thank you, matt!!

here's the review i sent over to SFRevu.com a short while ago...

TRIO by John Byrne
Published by IDW

A team of superheroes—informally dubbed Rock, Paper and Scissors—battle an aquatic behemoth and then said behemoth’s mighty master, greet an alien and face a long-forgotten supervillain…in the space of four issues. Clearly, the titular Trio by John Byrne does not spend time drinking coffee and waiting for the phone to ring!

When a Godzilla-sized creature dubbed Leviathan arises from the harbor of their fair city, three superheroes answer the call of duty. They are: One, who exists in only two dimensions (though able to stretch her limbs and body, she has absolutely zero depth—physically, not metaphorically); Two, who can turn his lower arms into long cutting blades; and Three, a stony powerhouse. Working together, they battle the monster through the city, fighting it to a draw just in time for Nautilus, an amphibian who seems seriously hostile toward the surface world, to make an appearance.

The action is slam-bang fast, with scarcely time to draw a breath before another, potentially more dangerous menace rears its head. But despite long odds, Rock, Paper and Scissors manage to keep barely a step ahead—and the solution to their most immediate problems is both elegant and ingenious.

John Byrne is that rarity among creators: a fellow who has justified the term “legend” many times over. His work at Marvel Comics includes groundbreaking work on The Uncanny X-Men (a stint that saw Wolverine become a breakout star) and The Fantastic Four; then he rebooted Superman in the Man of Steel miniseries and continued Superman’s adventures well afterward. He has drawn virtually every character in the worlds of Marvel and DC, drawn and/or written comic book titles for Star Trek and the heroic vampire Angel, as well as branching out into original works such as Next Men, Danger Unlimited, Cold War and now Trio. Very few comic book professionals could hope to approach such a diverse and illustrious body of work.

Trio is classic comic book storytelling, harking back to the days when superheroes faced real danger and the stakes kept getting higher with every page. Byrne masterfully recreates that rollercoaster experience here, using all new characters who feel like long-established veterans, battling evil and coming across surprises at every step. New readers will be delighted by the team’s adventures, older readers will nod in appreciation--and catch subtle bits that might escape young 'uns. There is literally something here for everyone.

The one downside? It might be awhile before the next miniseries, as Byrne has many commitments ahead, including a pair of mystery projects and a return to his Next Men storyline. But it’s sure to be well worth the wait.

Highly recommended.

That should, of course, be "VERY highly recommended!"

i'm glad to have the chance to review this book.

i didn't in this case, wilson. just knew it was coming out and wanted to give it some PR, 'cause it deserves the attention. fact is, i bought a copy yesterday.

however, IDW *is* sending me their upcoming DREDD release.

I've picked up few superhero comics the last few years. I picked up a Superman comic in 2004 and, in what was obviously an inaccessible-to-a-returning-fan storyline, the entire issue had Superman talking to a priest. At other times, I've picked up random issues of titles featuring a lot of talking and gritty storylines, with supervillains wearing leather jackets, just like some of us do.

With TRIO, we have larger-than-life menaces. I remember the times when you could pick up random superhero titles and, whether it was Spider-Man or Batman, you might be greeted with alien foes, giant sea creatures, wizards, werewolves, etc. I like the fact that TRIO is giving us larger-than-life opponents and unpretentious superhero storylines.

••

Reading early Marvel -- the Stan & Jack and Stan & Steve stuff especially -- one of the things you can't help but notice is the heavy reliance on subplots. In every issue of FF or SPIDER-MAN, Our Heroes are facing some central menace -- Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Galactus, etc -- but there are quick cutaways to more "ground level" stuff. What's up with Alicia? What's happening with Aunt May? What's JJJ's latest tirade all about? Etc.

Unfortunately, over the years -- and especially in the last decade, with "decompression" and "deconstruction" and "post-modernism" being sold in lieu of actual stories -- what were once subplots have become more and more what the issues are ABOUT. The early versions of ennui-engorged "fans" would mock Marvel's style of having heroes embark upon lengthy streams of exposition in the middle of fight scenes, but given the presumed nature of the superhero comic, isn't that preferable to padding a "story" out to five or six issues by having dozens of PAGES of exposition with no action at all?

Do you watch a football game for the interviews with the coaches?