Post by ryokowerx on Sept 18, 2011 18:12:05 GMT -5
(cross-posted from my Facebook account. I hadn't originally intended on picking up all the new #1s but the 50% off deal at DCBS turned out to be too good to pass up. Feel free to discuss, agree or disagree
So what the hell is this? I'm going to try to write a review of each of the new #1 issues put out by DC Comics. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, DC Comics (home of Superman, Batman, etc.) is completely restarting most* of the history they have established with their comic books since 1939. (* some continuity remains but all events that remain are considered to have happened within a five year span of time) If you're still confused, think of it as everything being set back to square one and all these superheroes are new things to show up rather than a given part of the world.
Anything I say from this point on is my opinion and reflects only my feelings. Please take your nerd rage elsewhere if you disagree or at least be civil in your disagreement.
NOTE: I have not read Flashpoint #5 which kicks off this new history so I'm going to try to approach these issues as if someone completely new to comics were picking them up for the first time. If you're interested in what I have to say, I'd encourage you to go to your local comic book shop (if you have one) or you can buy them digitally at Comixology (http://www.comixology.com).
PLOT SUMMARY:
The issue opens with with several members of Task Force X (Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Black Spider, King Shark, El Diablo, Voltaic, and Savant) being tortured by a group of hooded men. Finally, Savant cracks and tells his torturer about Task Force X (affectionately known as the Suicide Squad) and their last mission, which ended up with a booby trap and how they came into the hands of their tormentors. Savant is drug away and presumably killed as everyone else has bags put over their heads and knocked out. They awaken in costume to the voice of Amanda Waller telling them that they have passed the test and are to be deployed on their first mission immediately. They are to kill all 60,000 people inside the Megadome in Mississippi. Their chairs drop out of the plane they're on as they fall earthward over the coliseum.
THE ART:
Artwork for the issue is handled by three different artists, Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty and Scott Hanna. While the art styles kind of mesh, it doesn't take too much looking to see where one person leaves off and another takes over. It's not too distracting but you have to wonder why it took three artists to do a single issue. It does not bode well for future efforts to get the title out on schedule. Even with all the artists, the work inside is only alright, with the cover by Ryan Benjamin being the most striking work to get a reader's attention. There has been a lot of comments online about the new look for Harley Quinn. It isn't as bad in actual implementation as the cover makes it look. As to the other redesigns, I'm not sure I care for King Shark as a hammerhead but the biggest change is to Amanda Waller. "The Wall" is now a attractive svelte woman. I'm just having a hard time buying her as the iron fist that keeps a group of psychos and villains in line.
THE STORY:
Suicide Squad is written by Adam Glass. I'm not familiar with his previous work but I wasn't too impressed with this issue. I'm sure the torture scene was intended on giving us some insight into the characters but instead it seems to have been used to show us what kind of hardasses the members are. Deadshot and El Diablo get a little bit of backstory, Harley Quinn gets a good one-liner and King Shark eat a guy's arm but it wasn't enough for the number of pages used. I'm also taking a lot of offense to the direction this new series seems to be headed. The old Suicide Squad title had the characters doing some pretty immoral things but the outright murder of a entire stadium full of people? That's just completely outrageous and possibly a poor choice of plot given the current sensitivity to both foreign and domestic terrorism.
VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY:
This comic is only $2.99 but I just can't recommend it. I like the idea of Suicide Squad and I read the original series but I don't like this implementation and the direction that they seem to be taking the story in is not something that appeals to me. Save your money and spend it on a better comic.
NEXT WEEK:
Demon Knights #1, Frankenstein: Agent Of Shade #1, Grifter #1, and Mister Terrific #1
SUICIDE SQUAD #1
So what the hell is this? I'm going to try to write a review of each of the new #1 issues put out by DC Comics. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, DC Comics (home of Superman, Batman, etc.) is completely restarting most* of the history they have established with their comic books since 1939. (* some continuity remains but all events that remain are considered to have happened within a five year span of time) If you're still confused, think of it as everything being set back to square one and all these superheroes are new things to show up rather than a given part of the world.
Anything I say from this point on is my opinion and reflects only my feelings. Please take your nerd rage elsewhere if you disagree or at least be civil in your disagreement.
NOTE: I have not read Flashpoint #5 which kicks off this new history so I'm going to try to approach these issues as if someone completely new to comics were picking them up for the first time. If you're interested in what I have to say, I'd encourage you to go to your local comic book shop (if you have one) or you can buy them digitally at Comixology (http://www.comixology.com).
WARNING! SPOILERS OFF THE PORT BOW CAP'N!
PLOT SUMMARY:
The issue opens with with several members of Task Force X (Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Black Spider, King Shark, El Diablo, Voltaic, and Savant) being tortured by a group of hooded men. Finally, Savant cracks and tells his torturer about Task Force X (affectionately known as the Suicide Squad) and their last mission, which ended up with a booby trap and how they came into the hands of their tormentors. Savant is drug away and presumably killed as everyone else has bags put over their heads and knocked out. They awaken in costume to the voice of Amanda Waller telling them that they have passed the test and are to be deployed on their first mission immediately. They are to kill all 60,000 people inside the Megadome in Mississippi. Their chairs drop out of the plane they're on as they fall earthward over the coliseum.
THE ART:
Artwork for the issue is handled by three different artists, Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty and Scott Hanna. While the art styles kind of mesh, it doesn't take too much looking to see where one person leaves off and another takes over. It's not too distracting but you have to wonder why it took three artists to do a single issue. It does not bode well for future efforts to get the title out on schedule. Even with all the artists, the work inside is only alright, with the cover by Ryan Benjamin being the most striking work to get a reader's attention. There has been a lot of comments online about the new look for Harley Quinn. It isn't as bad in actual implementation as the cover makes it look. As to the other redesigns, I'm not sure I care for King Shark as a hammerhead but the biggest change is to Amanda Waller. "The Wall" is now a attractive svelte woman. I'm just having a hard time buying her as the iron fist that keeps a group of psychos and villains in line.
THE STORY:
Suicide Squad is written by Adam Glass. I'm not familiar with his previous work but I wasn't too impressed with this issue. I'm sure the torture scene was intended on giving us some insight into the characters but instead it seems to have been used to show us what kind of hardasses the members are. Deadshot and El Diablo get a little bit of backstory, Harley Quinn gets a good one-liner and King Shark eat a guy's arm but it wasn't enough for the number of pages used. I'm also taking a lot of offense to the direction this new series seems to be headed. The old Suicide Squad title had the characters doing some pretty immoral things but the outright murder of a entire stadium full of people? That's just completely outrageous and possibly a poor choice of plot given the current sensitivity to both foreign and domestic terrorism.
VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY:
This comic is only $2.99 but I just can't recommend it. I like the idea of Suicide Squad and I read the original series but I don't like this implementation and the direction that they seem to be taking the story in is not something that appeals to me. Save your money and spend it on a better comic.
NEXT WEEK:
Demon Knights #1, Frankenstein: Agent Of Shade #1, Grifter #1, and Mister Terrific #1