EARTH 2 #31

( MAGICAL SAVINGS )
Look out DC, because in the month of February, 2015, your comic book covers are going to be attacked by Harley Quinn. So go on. Get Mike Johnson to call in the troupes. Or ask Andy Smith to get out his cannon. It won't matter. Nothing will ever matter! Ever, ever again!

To QUOTE Lewis Carroll: 'No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise'.
THE STORY: On the whole I'd say this instalment of Earth 2 was a tale easily divisible by two. Now one part of it centres on the Queen of Atlantis, old Fish-Tits, plus how she and her minions look into the Apocalyptic invasion of their watery domain. Where as another part of this adventure centres on Khalid, the not-so-new Doctor Fate, plus how a wizard from Apocalypse attempts to usurp his vast power.
Damn those people from Apocalypse! What a bunch of b*stards they truly are!

THE GOOD: Overall I'd say this issue of Earth 2 was a lot better than I initially thought it would be. Well, in the last couple of months this series has concentrated on telling a number of origin stories about a number of characters I couldn't care less about. So when I saw a hero in this book that I actually recognized, well, lets just say that it was a nice change of pace. Especially since it was written and drawn by a few creators I've never even heard of.
Now don't get me wrong. All in all this change was a good change for the book. As it gave it a more fresh and livelier spin that it's been sorely lacking of late. Plus I did like how Aquawoman was depicted in it -- all stoic and bold -- as well as how Khalid seemed to assert himself in a far more heroic fashion. However...
THE BAD: ... having said all that, in the same breath I wasn't too keen on how Aquawoman's part of the plot never seemed to go anywhere -- except to act as a precursor to another battle -- and as for Khalids part of the plot, well, even though I liked it's sinister vibe and edge, at the end of the day nothing else seemed to be defined where a decisive solution was concerned.
THE MUSIC: Whilst reading that section of the story where the evil wizard from Apocalypse tried to steal Khalid's Doctor Fate helmet, out of the blue -- BOOM -- the following song popped into my mind for fairly obvious reasons. So it's over to you, Joe Cocker, and your all time classic song, 'You Can Leave Your Hat On'.

Wow! Didn't Marv from Sin City look healthy when he was younger?

THE COMPARISON: Still sticking with the Lewis Carroll quote I gave previously, and I'd say I could easily compare this tale to the proverbial fish out of water. Particularly when I factor it against Khalids impromptu visit to Apocalypse, plus what I saw with those dying fish on the floor of Atlantis's sea bed.
THE CONCLUSION: At the very end of this issue Khalid says something to Nabu that I think will most probably happen sooner or later. So just for fun -- ish -- can you guess what he says out of the following eight options?

1. DC Comics are going to open a new base of operations in Atlantis.
2. I would like to buy a rubber plant please.
3. Stop touching me there. It tickles.
4. My friend was a victim of his own success. His trophy cabinet fell on him.
5. Yellow and blue is a really cr*p color combination. I much rather prefer pink and green.
6. Whoever said my bum looked big in this helmet is dead meat.
7. I'm burying you and the helmet forever.
8. You asked me if I drank to excess, doc. And I say I'd drink to anything.

Nuff said.