Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Guillem March
Colours: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Carlos M Mangual
Cover: Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
Publisher: DC Comics
Has DC’s Trinity met its match…against an unholy trinity?
As one of the first annuals in the DC Rebirth era, Trinity pits our favorite superhero triumvirate of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman against the evil Ra’s al Ghul, Circe and the demon Etrigan. With the help of some convenient Pandora pits, the rhyming demon is finally freed from his human host, Jason Blood, and starts wreaking havoc across Greece. It’s up to the Super Friends to stop him.
But this is no mere battle royale – though there’s plenty of action for the adrenaline junkie reader. Writer Rob Williams poses some philosophical questions about the nature of friendship, of sacrifice and ultimately what it means to be human. Too heady for a superhero comic book? In some writers’ hands, perhaps. But Williams walks that tightrope effortless, offering the reader a thoughtful story that adds to the Trinity’s mythos.
Over dinner, Bruce Wayne struggles to explain to Clark Kent and Diana Prince why the trio should spend time together in their non-hero hours. It takes Superman – an alien – and Wonder Woman – an Amazonian goddess – to explain that they need a human connection. That pays off as the group faces off with a super-powerful Etrigan, who can only be defeated through a great personal sacrifice.
Artist Guillem March makes good use of the oversized annual, giving the reader large bold visuals to tell the tale – which is appropriate given the titans being portrayed. The drawings give the story more weight; Etrigan has never looked more terrifyingly demonic, just as his rapidly aging ex-host Jason Blood looks increasingly feeble.
While it doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, the annual teases that a third trinity will surface in the future. Given the success of this annual, that future tale should be another story worth reading.
Overall: 8/10
