Last month, we saw the end of Pandora and Phantom Stranger’s titles once and for all, but as I said, that wasn’t the end of us seeing the characters in action; no, this month brings the brand new title Trinity of Sin, which features Pandora, Phantom Stranger and the Question as well. Written by Phantom Stranger writer, J.M. DeMatteis, let’s try to answer the greatest question ever asked: Is it good?
Trinity of Sin #1 (DC Comics)
In Chicago, the Question is taking up residence in a boarding house and is still wondering about himself/his past. In San Francisco, the Phantom Stranger and Doctor Thirteen are investigating and trying to put a stop to an intense physic energy storm before it destroys the area. In southern India, Pandora taking her first vacation in centuries to finally relax and find herself. However, each one will soon encounter a threat that may be beyond what they are capable of alone…
Dammit, I wish I didn’t leave my proton pack back at home now.
Trinity of Sin #1 is a nice opening issue. Although having read the previous series could be useful for extra information, it’s not really required at all for this story; the comic does a fantastic job of introducing the main characters, the backstory, and even the main villain’s motivation rather quickly and efficiently. You come away from it feeling like you at least got to know something about the players involved, how they view themselves and one another, and more. Sure, Trinity of Sin #1 is pretty much setup in general, but it’s very accessible setup and should be more than enough to get a new reader’s attention.
The writing by J.M. DeMatteis is strong. The story structure is very good, giving the comic plenty of time to introduce all of the characters and the villain well enough without having them fight for attention. The pacing is nice, the dialogue and narration is solid and characterization seemed accurate. The only things that were off were the ending, because the reveal of what the villain looks like was a bit goofy and the fact that Dr. Thirteen was given a bit of the shaft despite being a reoccurring character in the Phantom Stranger’s book.
But I like living here! There’s free heat, breakfast, and everything!
The artwork by Yvel Guichet is what I’m most mixed about; the artist isn’t bad by any means, but his work comes across as… average looking. For a series like this I feel that an artist whose work is far moodier, atmospheric, or more mystical looking might be in order to really convey the imagery (like Phil Winslade or Fernando Blanco from the Phantom Stranger book). As it stands, Guichet does a fairly decent job with drawing the characters (with a few exceptions here and there), the monsters and magic, the settings, and the layouts; it just needed something a bit more… unconventional for lack of a better term.
Is It Good?
Trinity of Sin #1 is a solid start to this brand new series. While it’s mostly setup, it does a solid job of introducing new and old fans alike to the characters, background, and villain for the series. I think a different artist would have been better to really give the book a bit more of an edge, but what we got was still good. If you like the previous series these characters were in, especially Phantom Stranger, give this one a look. You won’t regret it.
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