A fun and iconic treatment of DC's three heavy hitters, created with energy and style by Matt Wagner, who delivers the same sensibility and strengths seen in his indy work like Grendel and Mage.

Purporting to retell the first meeting betwixt these three powerful superheroes, Trinity is constructed with the rules of such crossovers in mind. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman each contribute an antagonist to the mix, and Wagner's characterization of these opposite numbers is mostly a delight. Artemis's portrayal seemed unlike the character I've seen in previous iterations, but A) She's 14 years old here and B) I don't care at all about Artemis's continuity, so it's all fine by me.

Wagner's tale has an epic scope that allows him to depict the native environments of his protagonists, and his Metropolis, Themiscyra, Fortress of Solitude, Batcave, etc. etc., are all impressive eye candy. The trinity of the title enjoy convincing and unique characterizations, and given Wagner's roots taking inspiration from 1980s Frank Miller, his Batman is particularly enjoyable. DC would be smart to turn over a monthly Batman title to Wagner for an arc or two in order to both rake in some cash and recover from creatively bankrupt recent history.

I couldn't help but draw comparisons in my head between Trinity and Darwyn Cooke's even more expansive and ambitious New Frontier series. With the latter finishing out its run bimonthly and a hardcover collection both in doubt and many months away if it even happens, Trinity is a worthy accompaniment in both style and intent, a classy romp through DC history that provides thrills and insights the monthly comics have long, long since lost the ability to recall. Grade: 4.5/5

-- Alan David Doane

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