Suicide Squad #1 - Review

Script: Robbie Thompson

Pencils: Eduardo Pansica

Inks: Julio Ferreira

Color: Marcelo Maiolo

Letters: Wes Abbott

Published by: DC 

You know the refrain, the Suicide Squad is a group of villains brought together by Amanda Waller and often led by Colonel Rick Flagg to do the dirty work of the DC Universe. Bombs in heads/necks, lots of expendable characters, mayhem for all! 

Like with a lot of the first issues of the Suicide Squad, the formula stays the course somewhat with the new creative team of Thompson, Pnasica, Ferreira, Maiolo and Abbott. Thompson does the smart thing of briefly introducing the concept of the Suicide Squad with a one-page recap with some of the more recent teams showcased and immediately goes to the crux of what will make his run different: Amanda Waller is tired of losing and instead of playing defense all the time, and decides this new incarnation of “Task Force X” will be a proactive outfit.

To my recollection, this is the first time in a while that this tactic will be undertaken by a Suicide Squad group, so it immediately brings a level of freshness to the group from a story perspective. They’ll be a proactive wetwork division of the government instead of a reactive one. Another new beginning for this squad is the inclusion of some newer characters to the group. The ones to look out for, as seen on the cover, will be Peacemaker and Talon. Peacemaker’s inclusion should come as no surprise to the reader as he’s set to make a big splash on not only the silver screen later this year, but also getting his own TV show as well. The inclusion of Talon should be a fun one for any fan of the Bat family as he’s been an interesting concept and character for the past decade. The one thing I hope Thompson stays away from is having Talon be the “crazy” character to fill the hole left by mainstay Squad member Harley Quinn. 

Thompson also brings back Amanda Waller and Colonel Rick Flagg, as having a Task Force X (or is that Z?) without them is a weaker book for it. Their inclusion should prove to be interesting, especially with a character like Peacemaker in the middle as Thompson alludes to briefly in this issue. There are also a few surprises along the way that should pique the curiosity  of longtime DC readers.  

From an art perspective, Pansica’s style lends itself well to this type of book - there are many grim and gritty sequences peppered throughout the issue that he illustrates quite well. Add to that a fun panel breakdown throughout the issue and it makes for a visually pleasing read. In addition to the pencils, Ferreira’s inks and Maiolo’s color’s complement the grim and gritty styling throughout. The inks can sometimes come off a little heavy for my tastes, but I understand the need as much of the book takes place in dark and desolate places. 

The creative team has quite a lot of large shoes to fill with this new take on the Suicide Squad, but as a first issue goes, they succeeded in providing a fresher take on the concept while still keeping some of the tried and true concepts intact.