Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #2
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics
As the two teams deck it out in the streets of Badhnisia another waits in the shadows, waiting to strike at it’s target and shatter the status quo of the DC Universe. That is premise of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #2 and this issue certainly doesn’t hold back when it comes to delivering the thrills a premise like that promises. As the first issue saw the surprise return of Maxwell Lord, long thought dead, Joshua Williamson will need to conjure up even more thrilling twists and turns if he hopes to match the excitement of the first issue. Luckily, he delivered.
Issue #2 begins with Amanda Waller barking orders at the Suicide Squad, demanding that they take down the Justice League or else she’ll blow the bombs in their collective heads. It goes to show the Squad knows how serious Waller’s threats are, as only the newest recruit, Killer Frost, second-guesses the command. While the League seems to have the upper hand and the moral high ground (as the League is so quick to mention), Deadshot comes up with a plan that just may defeat them. By splitting up, the Squad thinks it has a chance to defeat the League, or at least survive long enough to be rescued by Rick Flag. It is a daring move, but we would expect nothing else from this team of convicts.
Elsewhere, Max Lord is trying to convince his team of villains that he is the key to achieving their own personal goals. Johnny Sorrow indicates that he is aware of the universe molding manipulation teased in DC’s Rebirth special, but he seems less than interested in Lord’s offer. At least that is the case until Lord reveals that they all share a common enemy that he has the key to defeating, Amanda Waller. This is enough to sweeten the pot, even though they sill have to worry about the League, assuming there is still at League left.
As the fight between the Squad and the League reaches a fever pitch, it becomes clear that Task Force X is almost completely outmatched. The one-on-one battles presents a bit of dark mirror for some of the heroes. Batman is forced reconcile his chastisement of Deadshot for killing in front of the hit man’s own daughter, while the expert marksman is equally critical of the Dark Knight for bringing children into his war on crime. That, along with the exploration of the personal connections, those between Boomerang and The Flash, and Killer Croc and Aquaman, makes this issue seem as much about foreshadowing an eventual team up as it is about the battle itself. Based on the ending of this issue, a team up may be closer than anyone thinks.
There was a lot of excitement about this mini-series when it was announced and thus far Williams has not disappointed. He has picked up on the characterization established in the ongoing Justice League and Suicide Squad series’ and used them to seamlessly craft a new story. The art by Tony S. Daniel and Alex Sinclair is, as usual, the phenomenal work that is expected from these two industry stars. With four issues left in the series, there are many directions that the story can take, but if the quality remains the same as the first two entries, then I don’t think any fan will be disappointed.
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics
As the two teams deck it out in the streets of Badhnisia another waits in the shadows, waiting to strike at it’s target and shatter the status quo of the DC Universe. That is premise of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #2 and this issue certainly doesn’t hold back when it comes to delivering the thrills a premise like that promises. As the first issue saw the surprise return of Maxwell Lord, long thought dead, Joshua Williamson will need to conjure up even more thrilling twists and turns if he hopes to match the excitement of the first issue. Luckily, he delivered.
Issue #2 begins with Amanda Waller barking orders at the Suicide Squad, demanding that they take down the Justice League or else she’ll blow the bombs in their collective heads. It goes to show the Squad knows how serious Waller’s threats are, as only the newest recruit, Killer Frost, second-guesses the command. While the League seems to have the upper hand and the moral high ground (as the League is so quick to mention), Deadshot comes up with a plan that just may defeat them. By splitting up, the Squad thinks it has a chance to defeat the League, or at least survive long enough to be rescued by Rick Flag. It is a daring move, but we would expect nothing else from this team of convicts.
Elsewhere, Max Lord is trying to convince his team of villains that he is the key to achieving their own personal goals. Johnny Sorrow indicates that he is aware of the universe molding manipulation teased in DC’s Rebirth special, but he seems less than interested in Lord’s offer. At least that is the case until Lord reveals that they all share a common enemy that he has the key to defeating, Amanda Waller. This is enough to sweeten the pot, even though they sill have to worry about the League, assuming there is still at League left.
As the fight between the Squad and the League reaches a fever pitch, it becomes clear that Task Force X is almost completely outmatched. The one-on-one battles presents a bit of dark mirror for some of the heroes. Batman is forced reconcile his chastisement of Deadshot for killing in front of the hit man’s own daughter, while the expert marksman is equally critical of the Dark Knight for bringing children into his war on crime. That, along with the exploration of the personal connections, those between Boomerang and The Flash, and Killer Croc and Aquaman, makes this issue seem as much about foreshadowing an eventual team up as it is about the battle itself. Based on the ending of this issue, a team up may be closer than anyone thinks.
There was a lot of excitement about this mini-series when it was announced and thus far Williams has not disappointed. He has picked up on the characterization established in the ongoing Justice League and Suicide Squad series’ and used them to seamlessly craft a new story. The art by Tony S. Daniel and Alex Sinclair is, as usual, the phenomenal work that is expected from these two industry stars. With four issues left in the series, there are many directions that the story can take, but if the quality remains the same as the first two entries, then I don’t think any fan will be disappointed.
A Look Inside
