Bane. Deathstroke. Star Sapphire. Deadshot. Poison Ivy. Bronze Tiger. Cyborg Superman.
If you told me that there was a comic with that team on the roster, and more, then I would be reading it every day. I would be lining up outside of comic book stores and banging on doors until staff would give me a copy. It would be the best.
This book is that book. Using Convergence as an excuse to throw together some of the biggest names in villainry, Suicide Squad is going to be something you want to get your hands on.
Starting with a flash forward to the seeming death of Amanda Waller, these issues take you back to 48 hours before, to the events that lead this world to that point.
When the Dome collapses, Waller is called back to her duties running the Suicide Squad, in order to fight in the wars that will come as part of Telos’ tournament. Waller and her team’s first task is to kill Alan Scott, the Green Lantern from Kingdom Come.
THE POSITIVES
All the names, all the character, all the Easter eggs and trivia. Intricately woven together into a cohesive story, this is an issue and spinoff made for anyone who is going to be recognising the characters. The art’s grimy and dark, and accentuates the dystopian feel of the issue. It drew me more into the story, and left me feeling like I was there.
All of the characters you know and love are in there; and from the very beginning you know they’re going to be at a disadvantage. I loved the atmosphere of the issue; knowing it may all fall apart, and wondering how many of your favourite characters are going to survive. I can’t remember the last time I was so unsure of which characters would survive next issue, and I loved the feeling of suspense.
THE NEGATIVES
My main criticism was that for a two issue spinoff, the book started slow and spent more time on exposition than I think there was time for, but that’s probably just because I want 36 issues of this book. My only other criticism was that the issue didn’t give much time to a lot of the characters I wanted to put the spotlight on, but there’s always next month.
Other than that, I think it might be harder to get into the issue if you’re unfamiliar with the concept of the Suicide Squad and Amanda Waller, or some of the more obscure villains. Still, there’s enough villainry and name dropping to catch new readers up; as long as they’re switched on.
THE VERDICT
This issue of Suicide Squad had all the mystery and depth you could hope for in a Suicide Squad title, and it’s a step up from the recent run. I highly recommend this issue, and I can’t wait to read more.
