Last time in Earth 2, the combined strength of the New Wonders: Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Flash, and The Atom was enough to overcome the life-decaying powers of Grundy and The Grey. Many questions were raised by the time Grundy was sent Wheatley-style to the Moon. A World Army has appeared on the scene, and it’s unclear whether or not they are a threat to Flash and Green Lantern; The Atom is already a member of their Wonder program, and Hawkgirl is on the run from them. Why did Hawkgirl leave the World Army? And what was with Alan Scott telling his fellow wonders that he did not need them? It seems that there are forces working behind the scenes that could prove dangerous to the New Wonders.
First and foremost, “Heaven Sent” has a cover that every comic book hero and their mother should know as false-advertising. It features Hawkgirl and Green Lantern entangled and fighting with the tagline “FLIGHT TO THE DEATH!” Ok…two heroes that you just spent an entire arc introducing us to and fleshing them out will not be fighting to the death. I get that it’s a cool image but come on, no one is buying this book thinking the Kendra or Alan will die.
The world is recovering following the destruction wrought by Grundy in the previous arc, and Alan’s “booster shot” is restoring the world’s flora. News is spreading of the Wonders’ existence, as well as the World Army’s Wonder program. In the midst of this news is the story that Alan Scott has indeed returned to his life as News Global Broadcasting’s owner and CEO and was only late for the train that exploded in Hong Kong (but you all know what really happened). Even though he did not allow his grief to consume him during his conflict with The Grey, Alan is just a wreck. He receives a visit from Hawkgirl, and there’s a conversation about persecution and the power of teamwork.
We also pay a visit to the World Army Central Headquarters, where Terry Sloan and Kahn! are dealing with the fallout of Grundy’s appearance and Sloan’s plan to nuke Washington, DC. Kahn! is trying to figure out what Sloan’s grand designs are, and there’s a very awesome sequence involving the Sandmen infiltrating one of Sloan’s facilities. I’ve only seen two real scenes with the Sandmen in them, but I already want to see them more going forward. They have a very spec-ops/ninja feel to them, and what they find will answer some questions about what Sloan’s been up to. There’s also a fantastically-drawn reveal that will have fans of some less well-known heroes very excited about the direction of the series. (see Spoilers)
- Hawkgirl found out Green Lantern’s real identity way too easily. If she could figure out Alan was supposed to be on a train and that Green Lantern was first seen by the exploded remains of said train, then other people can probably figure that out too.
- Hawkgirl’s alter ego is a Lara Croft/Indiana Jones Tomb Raider named Kendra Munoz-Saunders.
- I’m going to keep doing the terrible Kahn! joke, because I know it’s terrible.
- New heroes announced! The reveal of Red Tornado is both beautiful and gruesome, with Tornado still in the developmental stage. It also seems that Red Tornado will be a girl. Sloan also mentioned a “Captain Steel,” when talking about the World’s Army Wonders. I sense Steel’s Earth 2 incarnation coming up.
- I really, really like Wesley Dodds and the Sandmen. If this whole World’s Army thing doesn’t work out, and they needed another team book, I’d be down for a Sandmen espionage series.
- The Sandmen captured Mr. Terrific, who was apparently working (brainwashed?) for Sloan and claimed to have covered it up with a cadaver. I think Sloan will figure that out…
- No Flash this issue (sad face)
Favorite Quote: “Go ahead, Amar, play your chess game. I’ll help you move the pieces.”– Wesley Dodds
Recommended If…
- You would like a bit of a respite following the action of the previous three issues.
- You want to know more about the tensions at the World Army Headquarters.
- You’d like to see more of Sandman (yes!)
Overall:
This issue was the calm following the storm that was Grundy’s siege on Washington. Tensions are building both between comrades and rivals that may set the stage for the next arc. It’s not a terribly good place to jump on, but you’ll get caught up on most of what’s been going on.
SCORE: 7.5/10
