Mystery Girl Issue 3 Review: Who is Trine?

Paul Tobin’s third installment of “Mystery Girl” could easily be subtitled “Winning Until You Lose” since that is precisely what you know is going to happen to the man who’s just become Trine’s greatest enemy. Still, as you’re reading this Siberian adventure you have to wonder why does a villain always suffer from Skeletor-Syndrome?

Trine’s still on the quest of locating a wooly mammoth. Having been sidetracked by her friends being in danger, she’s now on her way to the middle of nowhere in a frigid, snowy, isolated region. Along with the scientist who asked for her assistance they meet extreme danger. Of course, Trine finds out why the wooly mammoth is there, but her spider sense tingles a bit too late as she’s caught by her current adversary. This man makes one fatal mistake as all criminals with Skeletor-Syndrome do and he will pay for it.

In nearly every episode of He-Man: Masters of the Universe, Skeletor has this master plan and for most of the episode, he’s winning. But then he does something to sabotage himself. It isn’t anything that He-Man or his comrades have actually done to defeat Skeletor. It’s more his arrogance and hubris that always does him in. A lesson is usually learned, something to remind children to believe in themselves or not to keep secrets from your parents. However, the reality is that the true lesson is not to be like Skeletor – stupid and full of yourself to the point that you will epically fail. Still Trine has a problem. Before she can get back at this Skeletor wannabe she has to get out of her current predicament.

“Mystery Girl” has this ongoing, undercurrent subtext of Trine’s abilities. Nothing is still explained. She speaks Russian like a native and is able to fly a plane. Do her “powers” enable her to do this or has she always had these talents? One thing is for sure, Trine uses her skills prudently. She uses opportunity, intelligence and the weaknesses of her opponents to come out on top. Perhaps that’s the answer to the mystery. Maybe whatever is within Trine is amplified. The ability to question, reason and find answers are potentially within all of us and instead of taking a pill or going through some experiment, it is possible that Trine was simply touched with this gift.

In any event over analyzing what Trine is able to do distracts the reader from the here and now. At this point there is a serious need to find a way to survive. And as a reader you can’t wait until the bad guy gets his. In the end it makes Trine’s abilities more than a superpower, it will be her salvation.