And this is where the ride brought us.
The World Army had engaged Steppenwolf's forces and were dealt a humiliating defeat. The attack was a disaster, and one of the villains ripping through their forces was Superman. The Wonders and the World Army were forced to retreat, but Superman pushes forward in Darkseid's name reshaping the world in his master's image. -summary
Written by Tom Taylor whom had relieved James Robinson of writing duties. Earth 2 Volume 4: The Dark Age follows up the world building that took place across the first four volumes and delivers something truly special. This is by far the best volume at this point as things move with a full head of steam, character's receive more development, and even then there is still future development with more surprises on the way. Tom Taylor was a great choice for this, because his work on Injustice: Gods Among Us is proof that he knows how to handle these alternate worlds very well. This volume contains Earth 2 issues 17-20 and Annual #2.
The plot follows the Wonders and remnants of the World Army as they attempt to evade and come up with a plan to battle against Superman and his powerful allies. The body count continues to rise, while new alliances are created in an attempt to avoid annihilation. This volume is indeed a fun read and the fun never stops.
Unfortunately DC does reveal one of their glaring weaknesses, and it's that they can't survive these alternate stories without their chief money makers, in this case Batman and Superman. Despite the effort put into the other characters such as Aquawoman whom has a very impressive showing, the new twist on these two characters is clearly what ups the ante. This is definitely a different Batman playing by a different set of rules. I enjoyed everything he did and I love his way of thinking and dialog. At this point Tom Taylor takes full advantage of this world, and the carnage along with newer developments continues to pique interest.
The artwork is still just as wonderful as the previous volumes. In fact, I will say even better with some very nice character designs, splash pages, and gorgeous backgrounds. The destruction especially, of well known landmarks, buildings, and big explosions are all well delivered. This volume isn't as action packed as the previous, but there's still something good to be found.
In closing, the only serious flaw to this book is that it's not newbie friendly at all. This isn't the place to start by a long shot. The first four books are the way to go. Now for others, this was a great follow up volume that still promises much more. While it did take some time, James Robinson got it this far and he should be commended for leaving things in such good shape for Taylor; but not taking anything away from Taylor, he just seems to feel at home in this type of environment. Hopefully he kept this pace up. Definitely recommended to those whom were already following this storyline.
Pros: Narrative continues to excel, beautiful artwork
Cons: Another cliffhanger ending, definitely not a good place to start