That said, I actually have something positive to say for this one! The authors (at this point, we've got so many of them that it's hard to tell how else to address them) manage to make things worse and better at the same time.
On the down side for our group, the satellites that Apokolips sent to encircle the Earth are apparently turning it to "goo" (the technical term). This revelation clarifies that Darkseid isn't turning Earth into Apokolips, but destroying it for its natural resources. It's all very Galactan. Kara, Lois, and Val are trying to destroy the satellites, but they have to fight through robo-para-demons to get there. Val rightfully notes that he thinks that they're just a distraction. (A complaint about this sequence also concerns Val. He initially told Kara that he didn't want to destroy the satellites, because they'd crash to Earth and kill people. But, everyone on Earth is underground, so they'd be safe. Pay attention, Val.) Moreover, it appears that Terry Sloan has destroyed the evacuation ship, though it's allegedly all part of his plan.
On the plus side, the authors identify a possible save. Ollie Queen is revealed to be holding a "codex" that Bruce, Clark, and Diana created, containing the DNA of every living animal, plant, and organism on Earth. It presumably means that the damage that Darkseid has caused to Earth could be undone if the heroes manage to stop him. It's hard to underestimate this development, but it's really key. It helps keep us engaged, delaying the point when the authors have to confirm whether or not Earth 2 is actually going to be destroyed.
But, another possible save may be out there, though the authors don't make that clear. The telepath from Constantine's group reveals that he's so powerful that he's basically able to take over the minds of everyone on Earth. He takes over the pilots of the ships planning to take refugees to the main evacuation ship and sends them, seemingly, to Chicago. But, he doesn't seem to be doing so nefariously, since he also uses his powers to control the refugees there to calmly board the ships. First, it makes you wonder why he didn't use these powers on this scale previously. (Actually, it doesn't, because it's a deus ex machina and we all know it.) Second, he's previously been portrayed as a villain, but we don't really know anything about him, so it's hard to judge his motivations. But, something definitely seems to be up here, though we'll have to wait to see what, exactly.
I'm still not sure how many issues we have left, but I'll say that we do seem to be winding down here. Hopefully, the authors stick the landing. I'm really pulling for "Earth 2" to actually stay on Earth 2 and not take decamp to the DCnU Earth. At the very start of "Earth 2," I enjoyed this series so much because it was an innovative take on a number of characters that I wanted to get to know better. The problem with this Apokolips plot, though, is that we've been sidetracked for so long that the authors never really got a chance to tell the more nuanced stories that you need to understand a character. I'm hoping that, if we stay on Earth 2, we might get those sorts of stories after the dust settles. Fingers crossed.
*** (three of five stars)
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