Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1

Feb 2017
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jason Fabok
Colours: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh

It's taken me a while to get into this mini series because it was just...
Well, I mean, look at it. A  bunch of C and D listers at best, who can't even commit petty crimes without getting caught going up against The Justice League? Half of them don't even have powers... and we've all seen the memes.

The baffling thing is that this comic came out a year after Suicide Squad: The most incompetent and needlessly confusing entry into DC's movie list. That movie had the SAME problem and not only was it not resolved, it was written into the script as the gosh darned PITCH to CREATE the Suicide Squad. Sure, everyone expects them to die Mr. Bond hence the name but the fact remains that someone literally proposed that these non-powered boobs were the answer and the solution to stop an evil Superman when these idiots probably couldn't agree on a Pop-Tart flavour without breaking out into petty squabbles.

So - no powers/limited powers, no team work..... not the greatest idea ever thought up, that's for sure.

I wondered if it was an attempt to recover from the movie or an attempt to cash in from the movie. Then I was like, nah, I think they're cashing in on Harley Quinn. Damn - top billing right next to Batman. Looking like Superman be punching her in her oversize tits while Aquaman looks on from behind, having given his last heck eons ago.

Aquaman be like 'Y tho?'

That said, the cover looks nice. I can appreciate the symmetry business they got going on, and I like that Harley actually looks nice here. As in, she looks like she actually has human hair, not just oddly coloured growths on either side of her head. The playing card tattoos on her face don't even bother me that much. I still think the pink and blue is so stupid but if you're gonna do it I guess do it better than everyone else. Her red nose is what ruins it for me. Lousy Harley Quinn Solo writers.

Now, the variant covers.... hmm. Well, let's just say if you wanted a weirdly drawn picture of Deadshot sitting on Batman's chest/shoulder like a messed up Santa Claus photo op, you got it! If you wanted a picture of Batman and Deadshot leaping at each other looking more like they're in a dance battle rather than an actual battle, you got it!
If you want obligatory women fighting women covers with slight bondage thrown in, you got it!
Oh you like that, huh? Here ya go, have it in black and white too!



First up we get a psychic powered jerk running amok. Now, who could this be? He's not wearing a costume and he's not funny like Dr. Psycho so that only leaves one option, really.

Ouch, Flag got Home Alone'd back at Suicide Squad HQ while the rest of the hired goons are out attempting to stop some alliteratin' cultists from creatin' some quakin'.

Well... I think I was funnier than that Mad Max rip off. Like Old Lady Harley wasn't bad enough, amirite? Anyway, see the above image? Waller has a perfect panel for panel view of it. We know she's fond of the ear pieces and camera contact lenses but if all the squad is over there, then who is she getting this perfect vision from?

Quite. Also confusing - why a multi coloured random with a mallet is giving Killer Frost - someone who has a mega powers and a good brain - pointers on how to stay alive? Like, yeah... maybe she hasn't been on the Squad long but damn, she's got a good track record. Or she did. DC and it's reboots. Argh!

Captain Boomerang cracks on to everyone but he's not nearly as dirty as he normally is.. in the background we pan over the characters and everyone gets their little name tag and a brief anecdote. Like "Captain Boomerang. Assassin. They're not toys." or "Killer Croc. Brawler. Breath like bad sushi." When we see the Justice League, they get the same treatment - "Cyborg. Half-man. half -machine." or "Aquaman. King of Atlantis."

There are four that bug me. One, Enchantress. "Scary." Then not one but two Green Lanterns - Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz just get "Green Lantern" under their names. Yeah, Green Lanterns are colour co-ordinated snooze fests but still. Then... it's.... * sigh *.

Yes... the woman with more versions of herself than Multiplex... you know who she is.. urgh.

Also - king of stupid questions happens when someone asks how they will know when the enemy turns on the earthquake machine. Um... Earthquakes. Earthquakes would happen. Doy.

Lucky Deadshot learnt from his mistakes on the cover.... his best idea would be to do his job and snipe people, not just get up in people's grills like he's on par with Batman's fists. Still, he took long enough and now buildings are falling down, not only endangering innocent (as far as we know) civilians but Deadshot himself.

He takes the time to moon over a picture of his daughter... who looks suspiciously older than they normally depict her. Also Deadshot full on posing like he in a boyband or somethin'. Watch out for those soulful eyes!

This Rebirth Suicide Squad is going the same way as the New52 Suicide Squad because it can't keep it's panels together. Are they literally covering something up on the adjacent panel???



Deadshot swan dives off the crumbling building only to be saved by Superman. Good thing he fell backwards or he might end up hugging another man. Goodness.. how terrible to have that in this day and age. Anyway the Justice League clean up the mess, and secure the building by encasing it in random green stuff (yeah, earn your keep Green Lantern #2) then ask the Squad nicely to come in.

Well, it WAS a polite request until Glowstick Guy over here made it personal.

As an Australian, can confirm - this is a common issue we all face. 

Then everything explodes in a mess of super hero poses, and we found out where the big budget went.*

I notice all of the green characters are on the top left, the red characters on the bottom right and the blue/silver ones are in the middle. Intentional? No idea.

Then over in the Swiss Alps, which is doing a great job of shedding the stereotypical 'hot chocolate commercial' weather by the way, we find Maxwell Lord - the filthy jerk has organised yet ANOTHER group of posers, including Lobo, Polaris, Johnny Sorrow, Rustam and Emerald Empress. Apparently these guys followed him from California's Death Valley to the Swiss freakin' Alps before he introduced himself.
I don't know who a chunk of these are, so they're probably going to die soon.

The Short End of the Jester Schtick

Well, the comic wasn't terrible.

If they got serious about it it would literally only be a few panels of action and then the rest would just be the janitor sweeping up the remains of the Suicide Squad and tipping them in the bin. Deadshot makes a speech about how they have an advantage because they kill and the League doesn't... but that still doesn't explain how the only real threat posed by the Squad would be Enchantress and even then that's pushing it.

Art was nice and I enjoyed how it was fairly cohesive. Still not a fan of the panels being all wonky and such like.

Wotta Comedian!

Soldier: Sir! You need to stop right there. We're under strict orders to call in any --
Maxwell Lord: That won't be necessary. You'd both rather kill each other instead. Thank you. 

El Diablo: Killer Frost's touch could kill you. 
Boomerang: Eh... Always figured I'd die by a woman's hand. 

Harley: This reminds me of the time Mistah J spiked the Arkham Guard's dinners with Joker Venom and they started a mosh pit in the mess hall. 
Killer Croc: That was a fun Thanksgiving. 

Flash: How can we ensure any kind of justice if criminals are being given a hall pass?

El Diablo: You want me to burn this psycho, Waller? I'll make him burn.
Waller: That's the spirit, Diablo. 

Harley: Hey, I stepped in Apex's brains.... that means I helped, right?

Killer Frost: We got lucky. Those earthquakes were no joke. 
Harley: Ehhhh, what's a few tremors?
*buildings collapse*

Boomerang: Maybe Waller will still see this as a win-loss...?

Bonus Panels!

Who says there's no diversity in comics? Here's the two female Justice League members straight up mirroring each other for like ten minutes. There are a few other impressive super hero poses guys, maybe if you budget carefully you can buy another one.*

Wait, is this why Black Canary and/or Vixen aren't on the team any more? Because they don't have flowing black locks?







For anyone keeping score, the example above was in the same panel and the one here was on the same page, a panel apart. There are twice as many guys at this meeting yet all of them have unique poses.
Don't get me wrong, they look good - but professionally published comics can do better. Plus, relax yo bodies, ladies! Your spines might be super powered but it's making my posture look worse by comparison!


Awww.... the ladies are even directly opposite each other mirroring each other. I suppose someone's gotta break up the bro rodeo.

Then Diana gets tired of this and quick changes her costume if only to see if anyone notices.

Spoiler alert - they don't.