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Review: Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1

By | July 4th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

After two years of teasing and baiting, DC is finally ready to shed some light on the mysterious Pandora. Are the answers delivered in this debut issue worth the wait, or is the character more perplexing than ever?

Written by Ray Fawkes
Illustrated by Daniel Sampere and Patrick Zircher

The mysterious woman connected to the creation of the New 52 gets her own series! Pandora is on an action-packed, blood-soaked mission to hunt down the horrors she inadvertently unleashed upon the world. Can she save the DCU—and redeem herself in the process? A prequel to the upcoming “Trinity War”!

It’s hard not to be a little disappointed with the first extended look at Pandora since her debut nearly two years ago. While it’s unfair to expect writer Ray Fawkes to completely show his hand in one issue, the answers provided regarding Pandora’s origins are surprisingly lackluster, considering the ridiculous amount of build up involved. Also, similar to the debut of fellow “Trinity of Sin” member, the Phantom Stranger, “Trinity of Sin: Pandora” #1 retreads a lot of previously seen material, padding out an otherwise threadbare plot.

Before getting too far into this issue’s flaws, let’s take a look at something it gets right, the art. Daniel Sampere, the solicited artist, has improved considerably since his early DC work in the final pre-New 52 days. His style falls in line with DC’s housestyle, but incorporates a unique flair that prevents it from becoming stale. With the aid of inker Vincente Cifuentes, Sampere brilliantly depicts two key scenes in the issue, the opening of Pandora’s box and her meeting with the Wizard, previously witnessed in “Justice League” #0.

However, this issue bears a surprise as well, with Patrick Zircher filling in for a handful of pages. Zircher, who is experiencing a resurgence of sorts with work on Valiant’s “Shadowman” and DC’s “Suicide Squad,” delivers some of the issue’s most striking pages, particularly a training montage intercut with smaller panels, depicting the changing of the seasons. As Sampere gets to draw the “bigger” scenes in the issue, Zircher’s craft manages to salvage a rather middling midsection.

“Pandora” #1 has the unenviable task of acting as not only the jump on point for a new series, but the prelude to DC’s next big thing, “Trinity War,” and the issue’s new material is very much geared towards the latter goal. Unfortunately, this leads to a very plot driven issue, forgoing a chance to really connect with the character. Pandora’s narrative is cold and distant, and her primary conflict, while tragic, lacks the hooks necessary for emotional investment.

That’s not to say the book is completely devoid of potential. Over time, Pandora amasses a dedicated skill set and arsenal for combating metaphysical beings, setting her up for a role as a sort of supernatural huntress once the event hooplah is passed. Also, as we watch Pandora’s life progress over 10,000 years of DC universe history, one face in particular keeps making appearances. Without giving things away completely, it looks as if threads from historically inclined books such as “Demon Knights” may live on in “Pandora.”

The elephant in the room, Pandora’s appearance in “Flashpoint” #5, is in no way cleared up or even touched upon. In fact, her role in those events are arguably made even more murky. While this isn’t the best forum for speculation, it would seem said event may not haven even occurred yet in New 52 continuity. If so, expect it to come into play in “Trinity War,” resulting in some “Final Crisis” level mindbending.

As an event prelude, “Trinity of Sin: Pandora” #1 does a fairly good job. In fact, had it been dubbed “Trinity War” #0 or some such, it would’ve likely garnered a stronger reception, not only critically, but from fans as well. As the beginning of an ongoing series, the issue is disappointingly one-note. The creative team and the concept are certainly sound, but it likely won’t be until “Trinity War” has past, and “Pandora” is allowed to stand on its own merits, that they will truly shine through.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse. Worth reading for those excited for “Trinity War,” otherwise, a false start.


Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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