This week’s third pleasant surprise gets reviewed this morning. The only review left from the September 14 releases is Superboy, which I was always planning to get and not necessarily going to be surprised by.
General Information
Title: Suicide Squad #1
Author: Adam Glass (who also writes for Supernatural)
Illustrator(s): Federico Dallocchio and Ransom Getty and Scott Hanna (artists) and Val Staples (colours)
Cover Date: November 2011
Cover Price: $2.99
Buy the digital edition.
Premise
Deadshot, Harley Quinn, El Diablo, Black Spider, Voltaic, King Shark, and Savant have been drafted as Task Force X, also referred to as the Suicide Squad.
High Point
The very rapid and effective character reveals, such as:
Harley Quinn: “Hee… that’s so cute. You think you’re scary. But mister, I’ve seen scary. And you ain’t got his smile. Oh, and Scarecrow called. He wants his laundry back.”
Deadshot (with a gun on the crown of his head while captured): “You’re aiming too high. Base of the skull is a better target.”
Low Point
We don’t yet know the purpose of the Squad or who sanctions it. We know who gives the orders, but does it go any higher? These are big questions when you recruit a group like this bunch.
The Scores
The concept is more original than it feels to me. This reminds me of the Thunderbolts at Marvel post-Civil War, but that was a good 20 years after the team was introduced with this concept at DC in the Post-Crisis relaunch. That said, it doesn’t feel like any other book in the line that I’ve read so far. I give it 5 out of 6.
The artwork shifts tone noticeably for the last few pages, right with a scene jump. With three artists credited, could this be the first example of DC’s determination to get all books out on time without exception? I give it 4 out of 6.
The story sets up the team nicely, and the first full mission announced at the end is not even a little bit like what I’d expected, which is why I wonder if the “top dogs” are the same as they used to be. I give it 5 out of 6.
The characterization of half the team is great. The other half is still a little fuzzy, but given two missions and an origin sequence with seven major characters and one off-site commander, it would be hard to cover it all right away. I give it 5 out of 6.
The emotional response is surprisingly strong. Like Deathstroke, this is a villain book, but it’s a very different kind of villain book. I’m hooked. I give it 6 out of 6.
The flow is smooth. Once again, we have a first issue that starts right in the middle of a story and tells the origin with a flashback. It’s a structure that keeps things moving, and is disrupted only by the art shift. I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, it’s a surprisingly compelling first issue. I give it 5 out of 6.
In total, Suicide Squad #1 receives 35 out of 42.
The New 52
Here are handy links for the reviews of all 52 new #1 issues:
- Action Comics
- All-Star Western
- Animal Man
- Aquaman
- Batgirl
- Batman
- Batman and Robin
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- Batwing
- Batwoman
- Birds of Prey
- Blackhawks
- Blue Beetle
- Captain Atom
- Catwoman
- DC Universe Presents
- Deathstroke
- Demon Knights
- Detective Comics
- The Flash
- Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- The Fury of Firestorm
- Green Arrow
- Green Lantern
- Green Lantern Corps
- Green Lantern: New Guardians
- Grifter
- Hawk and Dove
- I, Vampire
- Justice League
- Justice League Dark
- Justice League International
- Legion Lost
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Men of War
- Mister Terrific
- Nightwing
- O.M.A.C.
- Red Hood and the Outlaws
- Red Lanterns
- Resurrection Man
- The Savage Hawkman
- Static Shock
- Stormwatch
- Suicide Squad
- Superboy
- Supergirl
- Superman
- Swamp Thing
- Teen Titans
- Voodoo
- Wonder Woman
these suicide squad guys suck. they totally jacked the character “hammerhead” from an indie book called hard-bullied comics (http://graphicly.com/search?q=hard-bullied) and used him for this supposedly “new” king shark. that federico guy drawing ss was the artist on the indie before he hit.
pathetic.