I Liked It

Trinity War (Justice League 22-23, Justice League Dark 22-23 and Justice League of America 6-7)
DC Comics
Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire, writers
Ivan Reis, Rod Reis, Oclair Albert, Doug Mahnke, Mikel Janin, Joe Prado and Eber Ferreira, artists

Maybe all of the hype -- nearly two years' worth of it -- was a bit much for this crossover, but I did enjoy it.

"Trinity War" has been teased ever since the launch of DC's New 52. At the end of Flashpoint, the line-wide crossover event that led to the re-starting of the entire DC Universe, a character named Pandora makes her first appearance, reshaping the re-created timeline. And then she made an appearance in each and every single No. 1 issue of The New 52 titles DC launched in 2011. From that point on, "Trinity War" was teased and fans began to speculate exactly what it would be.

There hasn't been nearly as much online hate about "Trinity War" now that it is over -- at least, not that I've seen -- as often follows events like this one. The main criticism, when I have seen any, has been that the crossover didn't really end, it just led into the next event comic. I say that isn't a valid criticism of the story because it was announced ahead of time that "Trinity War" would lead into Forever Evil. Also, because the story isn't really finished, I reserve final judgment on this tale until it is wrapped up. But for these six pieces of the overall tapestry, I enjoyed reading the story and look forward to more.

If you haven't been reading the books (or this blog or anything else comics-related online), the Justice League is the big seven -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Cyborg. Justice League Dark is a bunch of magical and/or supernatural characters banded together in much the same way. JL Dark is led by John Constantine and includes Black Orchid, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Frankenstein's monster and others. Justice League of America is a relatively newer team formed by the U.S. government as a secret weapon in case the feds ever need to challenge the Justice League. That team includes new Green Lantern Simon Baz, Hawkman, Stargirl, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Catwoman, Katanna and Vibe and is led by Col. Steve Trevor.

The newly created Shazam is also in the mix, although not part of any team yet. After defeating his enemy, Black Adam, in previous issues of Justice League, Shazam tries to do the right thing and return Adam's ashes to his home country of Kahndaq, a particularly troubled Middle Eastern hot spot. The presence of an uninvited superhuman in Kahndaq threatens to start an international war, and the Justice League sets out to stop Shazam's innocent mistake before it escalates. Knowing only that the Justice League has illegally entered Kahndaq, the Justice League of America is sent in after them. Already you have dozens of superhumans converging on a spot where it is dangerous for them to be; each feels they are there with the best of intentions, but the more who keep showing up, the worse the situation becomes.

Add to the mix Pandora. She has now found the mysterious box she is known for having opened, thus releasing evil into the world in the form of the Seven Deadly Sins. She has the box but cannot open it to try to put the Sins back where they belong. In seeking out someone pure enough to open the box, Pandora finds Superman and Wonder Woman and tries to have Superman open the box. Immediately after, Superman begins to show physical signs of being ill, as if the box has corrupted the Man of Steel. Superman is still reeling when he joins his teammates in Kahndaq, and while there, he kills another hero with his heat vision. That act serves to splinter the various heroes into three groups: one group takes Superman into custody and guards against the threat of more lethal actions, a second tries to track down Pandora, suspecting that she is behind Superman's malady, and a third tries to explore other theories for the Man of Steel's behavior. All of which leads to the secrets behind not only Pandora's box, but the real power behind the formation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and leads directly into the aforementioned Forever Evil series.

Rather than being the big event itself, "Trinity War" is really more set-up for Forever Evil, the main event. When looked at in that fashion, this really is a good set-up, and I'm very curious to see what happens in Villains' Month and the main Forever Evil title.

Technically, "Trinity War" is a six-part crossover in the books mentioned above, but events in the current issues of both Trinity of Sin: Pandora (which I also read) and Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger (which I did not) flesh out parts of the search for various factions following Superman's fatal heat vision malfunction. I found the Pandora issues to be more focused on her character development and not essential to "Trinity War," and as I didn't feel I missed anything by not reading Phantom Stranger, I'm guessing it was the same.

Interesting, But It Won't Hold My Interest Long

Phantom Stranger 1
DC Comics
Dan Didio, writer
Brent Anderson, artist

The first issue of this title opens with the Phantom Stranger appearing in a New York City park in time to briefly interact with a young boy chasing a ball. The Stranger scares the boy, and while he is not directly responsible, he also does nothing to prevent the tragedy that follows. All of this leads to a gathering of people, one of whom being the Stranger's latest target for betrayal. If that all sounds rather unsympathetic, it was intentional.

I don't much care for this new version of the Phantom Stranger if all he's going to do is cause others pain, even if, as theorized in the pages of this issue, it is all for the greater good. The closing scene of the issue, showing that the Stranger does seem to have a family and a home that he goes to at the end of the day, doesn't even make me feel sympathy or find likability in this character. It just makes me fearful that his family is at best an illusion, or at worst, pawns he uses to make himself feel better about his situation without regard to what that will eventually do to them when they learn his true nature.

There are two saving graces in this issue that will keep me reading a bit longer in hopes that things are not quite what they seem. One is the promise in the last panel and teaser copy for the next issue that indicate an appearance by Pandora. The other is the meat of this issue. The person the Stranger betrays in order to lose another one of his pieces of silver is a teenage empath named Rachel who is trying to help people as best she can while remaining hidden from her other-dimensional demon father, Trigon.

For those to whom that doesn't sound familiar, in the old DC Universe, the New Teen Titans member Raven sometimes used a civilian name Rachel. Raven, both her superhero codename and her given name as far as we know, was born of a human mother, Arella, and an other-dimensional demon named Trigon the Terrible. After the child was conceived, Arella was taken to a place called Azarath by the pacifists who lived there. This is where Raven was born, and under the tutelage of these people of Azarath, Raven grew up, learning to use her empathic abilities to heal and help others, but to shun emotions, lest her father find and possess her, using her as a doorway to conquer our dimension. In fact, the formation of the New Teen Titans in the old DCU was at Raven's urging in an effort to combat her father after she first failed to enlist the aid of the Justice League of America.

While I don't much like this current incarnation of the Phantom Stranger, it was interesting to see this slightly altered version of an old favorite character, even if she was poorly mistreated.

But He Does Have The Embers Within Him

Justice League 0
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Gary Frank and Ethan Van Sciver, artists

The last several issues of Justice League have included two stories, the main JL tale, followed by a shorter story providing readers a glimpse of the DCnU version of Billy Batson. This issue has Billy take center stage as his transformation into Captain Marvel -- excuse me, Shazam! -- is completed.

Some contemporary readers have complained that Captain Marvel and his child alter-ego don't quite fit into the modern era because their Fawcett City world is just too simplistic and fun for the grim-and-gritty world of modern comics. I don't share that belief, but in an effort to modernize the character, Johns and Frank have brought us a Billy Batson who no one would call a Goody Two-shoes. This Billy Batson has been toughened by his years in the foster-care system, where he has learned to care about little beyond himself and to trust almost no one. He is a smart-mouthed, street-wise kid, but he still seems to harbor a soft spot for anyone being bullied by others.

Billy is brought to the Rock of Eternity by an ancient wizard as his pre-New 52 version was. In that incarnation, the old wizard, Shazam, granted the boy mystical powers when he spoke the wizard's name. This time around, the wizard is the sole remaining member of the Council of Wizards seen in the 2012 DC Comics Free Comic Book Day one-shot, the group that condemned Pandora, the New 52 Question and the Phantom Stranger as the world's greatest sinners.

The wizard is looking for someone who is pure good to bestow his powers upon, for only someone pure good could hope to defeat the villainous Black Adam. Naturally, the wizard finds this version of Billy not quite so pure. But Billy isn't willing to be so easily dismissed. Upon a second look, the wizard decides that the young boy has the CAPACITY for good within him, and that will have to be good enough.

Once Billy has the powers and the adult body of Shazam -- apparently, he's no longer going by the hero name of Captain Marvel since so many non-comics fans think Shazam is his name anyway -- he is transported away from the Rock of Eternity and back to join Freddy, one of the other children living in Billy's current foster home. The two boys then proceed to do things young boys would do given this level of power -- torment bullies who have gotten the best of them before.

As I said, I don't think the old version of Captain Marvel was in need of fixing, but this new version is an interesting one, and Shazam is destined to be a part of the League soon, hence his taking over their Zero Issue.

Since the main story in this issue is Shazam, the backup feature this time needs another focus. Johns and Van Sciver give us a glimpse of Pandora and the new Question in a short story titled  simply "Questions." Readers still aren't given any answers about these enigmatic characters, just more questions, but they don't have their own books to star in like their fellow Trinity of Sin member, the Phantom Stranger.

I Didn't Get That

Phantom Stranger 0
DC Comics
Dan Didio, writer
Brent Anderson, artist

This was an interesting book, both for what it included and what (in my opinion) it didn't.

The DCnU version of the Phantom Stranger was first seen in the 2012 Free Comic Book Day special as part of the Trinity of Sin alongside the new Question and Pandora, apparently the architect of the DCnU. In the past, the Stranger did not have a definitive origin. That is not the case here. Though the names Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ are never actually mentioned, there is little doubt that the Stranger used to be Judas before his judgment at the hands of the Council of Wizards for his betrayal of Jesus. He wears a necklace made up of the 30 pieces of silver Judas was paid for betraying Christ, according to the Bible. While the Stranger never had a definitive origin before, the idea of his being Judas is not a new concept. I first read it as one of four possible origins for the Stranger in the 10th issue of Secret Origins published by DC in January 1987. I can't say for certain if the version predates that book.

This book starts out replaying the judgment scenes from the Free Comic Book Day special, albeit from the Stranger's point of view this time. He acknowledges his guilt and begs for mercy from the wizards before being banished back to Earth to wander endlessly until he has atoned for his crime. The cloak he is given to wear is the one formerly worn by the one he betrayed, he tells us, and it seems that the cloak itself is what disguises his true appearance.

The Stranger is left to wander alone with his thoughts from ancient times to what appears to be the modern era but no date is actually given. Finally, a voice guides him to hot-headed police officer Jim Corrigan and we see the Stranger play a significant role in Corrigan's death and transformation into the Spectre, another classic DC hero being introduced to the DCnU for the first time. As the Spectre disappears to begin his own mission as God's spirit of vengeance, a single silver coin drops off from the Stranger's necklace and turns to dust. At this, the Stranger tells us he has learned the way he must earn his redemption, then wanders off to wait to be called again.

Here's my only major problem with this issue: There's no denying that the Stranger played a role in Corrigan being shot, killed and transformed into the Spectre. However, the Stranger was no more in control than Corrigan was of the situation. Corrigan was following the Stranger's lead and the Stranger was following the voice that led him to act. I get that for each act the Stranger performs at the bidding of this voice, he will lose one piece of silver until all 30 are gone and he is redeemed. But what exactly did he do? What exactly did he learn about what he must do besides follow a mysterious voice? That knowledge came in the form of the Who's Who page at the back of each of these Zero issues. In this issue, we have a Who's Who page on the Stranger that explains: "These callings are a double-edged sword for the Stranger. Although he can remove one of the 30 pieces of silver he wears as a cursed necklace, he is also eventually forced to betray those that he encounters as penance." This is nice information to have, but I don't know that I see this as betrayal when the Stranger doesn't know exactly what is going on either, and it would have been better if the story had made this key point clear, not the text page.

I've read complaints online about the writing on this book being weak, but other than the above, I have no problems with it so far. Plus, the next issue teaser mentions Trigon; as a confirmed Titans fan, I'm curious how Trigon will play into the Stranger's story. We shall see.