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A review by rhganci
Justice League: Trinity War (the New 52) by Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire
5.0
So here it is: the first major, Earth-Prime-wide crossover event of the New 52, and it did not disappoint. Trinity War is a huge story, and while it's not quite a war, the conflict between the heroes--that's pretty much all there is here--is very compelling storytelling, with Johns in control as usual and the characters moving toward something bigger still. Trinity War was everything I was hoping it would be, and stands tall as Johns' best work as a writer since he became CCO of DC Comics. I could not have been more pleased.
First off, I'd like to address the characterization that the writers use in building this narrative, as there are some striking moments of interaction and dialogue that elevate this crossover in the way that big stories should. Most excellent in this vein are the dialogues that take place between Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as they confront the danger that Pandora's return brings to a world now under the protection of the Justice League. It's a culmination of the experiences we've shared with them as readers, both in the stories (the adventures against Darkseid, Graves, and Atlantis) as well as the implicit battles that have taken place in the in-between times. They seem seasoned, mature, and serious about their responsibilities. The other figures that populate the story (and there are a LOT of them) all operate off of the leadership that DC's trinity brings to the conflict, and the way in which Johns centers their decision-making on what the Justice League should and should not do really allows the War to reach full boil. The sense of teamwork, then of separation, and then the final meet-up when all of the hidden figures step out from behind their respective curtains could not have been more pronounced, measured, and in the end, effective. This conclusion--even though it's not really a conclusion at all--I found extremely satisfying. In terms of storytelling, Trinity War is a masterful achievement.
The artwork is likewise terrific, but as multiple artists work to tell the graphic side of the story, the most stunning work goes to Ivan Reis in the work that he contributes to the story's most dramatic moments (including one particularly serious conversation of the like I mention above). The final issue, however--the story's best moment, as it should be--contains four splash pages that just arrested my page-turning tendencies and forced me to take stock of the artistic value of a high-concept, high-quality story like Trinity War. The detail, as it has been since he inherited Justice League from Jim Lee after issue #12, has never been sharper, and the manner in which he narrates the final showdown of the arc is the best and most breathtaking artwork that DC Comics has published since September of 2011. These pages worked together seamlessly to bring Trinity War to its close, and expectations and excitement could not be higher for where the Justice League is headed from here.
The whole story succeeds on so many levels that the weaknesses, absolutely present, seem an exercise in taking the story too seriously. I'll not remember any of them when I think back on reading this collection, nor will I notice them when I consult this volume in preparation for reading the next big thing from DC Comics, Forever Evil, when it reaches trade paperback. Johns, Lemire, Reis, Finch, et al. have done such a terrific job with the first huge-concept story of the New 52 that I continue to make reading their and their co-workers' publications with great enthusiasm.
First off, I'd like to address the characterization that the writers use in building this narrative, as there are some striking moments of interaction and dialogue that elevate this crossover in the way that big stories should. Most excellent in this vein are the dialogues that take place between Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as they confront the danger that Pandora's return brings to a world now under the protection of the Justice League. It's a culmination of the experiences we've shared with them as readers, both in the stories (the adventures against Darkseid, Graves, and Atlantis) as well as the implicit battles that have taken place in the in-between times. They seem seasoned, mature, and serious about their responsibilities. The other figures that populate the story (and there are a LOT of them) all operate off of the leadership that DC's trinity brings to the conflict, and the way in which Johns centers their decision-making on what the Justice League should and should not do really allows the War to reach full boil. The sense of teamwork, then of separation, and then the final meet-up when all of the hidden figures step out from behind their respective curtains could not have been more pronounced, measured, and in the end, effective. This conclusion--even though it's not really a conclusion at all--I found extremely satisfying. In terms of storytelling, Trinity War is a masterful achievement.
The artwork is likewise terrific, but as multiple artists work to tell the graphic side of the story, the most stunning work goes to Ivan Reis in the work that he contributes to the story's most dramatic moments (including one particularly serious conversation of the like I mention above). The final issue, however--the story's best moment, as it should be--contains four splash pages that just arrested my page-turning tendencies and forced me to take stock of the artistic value of a high-concept, high-quality story like Trinity War. The detail, as it has been since he inherited Justice League from Jim Lee after issue #12, has never been sharper, and the manner in which he narrates the final showdown of the arc is the best and most breathtaking artwork that DC Comics has published since September of 2011. These pages worked together seamlessly to bring Trinity War to its close, and expectations and excitement could not be higher for where the Justice League is headed from here.
The whole story succeeds on so many levels that the weaknesses, absolutely present, seem an exercise in taking the story too seriously. I'll not remember any of them when I think back on reading this collection, nor will I notice them when I consult this volume in preparation for reading the next big thing from DC Comics, Forever Evil, when it reaches trade paperback. Johns, Lemire, Reis, Finch, et al. have done such a terrific job with the first huge-concept story of the New 52 that I continue to make reading their and their co-workers' publications with great enthusiasm.