If Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman is about anything, it’s corgis, Steve Trevor, and the reality of getting older. With three different versions of Trinity running around the timestream and chasing a cavalcade of corgis, they have each been forced to reckon with their identity. They have to embrace the reality that they are getting older, while accepting the reality of their past. Unfortunately, Trinity isn’t the only one who happens to be getting old.
Tom King clearly went into this story with a plan, but poor pacing and a baffling premise have been weighing on the series. While it did have some inventive elements, Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3 suffers from the same problems that weighed down previous issues.
The first and most obvious issue is that the storytelling style simply does not work for this story. Having the characters recollecting every element of their adventures every single issue just leads to tiring dialogue that never establishes anything new. Even when Trinity’s mission does become deeply emotional and starts to feel truly engaging, a snarky comment from Wonder Robin or Wonder Girl wipes away any hint of emotion. King routinely undercuts genuinely impactful action with a cheap joke that never even lands.
DC Comics
As with previous issues, the art is somewhat of a saving grace for Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3. Belén Ortega and Alejandro Sánchez worked diligently to bring the story to life, despite being presented with very few opportunities for variety. This issue is largely static, taking place in the same two uninteresting settings: A cave and the same swing set that readers have been staring at since this series began.
Fortunately, Ortega and Sánchez did their best with what they had. There is always a sense of realistic lighting, providing depth to every panel while hinting at this book’s light tone. The 16-panel page is also an incredible feat of storytelling, as each panel manages to tell a complete story in its own right. Trinity’s breakdown could have been sewn slightly more thoroughly through the artwork, but it would be nitpicking an effective work by two skilled artists.
DC Comics
Unfortunately, it is not enough to save this book. King is undoubtedly an extraordinary writer, but his decision to center a Wonder Woman book around Steve Trevor is a contentious one. As the Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #1 review highlighted, Trinity’s first story should not revolve around her father. Even Wonder Woman herself was nothing more than a prop in this issue, while Steve has a frankly baffling amount of focus.
As thrilling as it is to see Trinity solving an unsolvable problem by herself, Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3 takes too much time crediting Steve Trevor, instead of Trinity. In her first solo adventure, she is utterly useless until she gets advice from her father, then solves her dilemma with a method that she tried multiple times before.
To make matters worse, the pacing is completely off. Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3 spends its entire length telling the story of Trinity’s mission to rescue her mother and the corgi. Yet, when she does, the aftermath is never shown on-page. Trinity celebrates, but we get no reaction from Wonder Woman at all. Trinity tears up, the dog barks happily, and Wonder Woman returns to the void.
DC Comics
The most disappointing part of Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3 is that it’s difficult to see who this issue is even for. Younger readers, who might have been drawn in by issue #1, would be turned off by the repetitive story. Older readers might want more depth than a pep-talk from Steve Trevor, followed by an anti-climactic ending. Every reader will probably get sick of the “breaking time” joke halfway through the issue.
Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #3 has potential, but it never quite gets there. The pacing is off-putting, the corgi story has run its course, and the book still has another three issues to go. While it continues to be carried by impressive art and admittedly adorable dogs, there are serious problems that will be difficult to fix in three issues. As much as I love dogs, I would rather not chase the rest of these corgis.
You must be logged in to post a comment.