Earth 2 #13

This is either Steel penetrating a Fire-Pit or The Atom conducting a prostate exam.

Last week on Earth 2, Newest Batman came to town! Now the biggest mystery on Earth 2 is who is Newest Batman? I bet it's Mister Terrific!

This week, Captain Steel goes fire snorkeling! The title of this issue is "1,370°C" because Americans have yet to get on board with the whole Celsius thing and, as such, the unit used in the temperature still has to be denoted. Also this is the melting point of steel which I didn't have memorized but I know how to think! I figured it was either that or a new boy band that Steel was starting. And when the Google search of "boy band 1370°C" didn't turn up anything, I tried the melting point of steel. It turned out to be that one. By the way, is Fahrenheit 451 called Celsius 232 in every other country in the world?

Captain Steel is heading into a Fire-pit in an experimental ship called Red Torpedo. Commander Khan thinks the Fire-Pits might be a means for Steppenwolf to launch a sneak attack around the world while the World Army is busy invading Dehrain. So Commander Steel gets to explore one and put to rest the rumors of a fiery figure kidnapping people around the Fire-pit in Rio De Janeiro.

Here we see Captain Steel using a lot of words.

Then after ten pages of background story on Commander Steel the Cold-Hearted Snake, he plunges into the Fire-Pit and the scene changes to Hawkgirl.

So what? All that build up and we don't get to explore the Fire-Pit until next issue? Maybe James Robinson won't finish that part of the story before he leaves and the next writer will forget that Captain Steel is in the Fire-Pit and he'll be lost forever and forgotten. If that happens, I'll be pissed. Because I paid $2.99 for this comic book and if the rest of that story isn't told, I might as well just tear out the first ten pages and throw them in the garbage.

Meanwhile in China, Hawkgirl continues to investigate Alan Scott's fiancee's murder. The trail leads her to a graveyard where she's attacked by mutant Apoko-rats being ridden by laser wielding warriors. After the battle, she gets to meet, briefly, Newest Batman!

Swoon!

Apparently Sam, Alan Scott's refrigerated fiance, was up to no good with Kanto the Assassin. Maybe. That's what Hawkgirl needs to find out! So that's one mystery on Earth 2! And another mystery on Earth 2 is who is Newest Batman? And another mystery on Earth 2 is where is Mister Terrific? And another mystery on Earth 2 is what the fuck is in the Fire-Pit? Well guess what! That one gets solved at the end of this issue!

Somebody suddenly seems to care about something.

Earth 2 #13 Rating: No change. I personally didn't like how much time was spent on Steel's backstory. I think it could have been done more effectively with less explication. Show a nearly crippled young boy. Father experiments on him. Suddenly see he's a man that cannot be broken but then see that he's a man that can't care either. I like the character though so maybe it worked out for the best. Maybe I wouldn't have liked him if Robinson didn't give so much away! Oh the conundrum! I am quite intrigued by The Red Lantern scare! That was a nice ending.