Trinity #13

I've lost a lot of excitement for this arc.

SPOILERS AHEAD


Right away I started getting even more disappointed with this story just based on Superman 's ignorance. Why is he acting like he doesn't know who Bizarro is? Why is he shocked that Bizarro is able to physically hurt him? This might technically be their first meeting (though there's demon possession involved) but he has to know of the previous Bizarro. If so why would he hold back as much as Bruce is suggesting? Really, Clark doesn't know who/what Artemis is either? And the way he phrases his confusion to Diana is extremely awkward.

This may be their first meeting in this continuity but he should at least have figured out she was an Amazon. Jason did when he first met her. The way Jason mentioned her to Bruce suggested Bruce knew who she was and might not approve. This dialogue is just so forced and jarring. As is Diana's response. Clark says Artemis reminds him of Diana, she says Artemis is possessed by a demon. First of all that has nothing to do with what he's saying. Second of all she's stating something they already knew and not just from last issue. They said they already fought the Outlaws before this and Jason was the only one they could capture. Why are Clark and Diana acting like this stuff is new to them?

What's even better is that she never gives him a proper answer.

The crap the demon spewed last issue about Jason supposedly wanting to destroy Batman and letting himself be possessed is instantly debunked by the oddly chatty demon controlling Artemis. Why would they tell the Trinity that Circe is the one calling the shots? Chatty Artemis demon claims Circe chose the Outlaws to hurt the Trinity. Why would you reveal that when you have the Jason demon trying to hurt Batman by claiming Jason hates him? How much can Bizarro or Artemis actually hurt their counterparts when they have either no history with them or vague history. We know Artemis and Diana have a past together although Artemis makes it sound like being somewhat tense comrades.

There's never even an attempt to make the Bizarro/Clark and Artemis/Diana relationships matter. Yet their sort of supposed to care?

Is any of that a strong enough bond to be personal or cause pain? We haven't seen anything of them together outside the flashback of Artemis meeting Diana in RHATO. Clark has never spoken a word to this Bizarro before this. Luthor had an actual connection to the previous clone not Clark. If someone else wrote these meetings and built up these relationships more before this arc this premise would work. But the only one that's genuine is the Bruce and Jason dynamic. Which could be written more nuanced instead of going back to the well of "Dick is your favorite son" which especially seems odd as demon Jason seems to imply none of them could ever measure up.

Which takes away from the conflict with them to make Dick more of an important figure that overshadows all of them. That doesn't work unless Dick was actually present not unless this is all true ? The demon says Bruce was relieved when Jason died and blames him. Something the real Jason didn't do as he forgave Bruce for not saving him. The reason he was mad was because Joker was still alive. So is this just playing with what Bruce fears Jason thinks ? I guess?

The scene did start to make the story more interesting although demon Jason hanging upside down with his fanged helmet and Clark's sudden appearance ruined any drama it built up. Clark really has nothing to say besides "get away from my friend?" So despite him actually having history with Jason, far more than Bizarro or Artemis, he will brutally toss the only regular human that's being controlled?

Constantine is honestly annoying and not in the enjoyable way. More in the trying too hard to be funny way. Does Circe not know who Constantine is? To his credit he does quickly work out the fact three is the important number thing and that there are only two of them. Somehow Ra's Al Ghul is able to stab him and Constantine makes a bargain with them. He also notes Circe is changing though I'm not sure if this has to do with her losing her immortality or if it's a nod to her using the new 52 design instead of the Rebirth look.

Could the lasso even hold Deadman?

Superman gets taken over by Deadman and now I understand why I didn't see anyone talking about this issue before I read it. This was bad. Unless Constantine is playing them for fools Ra's Al Ghul continues to be too skilled by overpowering others with just knives. The only personality throughout the entire thing was the Bruce and Jason part although it really wasn't that powerful. I've read better written angsty scenes with them. This wasn't new, it didn't really make sense and the silliness took away the seriousness of the scene.

This was bad. Worse than last issue.