Pandora 1
Ray Fawkes, Daniel Sampere, Patrick Zircher, Zander Cannon
Trinity War Event
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
The official prequel to the event of the summer starts off at a slow burn, paving the way for what will most assuredly be a story that will rock the very foundation of the DC Universe. Ray Fawkes proves once again that he has what it takes to be writing alongside the big guns of the New 52 with the premiere issue of Trinity of Sin: Pandora. The titular character has her origin fully and completely (for the most part) revealed to us in these first few pages of her own series, and it’s safe to say that the art team of Daniel Sampere, Patrick Zircher (one of my personal favorites in the industry today), and Zander Cannon is up to par with the rest of the the DC line. Other than that, only time will tell just how much of the mysterious Pandora’s story will be told and what role she will play in the impending Trinity War.
The amazing cover by Ryan Sook (or the variant cover by Pasqual Ferry, if you were lucky enough to snag one of those) really says it all. It’s a first issue. It’s about the secret history of the entire DCU, and it’s going to effect the future of every single character we’ve been reading about for the last two (or more, depending on certain characters) years. The issue starts off with a graphic, yet effective, display of Pandora opening a box that releases the Seven Deadly Sins who then ravage, destroy, and even eat everyone she loves. She is referred to as their “mother,” and quickly sentenced by the Council within the Rock of Eternity (DC’s version of Heaven), alongside the other members of the Trinity of Sin, the men who would become the Question and the Phantom Stranger, to an immortal life of suffering. Then we get a pretty bleak vision of her life after. Centuries of pain and suffering and trying to learn how to combat the Sins she so foolishly, albeit accidentally, released upon mankind. There’s even a sweet cameo by Vandal Savage, one of DC’s oldest and possibly most dangerous villains. But the ending is where the action truly happens. A beaten and dying member of the Council that unfairly punished her centuries ago comes to her with a dying wish. He wants to atone, through her, by having Pandora capture the Seven Deadly Sins. He dies as she decides that if she cannot do it, she’ll have to enlist the world’s greatest heroes, staring with Superman.
So there we have it. A brief yet all-inclusive flashback origin leading us to current times of a character who still remains very much a mystery. A few praises to the editorial and creative teams behind the event before it even begins: First and foremost, the fact that they are trying to encompass the entirety of the DCU is amazing. I hope they pull it off. Secondly, I find it impressive that Fawkes acknowledges events as recent as last week’s issue of Justice League. It shows that they really do know what they’re doing behind the scenes at DC Comics. And third and quite possibly most important, is the fact that with just one small issue, I’m loaded with questions that I want answered and cannot wait to see if I get my way within the pages of the various crossover issues of the event. Is the “trinity” part of this event about the three members of the Trinity of Sin itself, the trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the trinity of Justice Leagues (main team, covert “America” team, and magic “Dark” team), or something else entirely? Is the scarring from Pandora’s tears shed and immediately whitening of hair upon witnessing the horrors she unleashed have anything to do with fellow DC character Zealot, or is it just a coincidence that they look exactly the same? And just what role will the destruction of the Rock of Eternity, the secret history of the infamous Team 7, and the upcoming “Forever Evil” Villains Month play by the time we reach the event’s epic finale? All of these questions, and more, are on my mind as I count the days until my next fix.
My Rating: 4.5/5
