Trinity War Event: Pandora 2

Pandora 2
Ray Fawkes, Daniel Sampere

Trinity War Crossover

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

The second issue of the series about the woman behind the Trinity War is still playing it relatively safe and not going too all-out (probably not wanting to take the focus too much off the main Justice League titles). That being said, the storytelling of Ray Fawkes and Daniel Sampere is continuing to keep me interested in a character who is so shrouded in mystery that it seems like it should be hard to care too much about her at all. But the guest stars and the introduction of a couple new characters is keeping it fresh and exciting.

This issue starts off with two agents, one from A. R. G. U. S. and one from S. H. A. D. E., both working together in a common goal: to find Pandora and stop her. The events from the last few issues of Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark are heavily referenced, so it would be foolish not to read those if you’re picking up this book, but other than that, there’s a great sequence where the Society sends three thugs after Pandora in search of the infamous artifact she used against Superman. She easily defeats Giganta and the Signal Man, but a surprising turn of events has her willingly offering the box to fellow immortal Vandal Savage (after they kill each other and regenerate a few times, naturally). She thought that Superman could open it because he is pure of heart, so the opposite should work for someone as evil as Savage, right? Wrong again. Apparently, as tough as he is on the outside, there is something eating away at him inside. I personally found this to be the strength of the issue, showing that even the most vile of villains still has some shred of humanity. This, of course, leads her to leave the Society members and continue her quest. Then we get a final glimpse of the two agents tracking her and their newest orders: to kill Pandora. Good luck with that.

So a pretty straight-forward issue, all in all. But a good read nonetheless. This book might be moving a little too slow for some readers, but I think the footing and the pacing are perfect for such a character. It’s being drug out enough to keep up with the events of the rest of the other important DC books, but not enough to be a repetitive or daunting read. I’m curious to see just how long this title will last after Trinity War ends, but in the meantime, I’ll anxiously await each and every issue. And one more thing, before I go… Does anyone else notice that Pandora looks almost exactly like Zealot? Or is that just me? Maybe that’s on purpose. I hope it’s on purpose. Especially since she has ties to the Amazons and Greek mythology. That, and the fact that it’s no secret that Zealot of the former Wildstorm (Image) universe(s) was a blatant rip-off of DC’s very own Amazing Amazon, Wonder Woman.

My Rating: 3.5/5