Trinity War Reading Guide

Overview:

Trinity War is a DC Comics Justice League crossover event published in 2013. It takes place primarily across Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark, with Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire, and Ivan Reis as some of the key contributors. The story is centered on three major factions: the Justice League, the newly formed Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark. These groups find themselves pitted against each other due to escalating tensions surrounding a mysterious weapon known as Pandora’s Box.

The plot focuses on heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman as they attempt to prevent a war that could lead to catastrophic consequences. Villains and other dark forces, including the enigmatic Secret Society, play key roles in furthering the conflict.

Fan reception was mixed. Many praised the high-stakes action and intertwining narratives, but others felt the story was bloated and spread too thin across the multiple titles. Critics, on the other hand, highlighted the impressive artwork and some strong character moments but noted that the overall pacing felt uneven. Trinity War also sets the stage for the subsequent Forever Evil storyline, so it acts as both a major event and a lead-in to further developments in the DC Universe.

Best Way To Read:

• Justice League: Trinity War
  • Collects: Justice League Vol. 2 #22–23, Justice League of America Vol. 3 #6–7, Justice League Dark #22–23, Constantine #5, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1–3, Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger Vol. 4 #11

For crossover and significant events, I typically only read the main story the first time I encounter it. Trying to read all of the tie-ins with the story tends to make them increasingly convoluted and are not crucial to the main narrative. However, I think they are important to read, as many series-shifting plotlines can happen.

For the tie-in issues, I only read them as they come up in the reading guide that I am working through. This can become problematic because the tie-in issues are not always included in collected editions of the event. So you may need to hunt for them.

Reading Order:

References:

• Wikipedia
• Comic Book Herald
• Comic Book Reading Orders

Feature Image from Justice League #22 cover art by Rod Reis, Joe Prado, and Ivan Reis