Broken Trinity #2 – Review

By Ron Marz (Writer), Stjepan Sejic (Art), and Phil Hester (Art)

First, a quick note. Now that I’ve read the first two chapters of Top Cow’s Broken Trinity crossover, I find myself absolutely baffled as to why the story is being limited to three main books and two tie-ins (one of which is a prequel and another that remains a mystery). The event feels and looks every bit the epic as advertised and yet it all comes to a conclusion next issue without nearly enough plot development to flesh out the story. Another book or two would do wonders for adding more depth to what looks to be an epic confrontation between the powers of the Top Cow universe. Why is this being cut so short?

Structure complaints aside, not a lot really happens in Broken Trinity #2. The characters and powers all come together in preparation for a clash that will take place next month. Yep, it’s a set up issue. While there is some great character work between Sara and Jackie and some more background on the nature of the conflict at hand, I never felt that things were really moving forward in a way that actually developed the story. That said, I came looking for a visually awesome battle and I honestly believe that Broken Trinity is going to deliver that in a big way… it just doesn’t happen in this issue.

Technically, the issue is quite solid. Ron Marz does some nice character work, but falls a bit short in plot development. He obviously has a strong handle on the characters, but it feels as though he really doesn’t have much planned beyond throwing all these powers together and having them fight it out. There’s no doubt that he really couldn’t have picked a better art team to work with. Stjepan Sejic and Phil Hester make Broken Trinity one of the most visually compelling events in quite some time. My only complaint is the (usual) noticeable drop in quality during minor scenes.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t let down by Broken Trinity #2, but I also find myself really looking forward to the conclusion of the event. Here’s to hoping that it delivers the action it seems to promise. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny