Freshly returned from a world that may or may not have been, the DC all-stars get sucked into a new threat, and then out the airlock, in Trinity #9. Is it good?
The Skinny
Settle down, Clark, that was all just a dream, and there’s no way that little girl could have come back to the real world. But wait, what’s up with these symbols on the cave wall, then?
No time to think about it, a brutalized Cyborg needs the Trinity at the Watchtower! It’s been taken over by … something … and the Flash can’t hold it together on his own. Good thing someone else is there to take care of things, though his methodology may be more scorched earth than surgical.
The Lowdown
Renowned artist Francis Manapul writes, draws and colors all of Trinity #9 himself, and it shows — in both good and bad ways. His art is usually kind of grainy, but even more so here, and the colors are conspicuously too drab, even for a horror story. Supposed Green Lantern constructs look more like animated fungus.
And the double-page spreads! Of the 20 pages in Trinity #9, only eight could definitely NOT be classified as single or double-page spreads. Now we see how what artists truly want to draw! Or maybe Manapul is unsure of his dialogue and wants to cover it with what he’s known to be good at.
If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be. Manapul’s dialogue is surprisingly crisp in most places. The early words of Batman and Superman adeptly catch readers up on the previous issues, while simultaneously pointing out the differences in their characters. There’s even some foreshadowing and a neat device that could be taken multiple ways when Cyborg tries to reboot himself. Manapul does fall prey to “telling more than showing” toward the end of Trinity #9, a strange sin for an artist to commit.
The Upshot
But overall, despite its flaws, everything in Trinity #9 comes together to create something that just works. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s an impressive feat for a one-man-band. Manapul’s art perhaps isn’t quite up to his usual high standard, but there’s plenty of room for it to stretch and fill up your gaze, if big, poster shots of his are something you’re interested in. And hey, the story’s done pretty well, too. Nice bonus.
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