Review: Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1

by Tony Farina
0 comment

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers.]

Writer: Rob Williams

Artist: Philip Tan

Inkers: Jonathan Clapion, Scott Hanna and Sandu Florea

Summary

Waller makes the case for her team’s continuing existence. She finds her field commander. Three members of the team, Harley, Deadshot and Boomerang, try to stop a bomb of supernatural proportions. Blood. There is a lot of blood. Welcome to Suicide Squad: Rebirth.

Squad Rebirth

The Positives

While the majority of fanboys and fangirls love Harley Quinn, Waller is really the star and that is how it should be. Without her, Harleen would be in Arkham drugged to the gills, Floyd would be in Iron Heights and Digger would be wherever rogues go when they are running from the Scarlet Speedster. Instead, Harley, Deadshot and Boomerang are causing mayhem and saving the day. Williams really gives Waller the reigns by having her argue with POTUS and, as if there could be any other outcome, she wins. Amanda Waller 1, Obama, 0.

Sa

By now, every comic nerd knows that 10 years have been wiped away from the DCU. Artist Philip Tan really took those 10 years away from Harley. Boomerang still has his muttonchops and looks rough around the edges, but Harley looks like she could be a teenager. Of course, she is as medical doctor so realistically, she is in her late twenties, but if you did not know that, you might say, “Who is that kid?” It may take away from the Harley as centerfold image that had been cultivated in past years, but it works. Unlike the rest of the squad, Harley, while a stone cold killer, has some innocence. Being crazy is different from being a sociopath. We are looking at you, Lawton, and your razor sharp helmet.

The Negatives

Flag is introduced here. The story is solid and the inkers have fun with shadows and sleep deprived black eyes, but it seems too quick. It would have been good to see a stand-alone Flag story or maybe just a few more pages.  With many of the Rebirth titles, where has been a lot going on in a short amount of time and this book falls victim to that as well. Flag is a hard ass, sure, but he is also calculated. Waller does not offer him a lot of time to decide, but it would have been a bit more believable for him to sit there and let her walk away at least once. Of course, 21 pages is not a lot of space but a lot of the panels are huge and take up a lot of space.

Squad Rebirth Flagg

Verdict

There is a high body count and gallons of blood. If that is what you wanted out of the reborn Squad, you will be thrilled. If that is not your thing, this is not for you. Nothing about Suicide Squad is for the meek.  Bring the pain.

4outof5

You may also like