Earth 2 #3 Cover: Alan Scott! + James Robinson Interview

[aeka]

Alan Scott really is the big guy of Earth-Two. Quite literally. He's very tall, he's dynamic, he's charismatic and he's also the bravest, most gallant man on the planet. He's like the great knight defending the Earth. He would die for his planet, he would die for his people. He is the epitome of what a hero should be. And I think even if he wasn't that way when he first began in the 1940s, he is kind of evolved to that in terms of his place in the Justice Society. I have always felt that he was that character and I have tried to keep that spirit and element of him alive.

Not really liking this overall theme of 'death' you're building here James. I'm also not sure of the message you're sending about a hero being the 'epitome of a hero' if he's willing to die for something...


From CBR:

What about long-time DC readers who love the Earth-Two concept? Has the storytelling and continuity of the past fifty years been erased?

Quite honestly, this is a return to the old pre-"Crisis" Earth-Two. This is what we had for decades before "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Since then, there has been this generational thing with an old Jay Garrick, an old Alan Scott and various other characters living in the same world as the main heroes. We're going back to the roots of what it used to be. These heroes are not old anymore. They are all in their twenties, anywhere between 21 and 28. But at the same time, I have made it very clear that there are differences to their powers and how they have their powers and why they have their powers. There is something that makes them unique to themselves and I think that's what made the original Earth-Two fun. We're bringing that concept back so I think readers of the old DC continuity, if they have an open mind and aren't too closed off to trying new things, will ultimately enjoy and get a lot out of it.

Taking notes here: dead Selina Kyle, dead Lois Lane, dead Amazons. Ruthless Batman who kills. Dark and broody Superman who starts contemplating killing. Angry Wonder Woman who's willing to kill to avenge her dead sisters. Already this doesn't sound like the pre-Crisis Earth-2 that I know. That Earth-2 was a *much* happier place to the one Robinson is building.

Also, I liked that Alan Scott and Jay Garrick were old men who were superheroes. It was part of what made the JSA a diverse superhero team in my opinion. Not sure if I'll find them as interesting as young blokes in their early to late 20s, but that could be in part due to the fact that *almost* everyone in the new DCU is in their 20s.

I wonder how old this makes Batman if he has a daughter in her early 20s? On that note, how early in Bruce's Batman career did he and Selina make Helena? o.O

Speaking of which:

Is Huntress still Bruce Wayne's daughter?

That's something you have to ask Paul Levitz. Remember, it's his character. I would be disrespectful to say too much about Huntress.

I'm just going to go ahead and jump to conclusions and say that she still is. I don't see why Paul Levitz would change this about her character's history since that's part of her appeal as a character, plus he's repeatedly mentioned Bruce and Selina in past interviews. More than likely, they're still Helena's parents.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm bloody tired of Robinson's default answer of 'wait and see.' Seriously mate, just answer the damn question. One word or line hinting at something shouldn't be too much of a spoiler.

Comments

[aeka]

Fair point. Still, a different choice of words other than 'wait and see' would be nice. If he's trying to preserve the element of surprise in keeping silent, okay, I can get behind that. Unfortunately though, I stopped giving a damn after "dead Earth-2 Lois' so I couldn't have bothered to care either way.

[icon_uk]

I think a stock standard answer is probably the safest way to go if you're being asked the same question multiple times in slightly different ways by different interviewers, saves accidentally saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

You're welcome to borrow the icon if you like!

[aeka]

Haha, funnily enough, I just remembered you had that icon. XD

Thanks though! I think I shall use it in the future. :)