Suicide Squad #4 Review

Written by: Tom Taylor
Penciled by: Daniel Sampere
Inked by: Juan Albarran
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Lettered by: Wes Abbott
Published by: DC Comics

In Suicide Squad #4, the members of Task Force X are road trippin’ it with their favorite "allies". The team is still separated into two factions: those trying to complete the missions Lok sends them on, and those trying to sabotage them. With these conflicting motivations bubbling under the surface, this next mission has a chance to go very bad.

This series hasn’t been missing with great opening scenes and this issue is no different. The way the title drops adds to the blockbuster movie feeling of this series. After the cool action sequence and introduction to Task Force X’s next, familiar, target, the pace slows down. However, that isn’t a bad thing. This issue does well to keep the story interesting and flowing while taking the time to fill in some details and tie up some loose ends. The backstory given for Osita makes her and the revolutionaries goals clearer. I do feel like it is a bit of a more predictable motivation, but also a very understandable one. Each member having been scorned by the Squad in the past legitimizes their goal to end it from the inside. 

The mysterious leader of the group is now the aspect interesting me the most. Whoever is controlling Lok, is the one who is really to blame for the Squad’s new sinister, totalitarian mindset. I liked Jog’s explanation that Lok is a “one-dimensional bully”. And, the addition of one more member being in on Osita’s rebellion took away that feeling that their plan could possibly go awry because of a misunderstanding. But, with so many members and variables, I still feel tension in who exactly to trust. That is a testament to the writing of this series because the “intrigue” feeling of Osita's infiltration of the Squad has done suspense very well. The last part of this comic is when the team gets back to the mission at hand. And, while they’ve closed up and made clear some parts of the story, the reason they are going after their next target so bullishly seems to be still a secret. And, perhaps a substantial one. The end of the book is quite explosive and sets up the next issue to open with some action, something this series has been knocking out of the park.

Daniel Sampere on pencils and Juan Albarran on inks take over drawing duties from Bruno Redondo, with Adriano Lucas still providing the colors. The new team does a great job of matching the style of the book (and Redondo). In fact, it keeps much of the atmosphere and style it has had throughout. The panel layouts are still great and lend themselves to nice shots of settings. There’s a nice one of the Australian Bight, Lucas’ colors stand out wonderfully. And, the snowy flashback Osita had was also a visual highlight. The clothes in that scene were illustrated nicely. If I had one nitpick, it would be that the bodies of the characters seemed to lose the “weight” I felt from illustrations in other issues. There was also less of the great character close-ups in this issue. But, as I said, the way the panels are laid out continue to create little cinematic scenes. And, the action continued to be great. The opening shot of a beer mug being thrown, then shattering off someone’s face was nice and fluid. And, that end shot is a wonderful, chaotic snapshot where the art team comes together to create a shot beautifully drawn and colored.

In the fourth issue of this thrilling series, we get some answers. The backstory and story development are weaved through a chill “road trip” format. This takes a break from the action while still feeling suspenseful. More is being told about the motivations of Osita and her rebels which makes their fight more compelling. And, the built-in tension of the group continues to be a factor. With this next mission having deep ties to Task Force X, I'm interested in what this entertaining series will show us next.