The “Future’s End” tie-in for TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA serves as a pleasant one-shot before the series merges into TRINITY OF SIN next month.
Ray Fawkes script deals with Pandora gathering the personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins, though to what purpose remains unknown until the issue’s climax. Not unlike, this month’s issue of SWAMP THING, TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA, exists on a massive scale. The issue opens in Bhul Dimar, Murilund, as an alternate version of Pandora mercilessly executes one of this earth’s heroes. The scene transitions to Pandora proper, who reassembles Pandora’s box from its broken state. Pandora states that she has realized her purpose, and summons her other manifestations to her.
The “Seven Deadly Sins” are surprised to see Pandora, and what she tells them promptly turns their surprise into wrath. Pandora tells them that they are to do battle in order to decide who gets to end the universe. The battle ensues, with each of the Sins going after Pandora. Just as the Sins begin to gloat about their imminent victory, the battle ends. Pandora calmly states that the hope within her has already made her the victor. She seeks to break the cycle, and rather than destroying the universe and forcing the system to restart, she intends to let the universe go on.
THE POSITIVE
Fawkes’ willingness to play on this scale is admirable, and he pulls off most of what he needs to convey the implications of the book. The use of alternate universes is done well, the snips are just long enough to convey the way the Sins have ruled their world, without taking away from the story at hand. The last scenes of TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA are some of the most effective as Pandora debates her own nature before making her resolution. When dealing with cosmic characters, it’s always nice to see them reflect in such a human way.
The art for this issue is notably collaborative. Tom Derenick provides the breakdowns for the pages, with Francis Portela illustrating, and Andrew Dalhouse on colors. Portela’s lines are crisp and detailed, and the designs for both the Sins and Pandora herself are fantastic. Equally stunning are Dalhouse’s colors which provide an ethereal quality to the magical effects.
THE NEGATIVE
That being said, the TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA FUTURE’S END #1 does have a few stumbling blocks. Unfortunately, the setting of the issue is problematic. Pandora retrieves her box from a glass display inside of a skyscraper. This is perfectly fine for this scene, but the action never moves from there. One would think that a battle of the cosmic would take place on an appropriately epic scale. The use of a modern interior is disappointingly mundane.
The battle also feels cut short, as if it was shortened due to the page count. While the Sins all have visually interesting designs, the battle doesn’t give them much room to differentiate their fighting styles, ultimately resorting to a series of physical strikes and projectile objects. A little more diversity would have gone a long way/
THE VERDICT
TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA FUTURE’S END #1 is a nice tie-in, and a good send off to the series before it is merged into TRINITY OF SIN in October. While it isn’t perfect, it’s a good example of what a tie-in can do when it is still allowed to tell its own story.
