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The Suicide Squad returns in a mission to the island nation of Gamorra. After the removal of the dictator President Henry Bendix, the nation has a power vacuum. Gamorra is home to some of the most advanced weaponry and defense systems, and Amanda Waller wants to make sure she has an ally in control of those systems. That’s where the Suicide Squad comes in! Infiltrate, neutralize, and occupy. That’s a tall order, so she’ll need a powerful team, but most importantly a way in…
- Written by Nicole Maines
- Pencilled by Eddie Barrows
- Inks by Eber Ferreira
- Colors by Adriano Lucas
- Letters by Becca Carey
Where Does The DCEU Go From Here?!
Here We Go Again!
Harley Quinn and the team wake up on the U.S.S. Collins in the middle of international waters, constrained and face to face with Amanda Waller. These guys already know the deal. It’s time for another tour of duty in Task Force X!
We get right to business with a briefing on the mission as we get to meet a few of the squad members, including a surprising new recruit…Nia Nal, better known as The Dreamer. Nia isn’t your usual “run of the mill” type of Task Force X member. Unfortunately for them, their the Squad’s only way into the impenetrable defenses of Gamorra. They’ll have to ferry everyone through the dream world. That’s one tall order! Of course with the Suicide Squad, nothing ever goes as planned. It’ll take a whole lot of luck and an immense amount of skill to complete this mission!
The Suicide Squad Dynamic
I’m a fan of Suicide Squad stories. This 1st issue is very heavy on setting up this series. It goes heavy on the dialogue, specifically Amanda Waller and The Dreamer. As a matter of fact there’s a great back and forth between Waller and The Dreamer in a small flashback. Nicole Maines is making it a point to establish these two characters motivations. We get The Dreamer who believes in the straight forward approach. Justice should be served in a civilized and lawful way. Waller however emphasizes that is a naive way of thinking. The world doesn’t really work that way. Sometimes you have to use the methods of your enemies to accomplish your goals.
Once we get to the Dream World and the Suicide Squad is making it’s way to Gamorra, we finally get a look at the full team, and their dynamics. There’s some lighthearted banter between them, and the team’s powerhouse, Bizarro, is proving to be a wildcard in all of this, where as Clock King seems to be nonchalant about the mission all together. Deadeye, Harley Quinn, are Black Alice seem focused on task and The Dreamer is still just dipping their toes into all of this.
The Suicide Squad’s Most Obscure Character!
Writing The Suicide Squad Like A Dream
In Suicide Squad books, character is a huge must for the book to be successful, and I think Maines has a good hold on each of our Task Force X members. I find myself intrigued by how each of them will play their respective roles. How will they factor in accomplishing this mission, or even failing it horribly? I think that’s my favorite aspect of the story thus far. I actual don’t know what’s gonna happen with this squad. The stakes are high and plot devices have been put in place for this whole thing to actually be a disaster!
The Task Of Drawing The Suicide Squad
The pencils and inks on this issue receive high marks. Faces are so detailed and expressive. Each costume is awesome and everyone’s movements look so natural. There’s a great balance between a very grounded, realistic look, and the fantasy superhero world we’re obviously in. The textures, imagery, and flowing panels are all pleasing to the eye. I absolutely love the panel layouts in this book. It keeps you engaged and the eyes flow from one beautiful piece of art to the next!
The layer of colors on top of the illustrations are wonderful. There’s a very cool color palette at work here that keeps things relaxed and dark, much like a dream. The only time we seem warm colors are during brief moments of death and destruction. The use of heavy shading and black add some very impressive lighting techniques, giving the images impressive depth.
I don’t usually talk to much about letters in my reviews, but due to the amount of dialogue in this book I feel like it’s important. Becca Carey keeps it simple and easy to read. I think that’s a strength here. It’s easy to differentiate between speaking and telepathic dialogue thanks to color changes.
Everything Points To 7.5/10
This first half of this issue was super heavy on dialogue and backstory. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a bit hard to get through. Once we get the squad on their mission the pacing picks up and things seem to flow easier. I thing this book has some great potential going forward. Once things get complicated and the squad members start diverting from their main objective, it’s gonna get fun. I say it’s worth picking up issue two to see a little more of how the story unfolds!
