Justice League: Trinity War by Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, Ian Reis, Doug Mahnke, and Mikel Janin (graphic novel review).
The complete volume of ‘Justice League: Trinity War’ has a list in the indicia of about the six different comicbook titles that it was extracted from. This format makes it easier to access and read in chronological order. I say “extracted” because the parts from JLA appear to be a few pages longer than the entire sideplot.
The introduction shows the gods passing sentence on three people, the Trinity of Sin, at the Rock of Eternity. It appears that the two men, the Phantom Stranger and the Question, have chosen to redeem themselves.Pandora, the third individual, unlocked a sealed box, unleashing numerous malevolent forces on Earth, although they weren’t inherently malevolent. Despite this, she faces a fate of self-redemption.This brings us to the present day, when Shazam decides to transport the ashes of the Dark Adam to the Kahndaq Dessert, a location that the superheroes have pledged to avoid.
However, Shazam stands out as he is not affiliated with either Justice League team, despite both arriving to retrieve him. Initially, Superman discovers that Shazam’s magic-based strength surpasses his own capabilities.At a certain moment, Pandora shows up, desiring Superman, disguised as an alien, to unlock her box and release the demons from their confinement. That doesn’t go well, and Superman kills Dr. Light with his heat vision. The question of his innocence carries on throughout this story, but that’s a spoiler.
Getting the answer while in the pursuit of Pandora gets a tad existentialism when the Phantom Stranger takes a few of them to find Dr. Light in the hereafter to prove Superman’s innocence. Superman’s vulnerability reduces his appearances in this book, but as Batman says, their world needs Superman.
A significant portion of the plot contains spoilers, yet it remains a thrilling journey. I believe this book should have been numbered similarly to the other Justice League books, especially since the ending directly transitions into ‘Justice League Volume 6: Injustice League (The New 52!)’. There are numerous characters involved, including another villain team member, Signalman, who appears to possess the ability to detect the medical damage of others. If there is a flaw, it’s the ambiguity created by double-page spreads that don’t always follow a straight line across the page. Because it’s over a decade old now, I doubt my comment will change much.
I did come away knowing more about what was going on in the gaps now, and it didn’t hurt too much to read later.
GF Willmetts
September 2024
(pub: DC Comics, 2014. 320 page graphic novel. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-4012-4944-1)
check out website: www.dc.com
