What do you think?
IDW Byrne Superhero-verse #2
Triple Helix
Where Trio stopped, Helix starts! There's a monster on the loose in the City... but will the mysterious Changelings of triple Helix destroy it before they realize it's really an old friend?
104 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2014
About the author
John Byrne
2,994 books373 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 19, 2019
I guess this spins directly out of another John Byrne comic, Trio. It's very confusing because it picks up midstory without any introductions to any of the characters from two different superhero teams. It also ends on a cliffhanger after briefly introducing another unrelated group of superheroes on another planet. You'd think that John Byrne worked at Marvel long enough to have Stan Lee's philosophy of every comic is someone's first comic ingrained into him. The villain Golgotha comes out of Next Men and Danger Unlimited which were published back in the 90's by Dark Horse. I shouldn't need to put together a wiki of John Byrne's creations for the last 30 years to be able to understand what's going on. I think this is a large reason why he's no longer the household name he was in the 70's and 80's. As far as the comic itself, Trio seems derivative of the Fantastic Four while triple Helix is his latest version of the X-Men.
May 3, 2019
John Byrne is one of my top 5 comic artists. Whenever he gets a chance to write and draw something it's just fantastic to me. I really enjoyed him starting up a whole new universe based on characters he created and drew. sadly none of the series caught on and lasted more than 4-5 issues. Try something different and enjoy the Byrne. Very recommended
June 2, 2014
And then...?
After reading this book I was left more confused than I was before starting it. We're dropped into the middle of what appears to be a cross-over event that started in "Trio" as the action picks up right after that series ended, but from the perspective of a whole different team. The sub-plots from the Triple Helix team are going full-steam without any explanation to the reader. Then there is the 6-pages of what promises to be an upcoming sub-plot for future issues. Then the whole thing ends with a cliffhanger.
The Triple Helix team looks suspiciously like another set of heroes (associated with a prominent letter of the latter portion of the alphabet) with similar powers, relations, and coordinated costumes (much like 2/3 of Trio did). Even so, I was intrigued by the powers of Javelin and Cataclysm.
Since I'm not as plugged in to what Byrne has revealed about the motivations or expectations of this universe he has been crafting, I was reading around the inter-webs and found that this was a mini-series. I don't mind getting dropped into the middle of a plot (as long as there is some chance of getting caught up). But, previewing a new sub-plot, ending on a cliffhanger, and juggling 4 different plot points all to just end is a bit too much for me. I'm not sure where Mr. Byrne is going with this or if I'll sign up to go along with him.
After reading this book I was left more confused than I was before starting it. We're dropped into the middle of what appears to be a cross-over event that started in "Trio" as the action picks up right after that series ended, but from the perspective of a whole different team. The sub-plots from the Triple Helix team are going full-steam without any explanation to the reader. Then there is the 6-pages of what promises to be an upcoming sub-plot for future issues. Then the whole thing ends with a cliffhanger.
The Triple Helix team looks suspiciously like another set of heroes (associated with a prominent letter of the latter portion of the alphabet) with similar powers, relations, and coordinated costumes (much like 2/3 of Trio did). Even so, I was intrigued by the powers of Javelin and Cataclysm.
Since I'm not as plugged in to what Byrne has revealed about the motivations or expectations of this universe he has been crafting, I was reading around the inter-webs and found that this was a mini-series. I don't mind getting dropped into the middle of a plot (as long as there is some chance of getting caught up). But, previewing a new sub-plot, ending on a cliffhanger, and juggling 4 different plot points all to just end is a bit too much for me. I'm not sure where Mr. Byrne is going with this or if I'll sign up to go along with him.
November 3, 2014
John Byrne continues to build, even though part of me thinks rebuild, his new super hero universe. On the heels of Trio we get Triple Helix (was Byrne obsessed with the letter T during this time?).
In the wake of Nautilus' attack on the surface world, with the aid of a behemoth that he raised from the depths, Golgotha has somehow crossed dimensions where he is met by the super hero team Triple Helix. Here Byrne seems to be mixing concepts from his time on the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. A hero who can generate force blasts (Cyclops) and ape like team member (the Beast), a woman with confidence issues (which is how felt Byrne wrote Susan Storm), and the team has secrets about how they obtained their powers.
I wanted to like this more than I did. Triple Helix is a better story than Trio, but it felt like it lacked originality, moreso than even Trio did.
Why do I say Byrne is rebuilding a super hero universe? When Byrne was part of Dark Horse's creator owned line Legends, Byrne created Danger Unlimited. Golgotha was a minor villain character there, so there was more than a bit of me hoping for a Danger Unlimited Easter Egg.
In the wake of Nautilus' attack on the surface world, with the aid of a behemoth that he raised from the depths, Golgotha has somehow crossed dimensions where he is met by the super hero team Triple Helix. Here Byrne seems to be mixing concepts from his time on the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. A hero who can generate force blasts (Cyclops) and ape like team member (the Beast), a woman with confidence issues (which is how felt Byrne wrote Susan Storm), and the team has secrets about how they obtained their powers.
I wanted to like this more than I did. Triple Helix is a better story than Trio, but it felt like it lacked originality, moreso than even Trio did.
Why do I say Byrne is rebuilding a super hero universe? When Byrne was part of Dark Horse's creator owned line Legends, Byrne created Danger Unlimited. Golgotha was a minor villain character there, so there was more than a bit of me hoping for a Danger Unlimited Easter Egg.
December 5, 2018
Tanto este tomo como el anterior, Trio, son una carta de amor a los personajes en los que el autor pasó tanto tiempo como dibujante y guionista o co-guionista. En este caso tenemos un remedo de los X-Men que guardan muchos secretos que se nos van dejando caer.
Byrne no estaba en su mejor momento cuando hizo esta miniserie, pero a mí igualmente me gusta mucho. Eso sí, conviene haberse leído algo de sus anteriores etapas o tendrás una incómoda sensación de haber llegado tarde a una fiesta de la que no tenías ni pajolera idea.
Byrne no estaba en su mejor momento cuando hizo esta miniserie, pero a mí igualmente me gusta mucho. Eso sí, conviene haberse leído algo de sus anteriores etapas o tendrás una incómoda sensación de haber llegado tarde a una fiesta de la que no tenías ni pajolera idea.
August 2, 2019
Fun book from Byrne's short-lived attempt to create a super hero universe for IDW.
Was planned to be three interlocking minis, each introducing a new team, only two were written and drawn.
Sad, as there is some great, just pure super hero comics happening here.
Triple Helix is an obvious X-men "homage" and has plenty of cool powers and ideas.
Unfortunately, it also continues on directly from Trio and so you have a lot to sort through in four issues.
It suffers from 'middle of the trilogy' syndrome.
A fun experiment that deserved more attention then it got.
Was planned to be three interlocking minis, each introducing a new team, only two were written and drawn.
Sad, as there is some great, just pure super hero comics happening here.
Triple Helix is an obvious X-men "homage" and has plenty of cool powers and ideas.
Unfortunately, it also continues on directly from Trio and so you have a lot to sort through in four issues.
It suffers from 'middle of the trilogy' syndrome.
A fun experiment that deserved more attention then it got.
February 11, 2016
Overall a good Byrne work. There are plenty of echoes of past stories and characters here. Didn't detract I felt from the overall enjoyment. That being said it better have an ending. Some of us still remember Danger Unltd.
October 29, 2017
I have always been a huge fan of Byrne’s art and writing. This new hero world draws an awful lot from Marvel books he worked on in the 80’s. There are a lot of elements similar to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.
October 27, 2023
Where Willard ends, Ben begins. I'm sorry, I meant where Trio ends, Triple Helix begins. Is this the start of a Byrne superhero universe? Like Astro City, these characters are all doppelgangers for various established Marvel and DC superheroes with a smattering of new ideas. That's not a knock, as I miss Byrne tackling superhero stuff. Byrne's artwork is tight and polished and the story flows smoothly. I enjoy the third person narrative, something of a lost art these days. Whether this cliffhanger continues in Trio or Triple Helix or something else altogether remains to be seen, but I'll be there with cash in fist regardless. TAKE MY MONEY!
Also, the cover image on this review was not used on the book as it was released.
Also, the cover image on this review was not used on the book as it was released.
April 7, 2020
Basically a pirated edition from some obscure country of Stan Lee's X-Men.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews