Rating:  -
Trinity tells the tale of Batman and Superman's first encounter with Wonder Woman. The villains they must unite against are Ra's Al Ghul, with the assistance of Bizzaro and one of Wonder Woman's fellow Amazons.
Sometimes when too many heroes are put in a story together, the characters fight for story time and don't get a chance to develop. But three is a good number and there's a good balance here, each having something to bring to the table. In this case, it's the big three of DC comics.
Throughout this novel, we get to see each one of them in their own element. Each city has it's own look and feel, just like the heroes that inhabit them. The artwork and narrative tells us exactly how each of these characters are thinking and feeling, from Batman hating Supeman to assist him in flying, down to Batman and Wonder Woman's love hate relationship.
Back to the story. It would be easier in a situation like this, to have the three biggest superheroes battle against their most nefarious villains. Wagner was smart in avoiding the temptation of using Joker, Luthor and Cheetah and giving them a more original match up.
Trinity gives you pretty much what you'd expect, and that's a good thing. I enjoyed watching these characters interact with each other in a way I've never seen before. The little cameos are a nice touch as well. Lois Lane's being the worst of these. She comes off as very loud and annoying, however the seen-but-not-heard appearance of Aquaman makes up for it.
Overall, an excellent, fast read, and should be enjoyable to anyone who's a fan of any of the three stars, my personal favorite being Batman. Check it out.
Rating:  -
I love Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman. They're terrific characters. But this story is underwritten, adequately illustrated, and unsatisfying. The characterizations are cardboard, and the story is just a series of random events with no real payoff. It reads like it was made up as it went along, and lacks a decent story arc or interesting interactions from the BIG 3.
It's not terrible, but it's just not very good. And for a story involving 3 of DCs biggest guns, it is surprisingly uninvolving and flat. Matt Wagner hasn't impressed me with either his writing or art. At least, not in this book. Batman and The Monster Men seemed better. Maybe it was just too big of a story.
As for Wagner's art, it is neither terrible or great, but exactly middle of the road. It gets the job done, but in many of the busier fights, particularly the battle for Paradise Island, the entire thing never really meshes together and never feels as epic or exciting as it should.
Batman and Ra's Alghul suffer the worst in this story. Batman is reduced to a thug who yells and punches people. Ra's is such an ineffective and worthless villain he doesn't seem capable of threatening a school bus, much less an entire world.
Not good. Not good at all.
Rating:  -
The most appealing thing about it was the Superman's characterization. Wagner captures Superman's essential nobility beautifully. Superman isn't just physically super in this story, he is kind, good, and tolerant as well...all without coming across as a goody two-shoes. Wonderwoman feeling as if she is in the presence of Apollo was a very apt comparison. Batman, on the other hand, comes across as a nearly out of control psycho. I'm used to Batman being portrayed as a grim, revenge-obsessed vigilante but here he's rude, brutal,and unlikeable. Batman fans may find this story rather offensive, in fact.
This is something to buy if you are specifically a fan of Wagner's more than something you might want as a fan of one of the three main characters.
Rating:  -
Trinity comprises the Holy DC Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonderwoman. This story takes place early in the DC Universe story arc. Batman and Superman meet the Amazon princess for the first time. There is a brief appearance of Robin in his old uniform. We can assume it is either Dick Grayson or Jason Todd. Batman has a simple black bat graphic on his chest, and his cape and cowl are black instead of blue.
Writer and artist Matt Wagner writes a great tale, providing glimpses into the minds of the three heroes as they race to stop R'as Al Gul from taking over the world. R'as has lured Bizarro, Superman's dense but powerful clone, into helping him. A powerful young woman who may be an Amazon is also helping R'as as a mercenary.
Some great moments in this story. R'as is captivated by Wonder Woman's beauty and wants to make her his consort. Diana, in turn, is struck by Superman's magnificence. She compares him to Apollo. We sympathize with the Bizarro monster's longing for a "friend." And the best part is the Lazarus pits, with the ancient female seer, incanting to the Demon.
Slightly negative is that Bats comes across as somewhat of a jerk. We know he likes to work alone, but sometimes in this story it seems like he cannot control his temper and has zero social skills in communicating with Kent and Diana.
There is an excellent introduction.
Rating: -
3.5 stars is more like it. If you're looking for a good superhero read, with three of the greatest superheroes of all time, then snatch this one up. Wagner's writing is good, at times intelligent, at times a little campy, but this is a required combination for a story dealing with three "gods" that wear spandex.
At times the art will blow you away, like Fleischer cartoons with highlights and more intense coloring. But toward the end you can almost see through the images, to where Wagner was pushing himself or rushing the book along. The story concludes a little abruptly, not leaving you necessarily thirsty but maybe a little disappointed.
Overall though, this IS a good read, and few writers can balance these three characters together, while keeping each of them equally interesting.
Bravo, Wagner.
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