amidst the confusion, Alan is certain that some of that fire is an otherworldly green. But how could that be possible? The Apokolips War is long ended, and life is supposed to be returning to normal. What caused this horrific explosion? Did anyone make it out alive?
With this preview of next week’s Earth 2 #3, it appears that Alan is the sole survivor of the explosion. Sam is gone.
EARTH 2 #3
Written by: James Robinson
Art by: Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott
Cover by: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado
Variant Cover by: Ivan Reis
Color/32 pages/$2.99• The all-new origin of ALAN SCOTT GREEN LANTERN – unlike any GL origin that’s come before!
• The debut of the all-new HAWKGIRL!
• And Jay Garrick, THE FLASH, meets his first Super Hero!
It’s a controversial move on Robinson’s part, not simply due to the firestorm surrounding Alan’s very public coming out. Because Alan Scott is also a Green Lantern, the loss of a significant other is wound up in a whole lot of baggage. Fortunately Sam wasn’t in a refrigerated car when the explosion went off, but is that enough to escape the much maligned trope? It’s a risk worth mentioning, but in the end we’re rooting for Robinson, Scott and Earth 2. It’s been an exciting addition to the New 52 and the quality has impressed, despite (and perhaps because of) the sheer number of contentious revisions to some revered properties.
Let’s take a sneak peek at the secret origin of Earth 2‘s Green Lantern!
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Wait…is this being tied into Swamp Thing?!?
dang it DC, I’m just as excited for The Dark Knight Rises as everyone else, but can you stop with the banners on the cover pages!
I agree – it’s completely pointless. Everyone who is buying a comic book already has their tickets.
Seriously, this is one of the most annoying things. I really hate it, and they put it on the Vertigo books too. It ruins the composition of the cover completely, this should never happen.
Agreed. Another great cover ruined like Swamp Thing #7. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the double post but I can’t delete it.
I just wanted to add that this seems to always happen the month of a really beautiful cover. It’s really takes away from the impact of the artwork. I know DC doesn’t care about that. An inside page ad is just as effective, if not more than a banner across artwork.
at least they look a hell of a lot better than the green lantern ones last year.
it’s bad enough the bar code is on the front(unlike glorious Image covers), but to advertise to the hardcore fanbase by fucking up our beautiful covers seems a bit bone-headed. wonder who the fresh-outa-school genius in the marketing department is.
it’s like having to remind me every week that my birthday is coming up. don’t waste time telling me, tell everyone else about the party, for fuck’s sake. is there anyone in the comic shop who is unaware? seriously.
and while we’re on the subject: I KNOW IT’S THE NEW 52! why even commission someone like Reis if you’re just going to cluster-fuck his work with pointless shit that only serves to inspire disdain from the people who matter most: the people buying the funny books.
I SOOOOOOOOOO totally agree, on ANY comic…. put the add inside, We all know the movie is coming and if U don’t, U don’t care anyway. Quit soiling the artwork!
DC should create a variant that is the virgin art at a little higher price. I would be willing to pay a little extra for virgin art. I know DC would welcome the extra money that it would bring in.
Comic books have to make money whenever and however they can. Everyone knows it’s a dying market, and a banner is a small price to pay to keep this art form alive. The banners must work on some level, or they wouldn’t be doing it. We as comic book fans need to acknowledge and accept this and stop bitching at the companies that bring so much joy to our lives.
a world where comic book fans don’t bitch? maybe on earth 86. lol
I totally called this! In my review of issue #2… quote:
“Next issue, the full birth of the Green Lantern –SPOILER ALERT — I have a bad feeling they’re going to kill off Alan’s boyfriend.”
I say ti there, it comes out here.
Feels like a simultaneous chickensh*t move AND appropriate impetus for Alan’s character.
What if… Samuel came back as a villain or an arch-nemesis of sort!? *cue in dramatic SFX here*
I wouldn’t even compare this to Women in Refrigerators because at the very least, we got 6 issues with Alex. I felt connected to her character, and when she died, it hurt. I got some emotional value from the story itself, not from the reality behind it.
There’s no getting around the fact that this is going to cause a stir.
There was a lot of fanfare over making Alan Scott gay and killing off his partner after a relative few panels is going to make it seem like his coming out is a bit of a cheap ploy in a lot of peoples’ eyes, IMO. As CalebTheTimeTraveler noted, at least Alex had a few issues to connect to the audience. This gives the impression Sam was little more than a plot device.
I’m going to wait until I read it before I make any hasty decisions… but my initial reaction is a sense of disappointment. I want to like this book and there are aspects of it I really enjoy. But things like this do tend to get a bit under my skin.
You people are aware that when a gay person’s partner dies, they keep on being gay, right?
I know right!
The outrage is coming from the cliche of killing off loved ones to give a character motivation. See: Robinson’s Cry for Justice.
“Oh, no! I’ll never love another…man!”
NEXT ON EARTH-2: A JOURNEY TO THE BACHMAN CLINIC!
Robinson said Cry for Justice was an editorial mandate mostly, but he takes all the shit for DC Editorial’s terrible ideas. DC Makers everyone!
Seriously they probably would’ve broken up anyway. It was a long distance relationship before he got powers.
Power Ring > Wedding Ring.
^ This
I love that cover. He looks terrifying! I could not be more excited for #3.
I really wish Ivan Reis did regular art in a readable book, I love him but the writing on Aquaman is a huge turn off for me
Seriously, you don’t like Aquaman!? It’s been in my top 5, easily for the New 52!
I’m not sure what everyone loves about the Aquaman book so much, but I chalk that up to differences in taste. I just assume there’s something I’m not getting, and that’s fine.
aquaman is in my top 5 as well. love everything about it.
maybe ya just gotta have a lota love for arthur to begin with. who knows?
also, being chosen as Superman’s replacement? pressure much?
This is one of the best covers ive seen this year but it completely tainted with that stupid banner! Who the hell doesn’t know when Batman is coming out!
Am i the only person who didnt really enjoy the dark knight,i thought begins was a better film overall.I thought the Dark knight was okay,at least a 6/7 out of 10 but i didnt find it as stellar as everyone else.
I also liked Batman Begins more than The Dark Knight but I still think The Dark Knight is around an 8/10. I wish they didn’t throw in the whole patriot act and two face bits. Still a fantastic film and I couldn’t have done better.
http://www.thedarkknightsucks.com/
Is this digital? I haven’t seen it, but I’m not sure why this would be their only book they don’t release digitally?
“Fortunately Sam wasn’t in a refrigerated car when the explosion went off…” << Perhaps my favorite iFanboy sentence of the year. Bravo! LOL
I'm glad Sam's dead, now I actually feel like I have a shot with new sexy young gay Alan Scott. I just have to create a TRON-like device that will convert/parse out my molecules into comic book space.
hehehe, I would have gone with Sam. But dont most GL love interests die or become villains in the end
Or become Star Sapphires. >_>
Hmmm, Sam as a “drag” Star Sapphire who turns out to be a straight man…some interesting climax points.
Don’t you think Alan would have been… oh, I don’t know, more CRUSHED by Sam’s death? Instead, he stands there and carries on a cliched expository conversation with a green flame? Not shedding a single tear? No cry of “NOOOOOO!” or “SAAAAAAM!” or something? Really, James Robinson?
He doesn’t know if Sam is dead or alive. The green flame intercepts Alan while he’s searching for Sam.
Page 4, Panel 3: “I’M AFRAID YOUR LOVER DID NOT SURVIVE, ALAN.” Seems pretty cut and dried to me!
@kennyg: You’re right and then he goes into a quiet dark place before dealing with the crisis at hand.
Not to mention all the shock of what just happened. Logic goes right out the window when your entire world stops making any kind of sense at all.
They had to kill off Sam so that Alan and Jay can be a couple. ; )
Let’s hope not.
UUGghhhhh!!! No.
Anybody else want the scene on the last page to go more like:
“I’M AFRAID YOUR FRIEND DID NOT SURVIVE, AL–.”
“My Lover.”
“I’M SORRY, WHAT?”
“He was my lover…. My partner?
“OH… WELL… THAT’S COOL. I MEAN,I’M NOT THE KIND OF SPIRIT OF EARTH THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT…. ANYWAAAAY…”
I love Robinson and Nikola Scotts work and the JSA, so far I really like Earth-2 and have to admit I was a little off put by making the original Green Lantern gay, not because the change was being gay but the fact that they had to change him at all, if anything (aside from obvious costume updates) his character is well rounded and solid and would’ve preferred building on that, give him more shades to spectrum (rainbow would’ve just been too easy a pun here) in his personality and history and I know Robinson said Alan Scott will remain the same man, just gay, I don’t think this was the right book for the controversy…..I love the Authority and am enjoying the current Stormwatch and will continue to read Earth-2 as it was the book I’ve looked forward to the most since it was announced and am not gonna turn away over something that can be acknowledged and accepted. Him being gay isn’t the basis of the book but a factor of the character and think this book is gonna get better and better…..hoping for some Dr. Midnite,Hourman, Dr.Fate and The Spectre!!! JSA All-Stars#3 classic cover line up.
I just read Earth-2 #2 and loved it, “Nikola Scott should never not draw comics”…her art on this is excellent and especially love her Flash in speeding motion panels…beautiful….I still don’t think this was the right book for controversy but its not gonna stop me from loving it if the story stays good.