TRINITY WAR, the action-mystery event of the summer, begins with a full-length epic adventure! The death of a hero ignites a violent war among the Justice Leagues! It’s League vs. League vs. League as an impending darkness approaches the DC Universe. But the truth behind it all will lead to an evil that threatens every hero on the planet. And what does the Secret Society of Super-Villains have to with this? Everything.
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So here we are: DC's first major event since 2011's Flashpoint and the first major Justice League-centric company event in quite a while.
With Johns' Green Lantern saga finished, I need a good comics fix and I'm hoping Johns and DC can deliver the goods.
I'll be honest: Johns is one of the few people currently working with the Big Two who can write an event I like. Most of the events over the last... 8 or so years have been really disappointing, so hopefully Johns still has something in the tank.
Yeah, Blackest Night still remains my favorite Crisis Crossover.
I'm glad that with his Lantern saga finished, he can devote his attention to trying to expand the Justice League-corner of the DCU.
Part 1 has its flaws, but it's a great kickoff with all of these pieces from the last 2 years (the Trinity of Sin, the three Leagues, A.R.G.U.S., Shazam, the Secret Society).
Give me a spoiler-rrific spoiler tagged catch up on all this J. Especially Captain Marvel's involvement.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.
Hit it. Blank Yellow (NSFW)
Alright, here's a condensed, yet detailed brief: Spoiler
Shazam: After physical and personal trials, Billy has now accepted the mantle placed on him by the Wizard in the JL backups. He has determined to return the ashes of Black Adam (who died at the end of the backups when Billy tricked him into reverting to Teth-Adam) to his homeland (and we know Adam's not staying dead for long). His entry into Kahndaq sets off an international incident and brings the JL in after him. Billy's one of the wild cards in this mess.
Justice League: The team's public reputation has taken a serious hit in the last year due to various crises (The Villain's Journey, Throne of Atlantis) and they've lost Hal Jordan (Due to Journey and recent events in the GL-corner). The aftermath of the Atlantean invasion has caused them to expand their ranks, but there are hints that someone's a traitor. It's unclear if it's the Atom, who's working as a mole for the JLA -- or someone else...
Justice League of America: Following the Atlantean invasion, Amanda Waller assembled a government-sponsored League -- with the secret purpose of taking down the JL if necessary. Members were chosen to counter the Leaguers (ex. J'onn vs Supes, Catwoman vs. Batman, Vibe vs. Flash). The team follows the JL into Khandaq and they're fresh off of a mission against...
The Secret Society: Johns has been quietly building up the new Society in both League books (similar to how Bendis built up the Skrulls in the Avengers titles back in 2008). It's strongly implied that the Society's leader -- confirmed as the Outsider -- is from a parallel Earth and that this is a prelude to a cross-dimensional invasion. Outsider is responsible for...
The Murder of Dr. Light: When the JL and JLA confront Shazam, the new Dr. Light -- a JLA ally and former scientist until the Society forced powers upon him for their own purposes -- accidentally blasted Diana. Big Blue responded with heat vision to the head...but was completely shocked and didn't know why he did it before surrending to the JLA....
Joint Investigation: While they clashed briefly, the JL and JLA are working together to determine what the hell happened in Khandaq. Bats is investigating the murder from a scientific perspective while Diana purusing a mystical angle...
Justice League Dark: The World's Freakiest Heroes have gotten involved because the Society took out member Madame Xanadu before she could warn the Leagues of the Trinity War visions she had received. They've been approached by Diana who believes the key to the mystery lies with...
Pandora: As we've seen since 2011, she is still trying to end her curse and approached Superman in the hopes that someone pure of heart could open the box and pull the Sins back in. It didn't work and Diana believes the Box somehow corrupted Supes -- thus accounting for the murder. We've also learned that while the Greek Gods utilized her Box, they didn't actually create it -- and the box's skull-like shape matches the symbol seen on the Secret Society's insignia...
The Trinity of Sin: The Question and Phantom Stranger have both gotten involved, with the former approaching the captive Superman and the latter approaching the JL and JLA.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.
Hit it. Blank Yellow (NSFW)
So we're halfway through and the meaning of the crossover's title is becoming clearer. It's looking less like a war between the Trinity of Sin or even a war between the three Leagues -- or at least not entirely.
Rather, it's a war between the Big Three (Supes, Bats, and Diana) with the three Leagues splintering apart to take sides. Worse, they've indirectly made the Secret Society's job of dividing and conquering much easier.
Speaking of the Society, there's an interesting theory going around: Spoiler
Given the hints that the Outsider is from parallel Earth, there have been additional rumors that the Crime Syndicate has involvement in both this and Forever Evil.
The theory going around is that Supes is really Ultraman.
Consider: Traditionally, Ultraman has been strengthened by exposure to Kryptonite -- unlike Big Blue who, of course, weakens in proximity to the irradiated rock. However, the longer Ultraman goes without coming near it, the weaker he becomes. And as we've seen since JLA #6, Supes isn't doing so hot.
Also, if the Question was right and Dr. Psycho was in Khandaq during the incident, that could also explain Supes' struggle to restrain himself from responding violently. If Supes is Ultraman, then he's a sleeper agent -- and Waller's attempt to have Firestorm create Kryptonite could end up backfiring big time. This may also be why he reacted to Dr. Light blasting on Diana. Subconsciously, he may have mistaken her for Diana's Earth-3 counterpart, Superwoman.
If Superman has been replaced with his villanious counterpart, it would also explain why Pandora's Box reacted the way it did when Pandora got Big Blue to open it in Part 1. Ultraman's track record doesn't exactly make him pure of heart. But if he is the Outsider's mole, then the question now is when was the switch made?
Given the hints that the Outsider is from parallel Earth, there have been additional rumors that the Crime Syndicate has involvement in both this and Forever Evil.
The theory going around is that Supes is really Ultraman.
Consider: Traditionally, Ultraman has been strengthened by exposure to Kryptonite -- unlike Big Blue who, of course, weakens in proximity to the irradiated rock. However, the longer Ultraman goes without coming near it, the weaker he becomes. And as we've seen since JLA #6, Supes isn't doing so hot.
Also, if the Question was right and Dr. Psycho was in Khandaq during the incident, that could also explain Supes' struggle to restrain himself from responding violently. If Supes is Ultraman, then he's a sleeper agent -- and Waller's attempt to have Firestorm create Kryptonite could end up backfiring big time. This may also be why he reacted to Dr. Light blasting on Diana. Subconsciously, he may have mistaken her for Diana's Earth-3 counterpart, Superwoman.
If Superman has been replaced with his villanious counterpart, it would also explain why Pandora's Box reacted the way it did when Pandora got Big Blue to open it in Part 1. Ultraman's track record doesn't exactly make him pure of heart. But if he is the Outsider's mole, then the question now is when was the switch made?
So does this mean that
Spoiler
Supes romance with Diana is just a cop out, and its really Ultraman? Could be interesting, or a let down. Damn it, bring back Princess Maxima.
Never apologise for being a geek, because they won't apologise to you for being an arsehole. John Barrowman - 22 June 2014 Perth Supernova.
Countries I have been to - 14.
Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, USA.
Always on the lookout for more nice places to visit.
Given the hints that the Outsider is from parallel Earth, there have been additional rumors that the Crime Syndicate has involvement in both this and Forever Evil.
The theory going around is that Supes is really Ultraman.
Consider: Traditionally, Ultraman has been strengthened by exposure to Kryptonite -- unlike Big Blue who, of course, weakens in proximity to the irradiated rock. However, the longer Ultraman goes without coming near it, the weaker he becomes. And as we've seen since JLA #6, Supes isn't doing so hot.
Also, if the Question was right and Dr. Psycho was in Khandaq during the incident, that could also explain Supes' struggle to restrain himself from responding violently. If Supes is Ultraman, then he's a sleeper agent -- and Waller's attempt to have Firestorm create Kryptonite could end up backfiring big time. This may also be why he reacted to Dr. Light blasting on Diana. Subconsciously, he may have mistaken her for Diana's Earth-3 counterpart, Superwoman.
If Superman has been replaced with his villanious counterpart, it would also explain why Pandora's Box reacted the way it did when Pandora got Big Blue to open it in Part 1. Ultraman's track record doesn't exactly make him pure of heart. But if he is the Outsider's mole, then the question now is when was the switch made?
So does this mean that
Spoiler
Supes romance with Diana is just a cop out, and its really Ultraman? Could be interesting, or a let down. Damn it, bring back Princess Maxima.
Well, if the theory is right... Spoiler
...again, the question is when was the switch made?
Given we're about to get a Superman/Wonder Woman book, I'm guessing the switch was right after Despero's attack in JL #19-20.
The Crime Syndicate sleeper agent theory is also causing a lot of people to reexamine the end of Scott Snyder's "Court of Owls" saga from his first year on Batman. At the time, everybody -- myself included -- was bitching about the reveal of Lincoln 'Owlman' March and that he was Bruce's long-lost brother. Morrison had already pulled this shit in 2008.
But now, if the Crime Syndicate is here on Earth-1...that might explain it (and if so, I give Synder kudos for dangling a piece of the puzzle this early). March wasn't crazy -- he was just on the wrong Earth and he didn't even realize it.
Even if that's wrong, somebody still broke into the Batcave -- someone who matched Bruce's biometric data.
It could have been a brainwashed Bruce, but it could also hint at the real Owlman being on Earth.
