The Wrong Earth, Volume 1

This month, I am going to focus more on books I read "for fun." It's July, and I am not currently teaching so why not? Today, I am looking at a book from a relatively new imprint that has featured a bunch of titles I was interested in. This book, The Wrong Earth, treads on some familiar ground but in a surprising, fresh, and fun way. It stars a character named Dragonfly, a Batman analogue who fights crime and in this instance a villain named Number One (a Joker analogue).

Actually, it stars two different characters who use those names, only one pair lives on Earth-Alpha (think the bright cheery 1966 TV version of Batman) and the other on Earth-Omega, which is more grim-and-gritty and violent, akin to more contemporary takes on the characters. When a portal allows each pair to switch worlds, they find themselves in very unfamiliar territory.

On Earth-Alpha, the grim hero finds support from the police, more colorful adversaries, and a living sidekick. On Earth-Omega, the cheerful Dragonfly finds he is hunted by the police, faces brutality at every turn, and multiple deaths of loved ones. What makes this book work in many ways is how it treats these fish-out-of-water scenarios, and I really enjoyed seeing how each pair adapts to their new surroundings. There are multiple twists and turns that make for engaging reading, and I found it very easy to get swept up in the superheroic action. This is one entertaining comic book adventure.

A feature that helps sell this series so well is the obvious love and reverence the creators have for the source material. Writer Tom Peyer hops between the light/dark narratives with elan, he has obvious affection for the dual versions that brings out the best in both. Dragonflyman might be campy but he's not ridiculous, and Dragonfly might be hardened but he's still got a heart. And the supporting characters are all full of surprises. The artwork similarly oscillates between styles in a loving and expressive way. Earth-Alpha is more colorful and cheery, with simpler line work while Earth-Omega is more dark and cross-hatched. Still, artist Jamal Igle is paying more homage to the source material rather than parodying it.

Joining Peyer and Igle on art duties are Juan Castro and Gary Erskine as well as colorist Andy Troy. They are all industry veterans with tons of credits in comic books. Peyer is also the editor-in-chief of Ahoy Comics, and he and Igle speak about their work on The Wrong Earth in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this series have been positive. Jeffrey Bracey opined, "This idea is just delightful and is handled in spectacular fashion by the creators." Lenny Schwartz wrote, "Peyer does a great job of writing the two worlds without cynicism. Instead , he writes with love and respect for the eras he is writing about." Publishers Weekly concluded, "This series contains more entertainment than most contemporary comics and serves to remind readers of what they were always intended to be: fun."

The Wrong Earth was originally published as 6 issues by Ahoy Comics, and they offer previews and more info about the trade paperback collection here. A prequel to the series Dragonfly and Dragonflyman has also been published. I am looking forward to sequels!