Trinity #2

Quick Summary

Pros: The art and story are great once again but seeing the relationships developing may be the greatest part.

Cons: This issue ends up almost being more of a Superman book than a Trinity book, so if you are dying for more Trinity you may leave a little disappointed.

Overall: This issue tosses you in the middle of a strange new world where the Trinity’s relationship is once again demonstrated and family ties are explored.

Story

The story here is Superman and how his past makes him who he is today. Manapul delves into the Man of Steel’s relationship with his father in a way that has not been done much outside of Clark Kent’s occasional narration. In addition, Manapul also reveals this story arc’s first villain and give a solid cliffhanger of more danger and intrigue to come in the future.

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We really dive into Superman’s past in this issue and get to see why his relationship with his father is so important. This, in turn, then allows us to develop a more in depth connection to Superman’s relationship with his own son. This ends up being a great thing because it allows Superman’s character to be built up in a brand new way that no one has really seen before. It also allows the rest of the Trinity to get a glimpse into what makes Clark Kent Superman and could end up playing out in this strengthening of their relationship.

The cliffhanger in this issue is enough to say this series is off to a good start. Revealing that Poison Ivy is the villain was unexpected, despite being subtly hinted at, and then revealing that there may be another villain is even more unexpected. I’ll hazard a guess that Mongul may be behind it but Poison Ivy seems to indicate that the villain is in the Black Mercy plant itself. Either way, pairing up the Black Mercy plant with Poison Ivy is so obviously simple yet I don’t think I have ever seen it done before. Here’s looking to the next issue with baited breath.

The only slight complaint with this issue is that, by the end of it, it becomes a Superman story with the name Trinity on it. Fans going into this issue hoping to see some development within the Trinity will leave disappointed as they mostly end up seeing Superman and his father interact. However, with the next issue being titled “Murder in Gotham” this may just be the first of a small series of trips through the Trinity’s defining characteristics. If this is true, it may turn out to be a great way to allow the Trinity to connect with each other’s histories and each other’s most vulnerable moments. Only time will tell here.

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Art

Everything in this issue is bathed in a golden sunlight that Francis Manapul manages to pull off so incredibly well. The art here is, once again, amazing and a delight to look at. If you liked it in the first issue you may end up liking it even more this issue.

Characters and natural scenery take the spotlight in this issue. Each member of the Trinity looks bright and bold and seems almost like they could leap right off of the page. In addition, the environments they are in look wonderful too. Some of the best scenes from this issue include the golden Autumn forest that they walk through and the colorful stream at the end of the issue. I was also very glad to see the return of this issue’s villain’s pre-Flashpoint costume.

Continuity

There are not too many connections in this issue that were not present in the first issue. To see those check the Continuity section of ComicBookWire’s Review of Issue #1.

• Superman talks about his father’s death at the start of this issue. This occurrence is collected in Superman: Last Son of Krypton.
• Spoilers ahead- This is a connection to the issue prior to this one, which I’m only including because I was a little bit confused by it at first. Poison Ivy tells Jon that the seeds worked at the very end of this issue. It seems she was the one who gave Jon seeds in the first issue, something he talks about with his mother at the issue’s start.