Tag: trinity war

DC Comics Trinity War: WTF Did I Just Read?

Aug. 30 Comics, News, September War no comments

The DC Comics Trinity War has come to pass, and it is time for me to make my comments on a series as a whole. I have had many conversations with various people over the last few days about the Trinity War, and it is time for me to discuss it with you. Since you have had a few days to read the final issue, I am free to discuss without causing general spoilers. If you have not read it yet, sorry – my time limit for not giving spoilers is up.

Trinity War triptych focus

Trinity War triptych focus

A Long Time to Market

With the amount of time DC Comics has been slowly marketing the Trinity War, I expected it to be one of the best crossovers DC Comics has ever had. Ya, well…not so much.

Which Trinity?

DC Comics took a long time to slowly push out information about the Trinity War. Over the course, we argued about who might be the trinity that fights in the war. Could it be Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? Could it be the three factions of the Justice League? Could it be the Phantom Stranger, Pandora, and The Question? In the end, there were multiple trinities in the Trinity War, which played out well until Earth 3 entered. If Earth 3 is part of the trinity, is Earth 2 getting involved as well? If so, that part of this particular trinity would be coming out after the Trinity War and would botch the idea as a whole.

The Focus

The Trinity War did a great job of focusing on the Dark Universe. Constantine was awesome during the Trinity War and is one of the shining stars of the series. The Phantom Stranger got extra time, and might benefit as much as Constantine can from the extra exposure. Other than that, most of the characters from the three factions of the Justice League were lost in the fray. Yes, Pandora got a ton of face time, but what did we learn about her? What spiked out interest in reading her title? What got us interested in continuing on with reading the three factions?

Unanswered Questions:

  1. If Pandora’s Box is actually a door to Earth 3 that needed to be opened, why didn’t the Alfred from Earth 3 (or anyone else from Earth 3) have it opened before? Pandora has been running around with the skull for thousands of years.
  2. So the Crime Syndicate came through the door minus their version of Aquaman. How are they supposed to be a threat to our Earth’s Justice League, which still has its Aquaman? Did the creators of the storyline forget that the Justice League of America and Justice League Dark are also in the same location to battle? How is this supposed to get us nervous?
  3. Are all three Earths going to be involved to make a true trinity? Wouldn’t that meld with a Trinity War?
  4. Why have so many characters in the Trinity War story if they are not going to be used? Why the hodgepodge?
  5. What in the Hell was the point of The Question in this series? He has been pushed as a wildcard since The Phantom Stranger started, and all he did (essentially) was free Superman. The character was highlighted on the marketing, but barely used.
  6. Is Wonder Woman more powerful than God? [Read this]
  7. So God follows the Phantom Stranger around in the form of a dog. God kept hinting that the Trinity War was going to be between Pandora, The Question, and the Phantom Stranger. Was God wrong? Was God telling lies?
  8. If the Phantom Stranger was unmade, does that mean nobody was around to turning Jesus over in the Bible? [Read this]
  9. Earth 3’s Alfred stated that there are many doors (like the skull) to Earth 3. Why did they care so much about this one? Shouldn’t this question have been answered?
  10. Why hype that Justice League factions fighting when they only actually fight on a handful of pages in the entire series? Where was the substance of the obviously exaggerated marketing?
  11.  How can I talk about unanswered questions without making a comment about Pandora going around asking everyone to open her box? I feel a Miley Cyrus joke coming on.
  12. Now that Superman has been neutralized by a tiny shard of Kryptonite in his brain during the Trinity War, how many times are we going to see that happen over and over again in the New 52? Oh, wait…I won’t see it at all since I don’t read Superman.
  13. Who is in the bag?
  14. When the Phantom Stranger headed off the Neatherealm, why did Batman automatically agree to go with him? Since when does Batman trust people he has just met? Did the Trinity War cause Batman to let his guard down?
  15. So how exactly did the Earth 3 version of Aquaman die?
  16. Was the whole episode of Sueprman killing Doctor Light, the arguments over his sanity, and the trip to the Neatherealm by the Phantom Stranger, Batman, Katana, and Deadman simply filler to expand on a story which could have been told in one issue of one comic?
  17. How many characters in the New 52 DC Universe are actually from Earth 3? There are too many hints now from the last few months to list here. Exclusing the characters which just crossed over and Earth 3’s Alfred, my current count is 6 (if I am reading hints right).
  18. If the skull is a door to Earth 3, and Pandora used it to release the Sins on Earth, wouldn’t that mean that there were no more Sins left on Earth 3 to corrupt the minds of people? Shouldn’t the characters who just crossed through from Earth 3 be tambourine-slapping hippies?

Unanswered Questions Not Always a Good Thing

Sure, some of you might come to the side of DC Comics and say that unanswered questions are a good thing because they will keep you reading. To an extent – yes. To the extent caused by the Trinity War – no.

Most of the questions listed above have left me with a sour taste in my mouth that I was strung along for no apparent reason outside of selling comics. Yes, comic book companies are in the business of selling comics, but they have an obligation to me (as a purchaser) to give a good story. A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The questions above make me wonder if there were either too many cooks in the kitchen who wanted their ingredients used, or if DC Comics just kept change course in the middle of the story and hoped nobody would catch on. Comic book publishers have been known to change their own stories and hope nobody catches on.

The End Result

I have dropped Justice League from my pull list because the lead-up issues and Trinity War series did not keep me interested in the team.

I have dropped Justice League of America from my pull list because the lead-up issues and the Trinity War did not get me excited about that team either.

I have dropped Trinity of Sin: Pandora from my pull list because I have realized that I could care less about the New 52 version of the character.

My Final Thoughts

In hindsight, I am actually angered by the Trinity War and think it was a waste of time, marketing, and my money. Sure, there were some great points for characters such as the Phantom Stranger, Wonder Woman, and Constantine. The problem is that most of the characters in the story were underutilized if utilized at all. At the same time, there were too many inconsistencies with the DC Universe as we know it, and with the Trinity War story itself. I will have major problems trusting DC Comics crossovers in the future.

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Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth vs. the Phantom Stranger

Jul. 25 Characters, News no comments

In the pages of Justice League Dark #22, Wonder Woman puts her Lasso of Truth around the neck of the Phantom Stranger. She uses the Lasso of Truth to get him to tell her if he knows who is at the behind the evil which has tainted Superman. He exclaims that he does not know. This act is interesting and leads me to think of some very interesting questions.

Click here to see the full panel run.

Click here to see the full panel run.

Could the Phantom Stranger Have Lied?

The Phantom Stranger states that he does not now know who has tainted Superman, and this does go along with his story so far in the Trinity War and in his own comic. Could he have lied, though? There are two interesting reasons why he might have gotten away with fibbing even with the Lasso of Truth around his neck.

The Void

First off, he is an entity inside of a person’s body and has a soul which could be described as “void.” During Gail Simone’s run at Wonder Woman, she wrote that the characters Lasso of Truth can look into a soul. Granted, that was pre-New 52, but if that holds true, wouldn’t the Lasso of Truth have “short-circuited?” Any character which has ever tried to take a peek into the Phantom Stranger’s soul (in pre-New 52 and New 52), has suffered negative consequences. Is the Lasso of Truth powerful enough to protect Wonder Woman from the power leak which usually happens when someone attempts to touch the Phantom Stranger soul or psyche?

Whose Power is it Anyway?

Secondly, the Phantom Stranger has been granted powers from God. Well, we assume the little dog who talks to the Phantom Stranger, and travels back and forth from Heaven, is God. Would that mean the Lasso of Truth works against the power of God? Would that mean Wonder Woman’s infamous weapon of justice is more powerful than the Judeo-Christian deity? DC Comics has taken a road to quietly discuss the power of God through the Phantom Stranger. Are they backpedaling, or is this an instance of the creators not thinking about the implications of a few panels?

If He Did Lie

Of course, DC Comics could easily state down the road that the Phantom Stranger did know who it was that was behind all of this. An explanation could be given that the Lasso of Truth could not work against the Phantom Stranger due to the void in his soul or because of the powers granted by God. Of course, they would have to figure out a way to make the character have known beforehand without breaking the current chronology. Should we all send messages to DC Comics to find out?

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Justice League #22 is My Pick of the Week!

Jul. 10 Comics, News no comments

This is a strong week for comics, but Justice League #22 easily pulled away with the victory. Honorable mentions need to go to titles such as Batman, Uncanny X-Men, and Superman Unchained (yes, I am actually reading Superman Unchained. I surprises me too) for having strong showings. Justice League #22 is not my Pick of the Week just because it starts out the Trinity War. It is my Pick of the Week because it was a great issue which should be noted.

Justice League #22

Justice League #22

Still Hope for Those Who Have Not Read Justice League #22 Spoilers

Yes, there are many sites which have leaked certain aspects of the story told in Justice League #22. Even those sites which have given the most spoilers have not been able to touch on the entire scope of what is going on in the issue. Let’s explore without major spoilers.

Justice League #22 is Packed

I have to commend Geoff Johns on Justice League #22. There are not very many writers who could have pulled off such a packed story. There were no filler pages or panels in this story as the reader is sped from one location to another to give as many levels of the story as possible. The spoilers have only covered a few aspects of this issue which are of note, but someone who has been following the story leading into the Trinity War will have dozens of bits to talk about in Justice League #22.

The Means

There is a quick conversation between Superman and Wonder Woman which delves into their means for dealing with villains. The conversation might get lost by some readers as it is only a few panels long, but within those handfuls of words, Johns is able to point out a major difference between the two characters. There are other points in Justice League #22 which also show how different the players in this war really are.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Pandora

Another short conversation which needs to be paid attention to happens between Superman, Wonder Woman, and Pandora. The crossing of lines between mythology, psychology, and “reality” is interesting to see between these three characters. Conversations such as this, and the one mentioned previously, are often forgotten about by writers, but should not be. These explorations into the character’s minds help to define them.

The WTF? Moments

Yes, Justice League #22 has a good handful of WTF? moments. A few are still leaving me scratching my head and waiting for the next issue in the Trinity War series. There are enough questions left in people’s minds which will keep them around for at least one more comic in the Trinity War run.

A Concern Addressed?

One of my biggest concerns about the Trinity War was that it was not going to have many grabbing moments to keep the reader’s attention. I have been worried that it was simply going to be a battle series and nothing more. If the rest of the Trinity War is able to deliver like Justice League #22, it will be a wild ride many of us will remember for years. The bar has been set by Geoff Johns’ writing and amazing art by Ivan Reis. We have to wait until next week to see if the story can continue at this current level.

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DC ComicsTrinity War Jitters and Concerns

Jun. 30 Comics, News Comments Off on DC ComicsTrinity War Jitters and Concerns

The beginning of the Trinity War is upon DC Comics, and the publisher has promised us a huge crossover which will change many of the aspects of the DC Universe. In the past, I have discussed the concern about how the Trinity War might relaunch the old universe, but with the official announcement of Villain Month and Forever Evil, those concerns have been laid to rest. There are a few concerns about the Trinity War, though, which have come to the surface in recent weeks which should be addressed.

The Trinity War triptych

The Trinity War triptych

Actual Start Date

According to word I have received from our Detroit area comic book store, there are questions about the official start date of the Trinity War. Many readers, myself included, purchases issues of Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark in the past week expecting at least a precursor to the Trinity War. Some readers may have actually believed the crossover was beginning this month. Instead, the crossover event begins in July.

Possible Cause

If you remember back a few month to when Diamond Previews previewed Trinity of Sin: Pandora, a June release was given. Instead, Pandora will not hit store shelves until July. Also, the free publicity cards which were sent to comic book stores to pass out showed a June release date for Pandora. Poor communication and/or postponing dates should always cause for concern.

Lack of Support Sales

I do like the statement that DC Comics has made about retailers being allowed to return unsold copies of Justice League Dark as long as the orders match the numbers purchased for Justice League and/or Justice League of America. On the negative side, the Trinity War also crosses into Trinity of Sin: Pandora, Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger, and Constantine. Support should be given for these other titles as well since the casual reader who is trying to continue the story from Justice League or Justice League of America might not consider picking up these lower titles.

Will People Really Care About the Trinity War?

We already know about one of the major outcomes of the Trinity War. It will launch Villain Month and Forever Evil. Since we know A (where we are) and C (where we are going), will as many people be concerned about B (how we get from A to C)?

The Overall Cost

Many of us are going to be spending more money than usual during Villain Month. All of the DC Comics titles are going to be $3.99, and all of the major titles are going to have multiple .1 issues during the month. Readers might decide to pass up this crossover and save their money. Personally, if it were not for the fact that this crossover involves DC’s Dark Universe, I would probably not pick it up. Since it involves so many of the titles I am already getting, I might as well pick up the rest. I can see how the average reader might pass it by.

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Trinity War Triptych – True Meaning

Apr. 07 Comics, News Comments Off on Trinity War Triptych – True Meaning

The Trinity War triptych has everyone talking, but I am realizing that most comic book websites are missing key points in the picture. Too many people are reading into the action in the Trinity War triptych and not reading into the messages hidden inside.

The Trinity War triptych

The Trinity War triptych

What is Being Reported on the Trinity War Triptych?

Yes, it is interesting how Wonder Woman has her lasso around Constantine. Yes, it is interesting how the three factions of the Justice League (proper, Dark, and America) are fighting. These points, though, do not the key points of the collaborative picture at all. Am I the only one who sees the actual message?

Who Fights the Trinity War?

The original thoughts about the Trinity War pointed to a war between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Since the three factions of the Justice League are seen fighting in the triptych, many websites are discussing the “trinity” in the war being the Justice League factions. Why are they disregarding the idea of the Phantom Stranger, The Question, and Pandora being listed as the Trinity of Sin? Anyways, the picture clearly points to the three main players in the war.

Trinity War triptych focus

Trinity War triptych focus

Read the Picture

The Phantom Stranger and The Question are shown in clowdy form above the fighting. I read this as them not simply being watching the battle, but directing it as if the members of the Justice League factions are simply pawns in a greater battle. Where are they directing the battle?

If you were to draw a line from the Phantom Stranger’s eyes and from The Question’s eyes, you will note that they are both looking directly at the skull in Pandora’s clutches. If you were to draw a line from the Phantom Stranger to The Question, you will note that the shape created is an equilateral triangle. The equilateral triangle is a major symbol in Christianity since it symbolizes the equality of the Holy Trinity. Turn that and we have a triangle symbolizing the Trinity of Sin.

Reading Deeper

What is Pandora doing in the picture? As the world is fighting around her, she is protecting what appears to be a jeweled skull. It should be inferred that the Trinity War is centered on this skull. With Pandora’s own title coming out shortly, we should find out what the skull means within weeks.

I guess the amount of action in the picture has distracted most people from the true message of the Trinity War triptych. At least we appear to have an answer to the question about the Trinity War affecting more titles than just those in the DC Comics Dark Universe. The Trinity War will be fought the the Trinity of Sin with the factions of the Justice League being their pawns.

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Trinity War: The Meaning and the Possibilities

Apr. 04 Comics no comments

What is this Trinity War DC has been talking about for almost a year? I have to laugh when I think about how rumors circulated last year about the Trinity War involving Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. A year later, we realize the Trinity involved is the Trinity of Sin and the main players in the war will be the Phantom Stranger, Pandora, and The Question while Dr. Thirteen and the Justice League Dark will apparently have at least minor roles in the battle.

The Trinity of Sin will fight in DC's Trinity War.

The Trinity of Sin will fight in DC’s Trinity War.

 

The Buildup to the Trinity War

 

I have to commend DC on continuing with a slow buildup since last year’s Free Comic Book Day. Marvel and DC do not typically have that type of discipline. The Phantom Stranger and Pandora’s solo titles appear to be getting title revamps according to the latest issue of Diamond Previews. They will now be named “Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger” and “Trinity of Sin: Pandora” respectively with the obvious intention of tying them in with the Trinity War. How long until The Question gets his own series? Each issue of the Phantom Stranger, and many issues of other Dark Universe titles have referred to an upcoming war which will be waged between the three original sinners.

 

Basic Possibilities for the Trinity War

 

I have a strong feeling we will learn the New 52 origins of Pandora and The Question. We know that Pandora has something to do with the change from the old universe to the New 52 Universe, but what exactly outside of opening her box? As for The Question, we know that he was one of the worst sinners in history and that the powers-that-be have erased his name from history along with his face. What types of crimes might have he committed which would have been worse than those of Hitler or of someone such as Judas (Phantom Stranger)?

 

Major Crossover?

 

The question (pardon the pun) is if the Trinity War will be a crossover among all of the major DC Comics titles or of just the Dark Universe titles. If it is a major crossover event with all of the titles involved, what would Batman and Superman be able to do to work against magic users? How many characters will be destroyed or changed?

 

My Biggest Worry About the Trinity War

 

I have stated before that I am worried about the Trinity War causing a reversion or partial reversion back to the pre-New 52 days. This would be extremely infuriating to all of us who have jumped on the DC bandwagon after they improved many of the storylines with the reboot. Pandora is trying to reopen her box, but doing so the last time (as we are led to believe) helped to cause the New 52 jump. How can the heroes prevent her from altering the world again? Could characters change again and become the Newer 52? Only time (and probably Dan Didio) will tell!

 

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