Suicide Squad #1 Review

Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Bruno Redondo
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Lettered by: Wes Abbott
Published by: DC Comics

They’re the worst of the worst, the patsies, the bad guys, and they’re back to save the day once more. In Suicide Squad #1, Task Force X brings together Deadshot, Harley Quinn, The Shark, wait, just THE Shark, not Killer Shark? Okay cool, Magpie, Zebra-Man!? And Cavalier, really? A musketeer? Whatever, this is the team, and I guess the cover was right because it seems certain that half of this team is going to die in this comic.

This is the exact start this comic needed. The opening scene is a great action sequence perfectly paced. It introduces us to a group of superpowered revolutionaries as they hijack an atomic submarine. Their mission is a great primer of the members, their goals and their roles. The action scenes in this issue have a great flow. After they successfully steal the sub and its atomic payload, we are shown the new Task Force X: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, The Shark, Magpie, Zebra-Man, and Cavalier. Dubbed, by Floyd Lawton, “the worst Suicide Squad ever assembled”. The tension is already felt between the members and that tension is exasperated by government official Lok who is aiding perennial Task Force X boss, Amanda Waller. Although Waller has always been as tough as they come, Lok has a certain sadistic nature seen in his interactions with the squad that shows he’s a different animal than the “any means necessary” Waller. As the Squad, still on shaky ground with each other, is sent after the freedom fighters, we are given another great action sequence. This time it is of Task Force X executing a mission against the revolutionaries. This comic did well to restore a very distinct “task force” feeling to the tone. The mission and enemy are one that wouldn’t be taken on by the Justice League or any other hero faction, and is also too heavy for any nation’s military to take care of which makes the last, and best, choice for the job some kinda “Suicide Squad”.

The two teams clash. The freedom fighters are presented as an understandably formidable foe, so the way that the, slightly outmanned, Squad is eventually “triumphant” is a nice twist and sets up the future in the perfect way. The built-in friction of the Suicide Squad, with the end development added, will have an even larger part to play in the future dynamic of the series. Lok is an interesting character. He is either a villain in the making or the greatest leader the Squad could have ever hoped for. The best part about this comic, other than being completely entertaining throughout, is the possibilities it opens up. This new Squad can be sent on any mission next, or their in-fighting could lead to a cataclysmic conclusion, but all possible outcomes seem like a comic I want to read. Writer Tom Taylor has seemed to step back and look at the elements that work best in a Suicide Squad story and found a way to use and refresh them. It has a team of expendables, a built-in group tension, and a boss that controls them for their own will. All they need now is a goal to strive towards.

To play to the action-packed story, Bruno Redondo adds cool, blockbuster movie feeling art. The action is shown with vivid details. Faces, bodies, clothing, and backgrounds are all drawn without a corner cut. Facial expressions are made clear and add to the scenes. The cinematic framing of the shots help that “blockbuster” feeling; shots are angled in unique ways that catch the eye and give every panel its own expression. Movement is really captured in scenes. My favorite aspect of Redondo's art is how his panels are laid out for immense detail. There are a lot of large shots that give a nice view of the scenes and can make big moments even more dramatic and engrossing. The scenery in the comic also is what carried the cool feeling of it, helped by Adriano Lucas' colors. Lots of blue skies and bodies of water.  The coloring is used well to invoke emotional responses in big scenes, be it terror, surprise, or any other appropriate for the context. The art and coloring collide perfectly in the scene where The Aerie and Wink are playing above the water with the sun cinematically behind them; the colors of Wink’s power, the sun, and the reflective waters all create a great shot. Then the writing turns that scene into the beginning of another great sequence.

Suicide Squad #1 is action-packed, entertaining, and introduces a new Task Force X that is ready to take on the world. The story features many possible allies and enemies for the team and shakes up the status quo. With a seemingly endless amount of potential, it will be fun to see where the Squad can go from here.