One of the more surprising gifts I got from Mrs. Anj this Christmas was the second trade volume of
Trinity. She doesn't follow comics at all but understands my passion for them. So for Christmas I got several trade paperbacks from her that she thought looked interesting. This was one of them.
I have to admit that I did not get
Trinity when it came out. After being displeased with
Countdown and with a pull list that was saturated, I did not think I could afford a weekly comic especially if it wasn't any good. I had heard that
Trinity was a decent comic but just stayed away. Even on this blog, I can remember someone recommending it to me given its portrayal of Supergirl.
So in some ways I feel there is a little serendipity going on here. I would not have picked up this trade otherwise. I have to say that I thought this volume was a decent read. Decent enough to make me look for the other trades when my local comic bookstore has a big sale.
From what I can gather Morgan Le Fay, Enigma (the antimatter universe Riddler) and Despero have formed an anti-trinity and realize that the symbols of the Tarot can be utilized to effect lasting change in the universe. This collection starts immediately after a battle during which Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are branded with Tarot symbols and subsequently erased from history. With the Trinity no longer present in the DC Universe, history rewrites itself. It is a darker universe with a government controlled superhero army instead of a Justice League.Characters suddenly have new back stories and origins. One of those is Supergirl.
All of the major players seem to be at the site of this battle when reality shifts. So Supergirl is suddenly this visor-wearing aggressive government agent dressed in a sleek gray and white uniform.
She is now Interceptor!
And she is clearly a highly ranked, highly respected and feared, and unbelievably efficient agent for the military. We learn that she us a Colonel in the Army and is the lead on the dozens of important missions.
Unfortunately, the universe is constantly in flux because of the missing Trinity however. Without them, something isn't right in the universal fabric. History is constantly rewriting itself leaving the world in chaos.
Those closest to the Trinity realize that something isn't right ... that something is missing. There are half-memories that constantly bubble to the surface of their minds. The individuals form an alliance to try to bring back Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and set things to right. The group consists of Alfred and Dick Grayson, Donna Troy and Nemesis, and Lois and Supergirl. (Thanks goodness Busiek ranked Kara as being that important a person in Superman's life.)
In this scene, Alfred uses some Kryptonite to weaken Interceptor and retell her other origin. He then tries to convince her to join their ranks. I love the dialogue from Supergirl here divulging a little of her new origin - her rocket was found by Navy Seals. Intriguing. Still, Supergirl agrees with the group's mission and joins them.
Their mission leads them to an alien world where the Trinity are worshipped as gods.
Here we see Interceptor as the responsible agent. Even as she is flying along, hoping to rewrite the fabric of reality and bring the Trinity back, she is wondering what mayhem is happening on Earth. Should she have left that upheaval knowing she definitely could be helping there as opposed to potentially doing something here?
I had to include this picture if only to commend Mark Bagley for his art. As someone pretty ignorant of his work prior to this trade, I think he is solid with great panel layout as well as slick finished art. DC did the right thing by having Bagley responsible for only half of each issue, drawing the 'main story' while other artists (Scott McDaniel and Tom Derenick) did background stories each month. As a result, fans could get a weekly dose of Bagley.
I like his design of Supergirl as Interceptor here. The visor is a nifty addition. But Kara looks lithe and athletic in the Government issue one piece. She is battle-hardened and confident. I like how she looks here as the big gun of this alliance, front and center and ready to attack. I'd love to see a commission of Supergirl in that position but in her regular uniform.
So I was also thrilled to see Busiek address a question that I was starting to think as I read the book. Would Interceptor, knowing her position in this history as established super-power, want to rewrite history and go back to being Supergirl who is still 'becoming'?
The trade ends with the alliance facing the Trinity in their 'alien god' mode.
This certainly wasn't an unbelievably great book but it certainly was very good. Given the weekly format and the resulting length of the story, I think Busiek should be commended. A very good weekly probably equals a fantastic monthly.
So did anyone read this when it came out? Should I buy the other trades?
