The Review 52: Suicide Squad 1

In the DC universe you can’t always rely on heroes, and hiring mercenaries to get the job don e is too damn expensive. Someone came up with a very practical solution. Take villains from death row, implant explosive charge to ensure obedience, point in the right direction and stand back. Thus, the Suicide Squad was invented

The story, written by Adam Glass is very origin focused. The issue mainly consists of the members of Suicide Squad being tortured for information while they reflect on what caused their arrest and eventual enlistment in the squad. It’s refreshing to see the story told from the villains’ perspective, and to see them as the protagonists of the story.

The artwork, by Marco Rudy, is good but doesn’t always fit the atmosphere of the story. A very dark and gritty feel is what most people would expect from a series like this. While this is what is shown, for the most part, there are some panels that seem a little out of place, usually because the colours are too bright or the surfaces too smooth. It can really throw the reader off especially in scenes like the torture room, where everything should be dark, dirty and bloody.

The characters are the best part of this issue, and likely the entire series. It’s hard to go wrong when you’re leading with Harley Quinn. I do have mixed feelings about what has been done with her character. The new costume may add sex appeal, but it definitely takes away from the character. In earlier story lines she dressed to fit in with the Joker, and that was a huge part of her character. Now it seems she dresses just to please her ogling fans, which has a different and much lessened effect. Her personality has also made a change, this one I am fonder of. She’s dropped most of her cutesy, goofy, hyper attitude and instead is more twisted and sadistic. While we see less of the hopeless devotion to the Joker, we see Harley acting more like him. The other characters are a bit more basic. Deadshot is the kind of guy to shoot first and never ask any questions whatsoever. Before his imprisonment, caused by Batman, he offered his services to only the richest of customers. While he now has less to gain, only lack of execution, he is still just as devoted to getting a quick, clean kill. El Diablo is the misfit in this group. While he has super powers, he was a small time criminal. He’s also the only character with any sort of moral compass. King Shark is sure to be important to the story later. But he’s given no back story, all he is seen doing is eating one of his captors’ arm.

Suicide Squad earns a 4/5. The story is creative, while the artwork is sometime annoying. The characters are perfect for readers who don’t like the clean cut super hero types. Overall it is a twisted experience that leaves you rooting for the bad guys.

Final Score: 4/5