Submitted: Ken Trickey, Comic News Writer
23 September 16
Script, art, and cover: Francis Manapul
Trinity is a comic
book geek’s grand fantasy. Batman, Superman, AND Wonder Woman in one comic
series. Baddies beware! This trinity of justice is set to deliver the bang,
pow, and boom with righteous expediency, right? Well, no. Not yet anyways. Fans
chomping at the bit for action from their three favorite superheroes may be
disappointed by this initial issue. For those of us that appreciate character
building and interpersonal relationships, this is a necessary step to begin
exploring a new dynamic.
Anyone who has been keeping up with DC’s Rebirth will
remember this universe’s Superman has already passed away after his final
battle with Solar Superman. During that fight, we learned that a Superman from
another universe has been living on Earth for a short period of time. This
Superman has a family with Lois Lane, Superboy, and their dog Krypto. While
this world’s Superman was alive, the newcomer was content with living a quaint
existence as a farmer in Smallville, Kansas. Now, however, a meeting of the
minds is in order.
The artwork in this book is reminiscent of great American
landscape paintings. The soft, undefined rolling hills of Kansas dance
pleasantly across the iris with the warm colors of a sunset. The readers’
attention is gently directed to the sharper, finely detailed subject of each
panel. This issue feels like a real piece of Americana. It's obvious that Manapul
understands how to set the effect of the environment. It will be interesting to
see if he’ll maintain this art style or if it will shift significantly as the
setting changes. The clever unorthodox paneling is a nice touch as well,
displaying his ability to play both within and outside of our expectations.
While we’ve started down the path, we have yet to solve the
numerous mysteries of this universe. How did Superman get here? What happened
to his universe? Who is this human Clark Kent and where did he come from? What
are the implications of his arrival? Have more people, friendly or otherwise,
taken the same path? How will the Justice League react to him? There's a lot to
unpack here, and I suspect it will take a while to sort it all out.
The Verdict: Fans
anticipating an action packed slugfest will certainly be disappointed. Patience,
dear reader! There will be time enough for all that, and the wait isn't likely
to be a long one. Instead, this issue is about building new friendships that
feel familiar, and addressing lingering enigmas.
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