Trinity #52 - DC

This is it! The final issue of this series. Can you believe it's been a year already? What really gets me is that it's been 3 years since the beginning of 52. Wow! One of the books last week, I forget which, had 2 characters talking about something, and one them mentions the number 52. The other responds with, "I thought we were done with that?" Hilarious. Anyways, this issue opens with a great gate-fold cover by Mark Bagley. Speaking of which . . he's really done a great job on this series. That's one of the things that's impressed my about this run . . the consistency of creative talent. Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley did at least half of the book, the entire run. Kudos for their stamina. Fabian Nicieza was also around for the entire thing as the scripter of the other half of the book. And Scott McDaniel, Tom Derenick and Mike Norton switched off on the pencilling of that half. I thought it was a stellar performance by all involved. This issue is mostly a 'cooling off' issue. Most of our heroes spend it at the Keystone Coffee Pier mingling and sharing their experiences, that they currently still remember . . even if it is like a foggy dream. The worldsoul is putting the finishing touches on reassembling the world, so once she does . . everything else is going to seem like a dream that you can't quite recall. There are a few important 'take aways' though, from this issue and actually the series. The world of the Crime Syndicate is going to be changed quite a bit. I also imagine it's going to be a bit of time before we see them again . . at least in our world. Enigma and Steph are back there now, and they're intent on making it a better place. It'll be interesting to see the future conflict between them and the Crime Syndicate. Plus, if I'm not mistaken, I think Steph has merged with the Void Hound. But I could be wrong there. All in all, they're going to have an interesting future as they all put their world back together. The Green Lanterns have taken care of Despero and his fleet. He's going to be imprisoned on OA. Which is interesting because he'll be there for the 'jail-break'. I wonder what his involvement will be? Plus there's Kanjar-Ro. He's survived through all of this, and actually gotten away with some of Krona's knowledge. I think he's a threat for a little bit farther in the future. But, he'll definitely be back. As will Morgaine Le Fey. Jason Blood has captured her in some kind of rune stone, but . . they all know they can't hold her forever. "But for a time, at least . . she will make and excellent bookend on the library shelves of Jason Blood." You should always worry about someone who talks about themselves in the third person. It's just not right. We also have Charity, Tarot and Gangbuster whom I think are all going to be making their marks on the DC Universe. These 3 are definitely going to be 3 to watch. Their adventures have literally just begun. Xalitan Xor, Konvikt, is also still around. It turns out that the noncombatant he'd killed was Crimelord Vittaglia's son. So as his penance, he's taken on his security and protection as his sole cause in life. I think he's picked the wrong horse in that race, but . . it'll propel Vittaglia's status to a whole new level. Introducing us to an all new villain. Hey, not everything that comes out of this can be about the 'good guys'. Right? Tomorrow Woman is still alive . . as promised in the stories. And she seems to have based herself in Los Angeles. And the Dreambound not only have been cleared of all charges, but . . they seem to have captured the media's attention and hearts. They look to be the new media darlings. Needless to say, their adventures have also only just begun. By the end of the issue it appears that everything is getting back to 'normal', as a catastrophe presents itself and the 'heroes' go to confront it together . . as they always have. "It's big . . but we can handle it." Oh yeah, and Krona? Krona appears to be caught in the center of all the energy that's putting the world, and all of reality really back together. "At the heart of it, in the searing, roiling caldera of the unleashed energy, a figure huddles and gasps . . ." This is a prison that I don't think he's going to be getting out of anytime soon. Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I like the way it's progressed, and the interesting story-lines that have come out of it. As we move on, it'll be interesting to see how it . . and these new characters, and plot-directions, will affect the future of the DC Universe. Again, kudos to all involved for the fantastic effort. On our end . . it was definitely worth it. Thanks!!

Trinity #51 - DC

Now that I've finally got caught up on all my books . . I'm more up-to-date on my posts, as far as publication dates . . now I just have to find the time to actually do the blogs. Things are winding down, as far as the various TV shows go, but . . they're just heating up at the movies. Also we're just coming into the busy time of year for me, both personally and professionally. It just seems like it gets harder and harder for me, everyday, to find the time for the things that I want to do. Plus, my wife's schedule is more confluent with my own right now, and . . she doesn't want me spending 'our time' doing 'my time' stuff. It seems like the only 'my time' I have right now is on the way to or from work. I think that's why I drive the way I do. I have to have fun where I can. Anyways, this was a great issue. I love those Shane Davis covers. This issue the world is all coming back together. However, with such a shock to the system, things may be worse off now with everything trying to fit itself back together. But the world's been given another chance. We'll just have to see what they make of it. We have a few things that are left hanging, which I don't think we're going to be able to wrap up in the final issue. The worldsoul is out of her cage. Well . . I don't know that 'cage' is the right word, the world was her home. It's where she's lived for billions of years. But now . . now she's outside of that home. Right now she's using her power to help with putting things back together, but . . I'm not sure what the future holds for her. John Stewart has finally been separated from the Void Hound, but . . I don't think we've seen the last of the Hound. And, I don't know how John can come out of this not changed. The delicate balance between Le Fey, Despero and Enigma has been disrupted. Morgaine still wants to be in control, but . . I don't know what she's in control of. Enigma has turned on them, and Despero is only hanging on because he's still hoping that there's something to be gained. To that end he seems to have wounded Enigma, but we don't really now how bad. With the SPHERE damaged, the spirit of his daughter is loose, and she's trying to do what she can to help him. Batman, or the Batman-god, ends up coming to help her, and Enigma, but this issue we don't really know the extent of what he's done. The Trinity makes one last lash-out at Le Fey and Despero, taking them down, but it looks like they've surrendered their power to the worldsoul to help her better fix things and deal with Krona. The issue ends with them back in human form and immediately confronted by the Crime-Syndicate. "You're exhausted, drained, barely able to stand. I almost hate to admit it . . but that's just how I like my victims." Well, we're down to the final issue. Next issue is the last, and, hopefully, we'll see what kind of changes this story will make on the DC Universe. Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick . . along with Scott McDaniel, have really put a lot of work into this series. They've kept it on schedule and looking great. That'll be the take-away from all of this also . . what projects will all of these fantastic creators take on next? I really hope Mark picks up another project for DC. I really enjoyed his take on all of these characters. I can't believe 3 years of weekly comics are over . . 52, Countdown and now Trinity. What's next on the shelf?

Trinity #50 - DC

All I can say about this issue is . . . Wow! The magnitude of what's happened here is incredible. Last issue Krona, literally, tore the Earth apart. This issue opens up with pieces, people and objects from Earth floating around the milky-way like so much space junk. It looks like the concert hall, and parking lot, after a Motley Crue concert. I'm laughing because I just got done watching them on my favorite show . . Bones. Anyways, the only thing left standing . . sort of, is Krona and the worldsoul. This is what Krona has wanted all along. He's wanted to talk to the worldsoul and get the answers that he craves. The problem is . . he's not happy with the answers that she gives him. She explains to him that beings like herself . . they don't look at the constraints of reality the same way humans, or sentient beings do. They don't really have 'wants' and 'desires'. They don't 'thirst for knowledge'. And they definitely don't scheme or have hidden motives and agendas. Really . . all this does is piss Krona off. "I've lived for billions of years! I am far older than you. Little soul! I will not be taken in by this . . this . . I . . what was that? All of that? What did it mean? It made no sense. All that. All that. It's . . . it doesn't . . just doesn't . . NO! It's not enough! You can't just . . float and exist . . and dance! This is not the way things work . . I don't accept it! There is more! There has to be more! SHOW ME THE TRUTH!" But, in the middle of his tirade, the Trinity show up. They weren't wiped out as the world was. They decide, with the help of the worldsoul, to encase Krona, and remake the world. But they need all of their energies, including Krona's, to do it. On the final page the world is back, and we see some of our heroes on the North Pole. This is where the fight took place last issue. They don't know that the world's ended and has been recreated. But . . Lois knows something . . somethings wrong. "Oh god. It's not over. It's not over!!" We're almost finished here, and Busiek, Bagley, Nicieza and McDaniel are pulling out all the stops on the final few issues. Not to mention the fantastic Shane Davis cover. I can't wait to see what happens next week.

Trinity #49 - DC

I don't know how there can be an issue #50, when it looks like everything ends in issue #49. Last issue we saw that the Trinity had reverse engineered Le Fey's spell, and turned it on Krona. The problem is, between Le Fey and Despero . . these 2 have seen what the extent of this power is, and they're pretty much willing to do anything to get a grasp on it again. Their minions are pretty much dispersed to the winds. Well, they're still around, but they've all switched sides. Le Fey had them all temporarily under her control, but . . they decided on their own that their servitude wasn't worth the ultimate results of her plans. I think at first they just thought her a world conqueror, just like any other madman/woman. They didn't realize that she was willing to destroy it if that's what it took. Maybe the spell they're using to hold Krona was only tenuous. But eventually Le Fey exerts enough power to break it. And when she does, Krona is pissed. "I am free! And I act! And I will have this world's spirit . . I will have what I came for . . even if I must . . rip it out with my own hands!" This guy takes the pursuit of knowledge to a whole new level. He has literally begun ripping the world apart. We see the various heroes around the world doing what they can to hang on, but . . it's all fruitless. How do you fight a god whom is destroying your home? Hopefully we'll find out next issue, because as this issue ends . . the world and it's inhabitants, not to mention all of it's feckless trinkets, are floating away like so much space fodder. It appears to be the end of the world as we know it . . literally. Another fantastic issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Mike Norton. I can't wait to see what they have in store for the finish.

Trinity #48 - DC

This issue our Trinity performs the hard part of their task . . to cut off the source of Morgaine Le Fey's power . . Krona. Actually, I think he's somehow tapped into the creation energy, and with the Worldsoul weakened, Le Fey has been able to tap into him. Which is why she was trying to control the waves of energy that were assaulting the Earth. Anyways, Batman's plan is to try to give Tarot, and the Worldsoul, also Enigma's daughter Stephanie, time to recuperate from Krona's meddling and become whole again. Luckily, Le Fey's camp is already in civil war. Enigma and Vox have both turned on her, and the Dreambound are now fighting on the side of good. Really, all she has left is Despero, but . . I don't think he's going to take her commanding him very much longer. Plus, being the warrior that he is, I think he's soon going to realize he's on the losing side of this battle. Anyways, Superman uses Tarot, Sun-Chained-in-Ink, and the Void Hound to encase Krona in basically the same spell that Le Fey had used on the Trinity. Somehow, Superman is channeling the energy through those 3, and then the rest of the heroes, to trap him. But what are they going to do now? Well . . that's the question for the final chapters. I think we only have 3 issues left, so . . they're going to have to wrap this up pretty quickly. And then we'll find out just what exactly this has done . . what changes have been wrought across the DC Universe. The 2 things I notice right now are Tomorrow Woman, and the Dreambound. I think we're going to see both of them make some big impacts across some story-arcs this summer. And who knows what else will come out of this. We're nearing the end, and it's getting more and more exciting. Kudos to Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. Thanks for all your hard work.

Trinity #47 - DC

With this series nearing it's end, it seems like everything is starting to stack up against Morgaine Le Fey. Our Trinity has figured out her location . . with the help of Kanjar-Ro, "So they got my beacon, eh? There, Despero . . that will teach you to underestimate the mighty Kanjar-Ro." And with their focus being on the major threat, Krona, Le Fey seems to be under the gun by her former compatriots . . Enigma and the Crime Syndicate, Xor and the Dreambound, and I'm guessing it's only going to be a matter of time before Despero decides that he jumped in on the losing side of a battle. And that's not even mentioning all the rest of the Earth's heroes that have returned to normal . . the JSA, the JLA, the Titans, the Green Lanterns, etc., etc.. However, we also have a problem with the Worldsoul and Tarot. Because of their interference they've interrupted the process that Krona had started. He was trying to replace the Worldsoul with that of Enigma's daughter. Basically, he wants to converse with the Worldsoul to find out the secrets of the Universe. But I'm not sure I understand why he has to take the soul out to do that. Anyways, with the process interrupted in the middle, it looks like both of the souls may be stuck inside of Tarot. So . . she has 3 souls inside of her? A few more and she could have her own party. In the 2nd part of the story, the Trinity gets some help from an unexpected source, Luthor. Really, he wants them to use their newfound 'god-hood' to change the world. And of course he's got specific things in mind. But, since they pretty much dismissed him like a stray gnat, he contacts Alfred to try to get some information passed along. We don't know what that is yet, or it's intentions, but . . it seems to have an effect on the Trinity. Superman is ready to dismiss it simply because of the source, but Wonder Woman tells him to look beyond the messenger. And Batman? Batman seems to have a plan. But we don't know what it is yet. We only have a few issues to go, and it looks like we're winding down pretty fast. This was another great issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick.

Trinity #46 - DC

The Trinity, I think, are starting to 'feel' some of their connections to their old lives. Lois gets through, a little, to Superman by throwing him a bag of cookies. "They were baked by Ma." And as Superman is monitoring some of the electronic signals around the globe, Batman wants him to tune in on a specific one for him . . I think he wants to check in on Alfred. And they've come to a realization . . "These people don't quit . . but it was not we who taught them that . . it was they who taught us." Meanwhile, everyone is trying to figure out where Le Fey and her minions have gone. They can track the energy signature to the moon, but . . they aren't there any longer. Krona has taken them all to one of the poles. Where better to align with the worldsoul than the planetary poles. But the process is taking longer than Le Fey or Despero are comfortable with. "You have offered me this planet's worldsoul, if I replace it with the techno-child's spirit. I must extract both without damaging them too greatly." But they aren't going to have to much time because . . of all people, Kanjar-ro has alerted them of their position. "If you can chase the witch and her freaks out of her stronghold . . you've earned the right to come to the rescue of the great Kanjar-ro . ." Also, the Dreambound have gone after Xor, Konvikt. They believe that they can help each other, plus . . they can help restore Xor's honor. And, in the anti-matter universe, the Crime Syndicate's planet is pulling itself apart, because of what's happening on Earth. As much as he despises them, Enigma asks for their help in fixing things. "You're going to help me . . or we all die." We're down to the final issues. We can see the finish line from here. However Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel haven't let up a bit. We're coming in for a strong finish and it should be a heck of a story.

Trinity #45 - DC

Well we knew the split between the evil powers was going to happen sooner or later, I just didn't expect the events to unfold in the way they did. Our Trinity have made their way to the castle Branek. They've made their way through anything that has been thrown at them. Now they're approaching Le Fey and her cohorts. They easily take down the Crime Syndicate, and while at their weakest, Enigma comes in and sends them back to the anti-matter universe so he can deal with them there when this is all over. His betrayal is immediately noticed by Le Fey and Despero. Then Le Fey finally figures out what Tarot meant when she said that the power to win was close by. It was on the moon. That's when Le Fey transports them all, and they confront Krona. Normally humans would be beneath his notice, but . . "I can taste creation energy . . my creation energy . . clinging to you like morning dew." Anyways, long story short . . they strike a bargain. Krona wants to interact with the worldsoul . . Le Fey wants his energy. So Le Fey offers up her conduit to the worldsoul, Tarot, in exchange for the power. However, to do this, the worldsoul will need to be replaced. That's when Krona notices the soul within SHPERE. He says he'll replace the worldsoul with that one. Obviously Enigma isn't going to go along with this . . that's his daughter after-all. And upon watching these events unfold, Konvikt also disagrees with their methods . . "No Honor! No Honor!", he keeps repeating as he tries to stop this from happening. Enigma tries to get SPHERE to transport out of the melee, but she has other plans and tries to gather up Tarot and Konvikt also. But Krona senses what was important so he keeps Tarot and SPHERE within reach. Konvikt is deposited in an arctic wasteland, and Enigma . . Enigma is sent back to his own world in the anti-matter universe. What a fantastic turn of events. I'm just wondering . . with the Trinity's powers so attuned to the actual Earth, will they also be able to sense the power struggle going on directly overhead? Or will they be to late? Another great issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. We're getting pretty close to the end. I can't wait to see how this all plays out . . and the repercussions.

Trinity #44 - DC

I have a feeling that these Dreambound characters are going to end up someplace after this is all over. They're a bunch of characters that are just to interesting to let them just fade away. Plus, they're not really a bad bunch of kids. I think they just got caught up in all the bad stuff that was happening around them. This issue they finally realize that they don't necessarily have to be a part of all of this madness. It's more than any of them really want to deal with. As they leave they're upset that they're abandoning Tarot and SPHERE, but . . they don't know what else to do. Also this issue, our band of intrepid do-gooders, who are trying to get through to the 'gods' that are trying to remake the world, finally get them to come down to their level and listen to their arguments. The problem is . . if they abandon these god-like abilities . . they may not be able to fix what Le Fey's done to the world. They think the greater-good trumps their individual needs to have their friends back. However, I think that the faith and trust of the rest of the world is going to be the final piece that they need to truly complete the task. In the process though, they decide to spare Tomorrow Woman any further anguish. They fix it so she's no longer fading from reality. On the bad guys side of things, Kanjar-ro's recent attack at the Castle Branek, with the aid of Despero and the Crime Syndicate, has been thwarted by . . Despero. He remembers the dreams of power that Le Fey tried to give him and he's come to an agreement with her. Also she appealed to the Crime Syndicate by offering them a crack at the Trinity. And Enigma finally confronts his tormentors . . the Crime Syndicate. "I'm going to break you. All of you. Break your power over our Earth. You killed my wife and son. Almost killed my daughter, and I'll make you pay." I like this series. I enjoy the story-line. But, what'll be really interesting is to see what the effect will be on some of these characters afterwards. Also, where they're all going to land. This was another terrific issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick. We're almost at the end.

Trinity #43 - DC

Things are heating up pretty fast here. Now that the Trinity has figured out that their world has been changed, they're pretty set on changing it back. The problem is . . have they lost their perspective. They no longer think of themselves as the peoples heroes. Now they see themselves as their gods. Last issue that started fixing things on the east coast. This issue they move on to Europe. They breach the wall that Le Fey has built about the continent, but as they're trying to figure out what to do next, the League and the Society come in to fight all the demons and such that Le Fey is attempting to throw at them. So . . they leave. Which leaves everybody else wondering, what the hell's going on? So, I think, down the line, their perspective is going to be the final hurdle that they'll have to face to truly get things back to normal. In the meantime, Krona and the Void-hound have set up a base on the moon to try to tap into the world-soul. As far as I know right now, Tarot is in charge of that. Which I guess is why Krona thinks it's going to be a pretty easy task. The only thing really holding him back is that he doesn't quite know what all the rest of the stuff is that's going on down there. Also Kanjar-Ro has teamed up with the Ultraman and his group and has decided to storm Castle Branek. "Cringe witch! Cringe, all of you . . for Kanjar-Ro's moment of vengeance is at hand!" I'm not sure yet what that's all about. And the group that started all of this change in the first place, Alfred, Dick, Donna, Tresser, Kara and Lois . . they've decided to get back together and see what they can do about getting these guys back to earth . . as it were. There's a lot going on and only a few more issues to sort it all out. I hope they can piece it all together in time. This was another great issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick.

Trinity #42 - DC

It seems that we have a whole new problem developing with this issue. The 'gods' are back . . Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, but they're so wrapped up in their own 'godhood' that them seem oblivious to the 'little-people' around them. Yes they're attempting to remake the world, putting things back the way they're supposed to be, but . . I think they're doing that mostly because they realize that someone . . Le Fey, has taken their world away from them. Or, she almost did. So now, they want to put it back. After all that's what 'gods' do. Right? They held the tide at Metropolis, and then this issue they put Washington, New York City, Gotham, and then most of the Eastern seaboard back on track. They even change some of the heroes back to their true identities, thereby putting the League and the Society back in place. But, other than that, they don't seem to care much for what the people want, and . . not for lack of trying, they don't really seem to be listening either. It seems that their main goal is to retake 'their' world. In the back-up, Jose, Charity and Tarot seem to be getting back into the mix of things. Jose feels kind of lost in the crowd with all these heroes. After all, Gangbuster is pretty much a solo gig. And Charity and Tarot still have quite a bit of work to do. I'm sure they could definitely use his help. The issue ends with Charity suggesting that Jose and Tarot are supposed to be lovers. Or maybe that's just the feeling of the bond that they have. This was another great chapter by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. This story is winding down pretty fast. Hopefully there will be some interesting developments.

Trinity #41 - DC

The Trinity actually forces Le Fey and her crew to retreat this issue. Actually, Enigma suggests it, but Le Fey doesn't want to quite fighting. "I have waited and planned for centuries. Enough waiting." So Xor sucker-punches her and knocks her out. From there they all head back to Castle Branek. But it doesn't make all of her villainous recruits very happy because they leave them high and dry. Eventually they all realize they can use their own piece of the chaos rift to take them back to their homes . . or they're cast out by the Trinity. Metropolis emerges safe and unscathed. But the Trinity realizes that the rest of the world lies in ruin, so they have to figure out what they're going to do about that. Meanwhile, all around Metropolis, the world is starting to shift back to the way it's supposed to be. Unfortunately, there's a few heroes around that don't really have a place in the real world. Barry disappears in a bolt of lightning, and Triumph also goes away. The latter of which leaves Tomorrow Woman wondering if what they're doing is actually for the better. Also Alan and Jay revert to their trues ages. And then the Trinity does a vanishing act as the go off to reclaim the other lands. I think what we're going to see here though is that the true salvation of the world lies in the hopes and dreams of the little people. It's great that the Trinity is back, but . . I think, until they step down from their 'godhood' and get back to the people that make up this Earth, Le Fey and her crew aren't going to be truly defeated. In the back-up we learn the true nature of the void-hound. It actually started as a cosmic entity, Erdammeau, who was the god of the hunt and the kill for Qward. At least that's the way I understand it. It seems that the entity has reasserted itself through John Stewart and has pushed his consciousness aside. But that's all moot really because it seems that Krona has other plans entirely for it. He sees it as a pet, and he wants to tell it what to hunt. This was another great issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick. Only a couple more months and you guys will finally get the vacation you deserve.

Trinity #40 - DC

There's so much stuff attacking the DC Universe right now. Krona is trying to become one with the universe . . with every world-soul, with every molecule of being. Ultra-man and the Crime Syndicate are trying to break out of the anti-matter universe, and into ours. Right now the only thing holding them at bay is the Green Lantern Corps. And back on Earth, Le Fey and her crew are about to extinguish our world-soul, as she devours the Earth in a wave of creation energy, but . . . our trio of heroes, the Trinity, have returned and realized the absence of their awareness just in time. The energies that they, and Le Fey's crew throw at each other is amazing. The Trinity is actually starting to falter when they remember that their strength actually comes from the people that they mentor, that they give hope to, that believe in them. When they draw on this energy . . the tide is quickly turned. It appears that they've brought hope, and love and reason back to the world. Things are starting to go back to normal. At least Metropolis is. But they also realize that the for isn't really beaten yet. And now they're ready to take the battle to them. Meanwhile, in the back-up story, we catch up to Krona again. He's crossing paths with an earlier, more impetuous version of himself, and he's annoyed. He tries to reason with himself, but he can't. So he eliminates him. Also the Void-Hound, the techno-sentient hunter that's now inhabiting John Stewart's body, seems to be the only thing capable of standing up to Krona. Well, Krona captured him and was studying him, but now finds out that he's broken free. "Apparently it lacked patience." This is a series that I realize would be very hard to come into now . . this late in the game. Hell, there's only about 8 issues left. So, I'll try to keep everyone up to date on the story's developments and at the very least you'll all know how things end up. However, I still think that Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel have been doing a terrific job here. I'm sure the various chapters will be out in TPB soon.

Trinity #39 - DC

Our Trinity of power . . the 'good guys' . . finally make their presence known in the real world. Finally! But not until the final page. The whole battle . . the control of the Earth that Le Fey is looking for . . the whole battle comes down to Metropolis. Which really doesn't surprise me because Superman is obviously the brightest beacon of them all. Last issue the JSI went into this battle, with all of their comrades and friends, knowing that they really didn't have any chance of winning this. I mean, Le Fey controls all the rest of the Earth. All of it except for Metropolis. But . . Tarot has told them that a miracle is about to happen. The problem is . . it needs time to happen. So, knowing that they have no chance to win they fight anyways. They fight because they're trying to buy time for a miracle. Which is what they get on the final page of the book. Our trio of heroes show up in the sky . . in a crack of lightning, and their presence overwhelming them all they ask "So. What have we here?" Next issue the battle's really going to get big. Also, during this story, we see that Konvict, one of the 'evil' Trinity, is having a crisis of faith. Or conscious, I'm not sure which. He joined this whole battle to restore his honor. The honor he lost when he struck down a non-combatant. However, as he's watching the results of this conflict, and the casualties that are being heaped upon him, he begins to realize that this is not restoring his honor. Le Fey has told him that when he gathers the power due to him, he'll be able to remake the world however he sees fit. But, he's beginning to realize that she may have fooled him. As he stops fighting, and watches what's going on around him . . . he doesn't feel very honorable. And when Le Fey blasts Graak, the chattering little monkey, off his shoulders . . I think his mind is really made up. Now the question lies . . what's he going to do about it? This series is really hitting a fever pitch and I can't wait to see how we get out of all of this mess. I still think Enigma is going to play a role in it. But, we'll see. Great job by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick. Don't worry, you're vacation time will be coming up soon.

Trinity #38 - DC

Well, with this issue, it looks like our Trinity is finally starting to remember bits and pieces of their pasts. But they're not going there willingly. "We made a pact . . a bond. We would not be swayed by feelings. By a need to belong. We are gods. We are apart, we must be . . . " But it seems like the more they argue . . the more they try to resist the change . . it's just the more the whole idea becomes moot. They're remembering who they are . . who they were . . and what these people, and others like them, meant to them at one time. In the end there's a change, but . . we have to wait until next issue to find out if it's for the good or bad. In the back-up story, we find out that Le Fey is basically winning the world. The chaos rifts have grown stronger and stronger and now it seems like a storm getting ready to engulf the world. The eye of the storm? It centers over Metropolis and the JSI. So this will be their last stand. Tarot, I think, has sensed the changes occurring in the Trinity and has warned them that there's still a chance. Not for the JSI, but for . . . someone else. So now? Now they're not fighting for the world. They're just fighting for more time. We also find out that the Space Ranger isn't actually whom he says he is. He's really J'onn J'onzz, Martian Manhunter. But, it's really all moot because it may be over soon. This was another fantastic installment by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Mike Norton. Keep up the good work guys. We're almost there.

Trinity #37 - DC

This series is showing us the grander fight now. The fighting, and in-fighting, of the gods. First we have Kellel, Atmahn and Dinanna . . or course our Trinity of heroes warped by all of the creation energy that Le Fey and Enigma are playing with. We see that shortly after their perceptions of reality were warped, they started fighting amongst themselves. Who was the true god? Who was the true hero? Who could really save the world? But, with all their fighting, they nearly destroy everything. Or, at least everything in their perception of reality. It isn't until their world is on the brink of complete annihilation that the voice of reason finally comes out. And of course, it's Dinanna's. So they decide to remake their world and live in peace. Which apparently they've done for generations. But now . . now that this band of heroes have joined the pilgrimage . . the gods feel that they recognize them. Like an annoying memory that they just can't seem to recall. It's nagging at them . . and they're troubled. Meanwhile in the Le Fey camp . . . the evil trinity is looking to upgrade their dark arcana alignment that they've been using to win the battles of these chaos rifts with the JSI. Recently Sun-Chained-in-Ink replaced Dr Light, and they started winning battles easier. So now . . now they want to upgrade the Fool. Currently they're using Punch & Jewelee. But they want someone stronger. I can see where this is going right from the beginning . . . straight to the Joker. The problem is . . the Joker has happened upon his own chaos rift, and . . is controlling and manipulating it all by himself. Le Fey explains what they can do together and brings him onto their team, but Enigma is deeply troubled. It's not necessarily the power that he'll bring to his post as the Fool, but . . . the type of person that they've brought into their ranks . . that they'll all have to work with. Enigma feels that they've just made a terrible mistake bringing him on board. Another great issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. Also this issue sports a great cover by Jesus Merino.

Trinity #36 - DC

With this issue, Kurt Busiek takes us from the fumblings of the common folk to the sides of their gods . . . Dinanna, Kellel and Atmahn. Here we find out how Le Fey broke their bonds, and their friendship, by driving a spike between them. Well . . we don't exactly learn how she did it, but we see how the changes she's been making in the world have affected these 3 . . the Trinity. They still have the same feeling of love and hope for their flocks, but . . they disagree over the methods that each are using to try to change the world. They each feel that the others have failed, and in doing so has caused them to have to amp up their own efforts to make up for the others failings. This in turn makes them more adamant to their own agendas and less respectful or understanding of their counterparts. And the wedge continues to grow. So Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman haven't disappeared completely, they're just stuck in their own struggles distracting them and making them oblivious to the changes that are happening in the real world. If you can call it that anymore. By the way, terrific job by Mark Bagley on the art. In the back-up, we see that there's still hope behind enemy lines. The Dreambound, the group of misfit characters that have sided with Le Fey and Enigma, are starting to question their role in all of this. First they lost their friend, Sun-Chained-In-Ink, when his essence was transferred to another. Now they see that maybe this world isn't necessarily going to be a better one. Primat discovers . . smells actually . . the Atom within their midst. They capture him but, after he explains how he's stuck also, Primat sympathizes with him. Also they get a little help from SHPERE. That's the robot ball that Enigma created that contains the essence of his lost daughter. It appears that her influence has caused the SPHERE to sympathize with this groups plight also. In a gesture of . . friendship? . . she uses her powers to teleport Ray Palmer back to the JLI headquarters so he can give them the information he has. It appears that the SPHERE is part of the Dreambound now. It also appears that there's more dissension in Le Fey's ranks than either she or Enigma were aware of. Some great insight by Kurt, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. All of which are doing a fantastic job on this series. This issue is wrapped in a terrific Shane Davis cover.

Trinity #35 - DC

It looks like we're finally going to get to see Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman again. Well . . not this issue, but next. The Machinists have attacked the people on this pilgrimage. But, our band of heroes, now that they've starting remembering bits and pieces of who they really are, have come to their rescue. The Machinist really don't have a chance. After the battle, as the leaders move on with their story, they tell of Kellel taking a bride . . . Luai. After his death he decided that he wanted to be a man rather than a god. "And thus did the godwar become inevitable." Which really stirs a lot of emotions in Lois. Basically, according to this story, she feels like she broke Superman. Which makes her begin to scream out for Clark. That's when the attention of the 3 of them is made. "We have heard enough. We will deal with the outworlders now." In the back-up story, we get the history of Enigma. Well, not from the beginning, but after the deaths of his family members when he becomes obsessed with bringing them back to life. He's put his daughters essence into a SPHERE, but he may have gotten it a little to close to accurate. He's claiming to be doing all of this to 'fix' his world, the anti-matter world of the Crime Syndicate. But his daughter, Steph, isn't willing to go along with the loss of life that is occurring for him to be enabled his dreams. In Le Fey's evil Trinity, I knew he was going to be the weak spot. I knew he was going to be the one to ultimately betray her and bring her down. This story into his psyche kind of lays the groundwork for that betrayal. I can't wait. As usual, this book is brought to us by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Mike Norton. And this series of covers is brought to us by the indomitable Shane Davis. Man . . that guys got talent. I hope DC can hang on to him.

Trinity #34 - DC

First of all, look at that cool Shane Davis cover. This guy has a long career ahead of him. On the inside, we finally get to see some of the battles going on around the globe. Now that Carter Hall, and by association his JSI, has gotten involved they're starting to make some progress. Well . . sort of. They at least know what they're up against now. Every time one of these chaos rifts opens up, with this creation energy, they have the opportunity to hold the bad guys back. If they don't? They lose ground and people. Which is something that the Gangbuster seems to be tuning in on. He's noticed that everybody is all gung-ho about throwing the smack-down on these bad guys that Le Fey and Enigma keep throwing at them. But Gangbuster notices that they don't seem as equally concerned about the people around that area . . the citizens . . collateral damage. "Why do I deep getting this nagging feeling . . . that if we lose sight of the small stuff . . the big stuff is already lost . .?" Also, the Harbor People, on their pilgrimage, have started talking about Kellel. They're talking about his fight with Doomsday, and his apparent death. This story seems to affect Lois the most. Especially when they say that the monster may have been created by Kellel himself. You know how hot blooded Lois gets. She's ready to give them a 'what for' now. But all of that will have to wait because that's when the Machinists decide to attack. But you just know this group of heroes is going to do everything they can to defend them. I thought this was another good issue by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick. We only have about 15 issue to go, so . . .

Trinity#33 - DC

We're introduced to a new clan of aliens this issue . . the Machinists. Most of these tribes are following the gods . . . Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman, but it looks like these Machinists are somehow influenced by Luthor. I don't know for sure, but that's my guess. Also, the story they started telling last issue, about the Gray Lord, was actually Max's story. They were telling about when Max Lord took over Superman, telepathically, and forced him to fight Wonder Woman, and then . . in order to free Superman of his influence had to kill him. As with the previous stories, it awakens the powers in Donna and the abilities of Dick. It seems as they're getting closer and closer to the end of this pilgrimage that each of these people are coming closer to remembering who and what they actually are. But as this story ends, the Harbor People are getting ready to tell the story of Kellel and his death, but . . the Machinists are waiting in the shadows to attack. The back-up story is entirely focused on Tel Aviv and Le Fey. She has just captured this part of the world, by controlling the chaos rifts, and they're moving westward towards Egypt. Anyways, we get the story of what happens to the people inside of these areas after they've been subjugated. Basically they begin to transform into aliens and destroy each other. I guess because of all of the chaos energy floating around. To me though, the most intriguing part of the story was as Enigma was watching what was happening, and he was starting to feel some compassion towards the survivors, or victims. He doesn't necessarily want to save them, but . . he thinks the transformation could be handled quicker and more efficiently. He doesn't see the point of putting these people through all of this pain. I really think he's going to mutiny against Le Fey sooner or later. But not this issue. I thought this was another great chapter by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. Another great Jim Lee cover this issue also. Speaking of which . . . since Jim's already done a stint on Superman and Batman . . . do you think there might be a chance of him doing a year on Wonder Woman? That would be fantastic. One can hope. Right?