Suicide Squad #21

Writer: Rob Williams

Artist: Gus Vasquez

Colourist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

For the first issue in a new arc, this is pretty good. With the death of Rick Flag, Amanda Waller has appointed Harley Quinn as the leader of the Suicide Squad, a choice that has the Squad riled up; Harley most of all.

As with most first issues of new storylines, there's a lot of recap and a few little scenes of set-up here and there. Rob Williams is a fantastic writer and he's able to make the story seem fresh, especially since the title seems to have been bogged down with other book's storylines.

Seeing Harley as the leader of the Squad is meant to be uncomfortable, since she hasn't been the same since Flag died and she's been channeling some old Joker behaviour. I think Waller recognises this and chose her as the Squad's leader in order to let Harley vent her frustrations or anger issues. This makes Williams' decision make a lot more sense, and if the final few pages are any indication, we're going to be seeing a much different Harley than we're used to, which is a brave move on Williams' part.

Gus Vasquez joins the art team and the art was great. Some scenes reminded me of Howard Porter for whatever reason, but it looked nice and Adriano Lucas' colours were a great support.

For those looking to jump in on the series, this issue is for you. For regular readers, you're going to find a lot to like here in the new direction for Harley's character, as well as an awesome art team. The issue was fun throughout too, and I'm excited for this story to move forward.