Dark Nights: Death Metal-Trinity Crisis #1 is written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Francis Manupal, colored by Ian Herring, and lettered by Tom Napolitano. It is published by DC Comics. After the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal #3, the heroes of the DC Universe split into three teams to battle Perpetua and the Darkest Knight. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman plan to journey into the Dark Multiverse and harness energy from previous “Crisis” events in order to fuel the rebirth of the Multiverse. However, they find themselves battling multiple Dark Knights including the sadistic Robin King.
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The beauty of Snyder’s writing is that he is willing to embrace the utter insanity that can be found in comic books, especially the superhero medium. Trinity Crisis is no different. Throughout the course of the issue, we see crazy concepts like “Alfred Boxes” and Swamp Thing summoning the totality of the Green to replenish himself. This creativity also extends to the Dark Knights that show up in this issue. From Black Monday (a Batman with Solomon Grundy’s body) to Dark Mindhunter (a Batman with Martian Manhunter’s powers) there’s an evil Batman for everyone!
Snyder also grounds his story in emotion. Wonder Woman has been the guiding force of Death Metal so far; the fact that she continues to fight against impossible odds is extremely inspiring. There is also a surprisingly heartfelt moment between Jonah Hex and Harley Quinn. When Harley confesses to feeling out of her league with the Trinity, Hex reassures her that she’s doing fine. It’s a testament to Snyder’s writing skills that a conversation between a woman dressed as a clown and an undead gunslinger is as emotionally resonant as it is. Jarro the starfish also continues to be an amazing addition to DC’s canon.
Manupal is at the top of his game here. He peppers this issue with splash pages, showcasing the variety of characters and the massive scale of the battle the Trinity is engaged it. Manupal also gets to recreate events from Crisis on Infinite Earths, Final Crisis, and Infinite Crisis; from his depiction, you see how these events earn the name “Crisis”. Herring uses an otherworldly palette to color the issue; the Dark Multiverse feels creepy and unsettling. Our heroes also stand out, from Wonder Woman’s golden armor to Jarro’s violet skin.
The only element that didn’t really click with me is the Robin King. He embodies the worst aspect of Batman: the “I have everything and anything to beat my opponents” shtick that has grown tired over the years. It kind of takes the tension out of the fight when the villain or hero magically has the means to win.
Dark Nights: Death Metal-Trinity Crisis #1 continues the entertaining insanity of the main series, featuring blockbuster-level writing and art. Given how the issue ends, I’m hoping the Trinity can find a way to overcome this current crisis. I also look forward to seeing the new versions of classic villains like the Anti-Monitor and Superboy-Prime.
Dark Nights: Death Metal-Trinity Crisis #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.
Dark Nights: Death Metal-Trinity Crisis #1
TL;DR
Dark Nights: Death Metal-Trinity Crisis #1 continues the entertaining insanity of the main series, featuring blockbuster writing and art. Given how the issue ends, I’m hoping the Trinity can find a way to overcome this current crisis.
