Well, I'm so far behind in reviewing these damn comics that I might as well start with the 2020 re-release and work backwards, I guess? I suppose if I'm doing the most recent ones as well as the New52 run, I'm bound to meet myself in the middle... right? That's how time works, isn't it?
.......Maybe?
Oh well. So yes, apparently they're doing a new run of Suicide Squad. Let's have a cheeky peek.
Right. So already we have fourth wall breaking from Harley, who is of course, centre stage for the money shot. That was quick. The best I can say about her is that her expression is cute and she's toned down her ridiculous eye-shadow.... but I'm also going to criticise her stupid fairy floss hair. Her awkward legs make my legs hurt by association, and that makes me extra uncomfortable.
Joining Harley is King Shark - who's back to being a Great White again! Woo-hoo! and Deadshot who.. okay he looks more like himself but gotta say I miss the mask. We also have what appears to be Zorro, Zebra Man and a nervous Magpie knockoff?
OOOOH I WONDER WHICH CHARACTERS WILL DIE THE SUSPENSE I CAN'T EVEN...
Yeah, predictable as always there is no doubt it's gonna be some or all of the newbies. It would be nice if this run could take more of a risk with it's headliners and you know, live up to it's name?
But I guess that'll never happen.
So the issue opens in Australia! WOAH. That was a shock, but even more so when they decide to introduce our decision to get a new nuclear fleet in our navy. Like, really? Sure, it's a comic, suspend disbelief and whatever... but can I just say as a native that this scene really got my hackles up.
Like, sure, Ms. American born teleporter, WE'VE got our fictional priorities screwed up. You wanna compare notes on our gun laws and mass shootings compared to yours? We're ready.
Apart from that slight slander, I'm sold on Ms. Wink here.
We then get introduced to a bunch of her similarly super powered friends and their varying nationalities (looks like we have an Aboriginal Australian woman too, which is nice. So far she doesn't seem to be displaying any negative stereotypes.. she's no Captain Boomerang although they did make her a hunter, of course.)
Aerie is a cool character, but they had to diss him in his own hype speech? Really?
As an Australian, as a bird lover... I'm starting to feel super targeted here.
Save the 'not useful' jokes for Aquaman, you hacks! Oh, there are some Atlantean people here too. Giving the "jog on" motion - always useful when comics have to censor themselves.
Also their names are a bit on the nose.
Chaos Kitten is adorably violent, while Jog reminds me of my 15 year old nephew - always on a gadget of some kind and only vaguely paying attention to everything else.
Wow, so far these guys are absolutely kicking the Suicide Squad's collective butts. I kinda want these guys to take over.
Remember when everyone was half cheering about the movie Suicide Squad being so diverse but then groaning because they weren't actually characters at all? Yeah, I feel like I have a greater understanding of these characters despite all the jump cuts, and these are brand new people.
Actually, where is the titular Squad?
Ah, next panel. Ooh, I was right, the dude is called Zebra-man (although realistically, what else could he have been called?) the woman is Magpie... albeit a far cry from her old self and Zorro is the Cavalier. Of course. I think I've seen him before in DC.
Seems a bit weird for both Zebra and Shark to have psychic powers. Also weird for Harley to have an outfit like the last Suicide Squad run on the cover, but then on the inside she's wearing her mini corset and booty shorts again like her old series. She's also got a new tattoo on her shoulder and is wearing purple lipstick. Sure... let's add some more colours to her already convoluted colour wheel. Why not.
She's also sporting some ridiculous abs. Yes, she's fit. We get it. Now get it out of our faces and put those things away before people start trying to wash their old timey clothes on them!
Waller has handed the reigns over to some dude named Lok for this mission, and he reveals that America built and sold those nuclear weapons.(Ha-HA PRIORITIES!)
Deadshot and Harley have a go at Zebra man for his theme - Harley even goes as far as to say she doesn't get it, which was supposed to be funny I think but just seemed like it was a jab at her own theme that SHE didn't get either so... who won there?
Answer: Lok did. He absolutely SHOT Harley down and then kicked her corpse around a bit.
I'm really enjoying watching the Suicide Squad staples not being the rulers of the sandpit anymore and struggling with the imbalance of power. But yeah, it was actually painful reading the Squad intro's about psychic powers, abilities with weapons and master thief stuff... then there's Harley!
She's a SCRAPPER! Watch out... other.... black ops... ........... .......... hmm.
Right, so Lok's sending the team after the Revolutionaries who are in a sort of neutral zone where even the Justice League fear to tread.. which sounds weird because I mean, Superman or Wonder Woman could like fly right over there and be in and out in a second and take the nuclear weapon away. WE know that these guys are diffusing them and aren't going to threaten anyone with them but Lok is telling everyone he knows that these guys are dangerous terrorists. Isn't the whole point of superheroes is that they aren't exactly bound by civilian rules or political nonsense? Eh, anyway it's more of a reason to send the Squad in than we usually get so let's go with it.
Now, the caption says 'two days later' when we see the Revolutionaries again, but Osita is talking to T.N.Teen about how he did good 'today' when they're disarming the bomb they presumably stole two days ago. We know the Squad was in America so yeah, they shouldn't/wouldn't/couldn't be there super on time. Just seems weird.
Anyway the Squad manage to stealth arrive, shoot Aerie, eat Scale and send in Magpie to get killed.
I mean, look at this! I damn near forgot this was supposed to be Thylacine, the Aboriginal lady hunting Magpie because she looks like a freakin' Voodoo zombie right here! It's a cool effect though, so props for that.
So Cavalier and Harley are dispatched to the field - Harley declines the use of the rope because she hates having intact knee caps.. or gag weapons, but sure. Anyway, we see Cavalier fighting and eventually getting himself straight up head exploded but Harley? Yeah, no idea what she's doing. We don't see her again until everyone's been shot and it's over.
Now, not shot shot, but shot with non lethals. Which I assume Harley must have in her big ass guns too? So... not sure what she's doing down there, considering we see Deadshot actually shooting the entire Revolutionaries from above.
You know what would have been handy? An overhead shot. Like this:
Only, I can't even see what's going on there or where Harley is either so this one's a little too late.
She appears right next to the helicopter in the next panel though. Make of that what you will.
Also this:
So Lok, bit of a douche but a pretty cunning strategist has basically taken over the Revolutionaries and incorporated them into the Suicide Squad. In a way I'm happy because now I get to see these characters more, but I'm also sad because they were happy being free.
Also - Deadshot, Deadshot, Deadshot. Remember when you used to happily shoot and kill your team mates? NOW you're having a moral quandry? WOW.
And here's the best twist in the comic....
JUST LOOK AT THOSE FACES! Deadshot looks like a toddler who's been "abandoned" by his parents on his first day of pre-school! Harley looks like the other toddler who just soiled herself.
I mean, it's not like there were subtle hints all throughout the comic that Waller was leaving or anything.... gosh these two are supposed to be the brains of the operation but MAN are they dense!
Oh look, Deadly Six came back. Maybe Harley went down to get him and somehow DIDN'T get killed off by Thylacine. Convenient. Especially since you'd think a gun hoarder like her would have been the first target as opposed to sword guy.
The Revolutionaries were a nice, well rounded gang that showed both their skills and their personalities without being information dumps or show offs, so that was really well done. I particularly liked the relationship between Wink and Aerie - so obviously chalk and cheese personality wise but they also work so well together.
One criticism would be that it would have been cool to have maybe seen them in action a bit more and THEN have them be assimilated but there was a lot of personality infused already so I guess it's okay. There were still some characters who we didn't really get to see in full but I guess they'll get into it later.
Weakest points would be the Atlantean twins - I just don't like the Atlantean angle it seemed really forced. Like, oh, here's two underwater mad lads, guess they're gonna have to fight King Shark ah yeah there they go now how could I have seen that coming?
Lok was alright, not likeable but interesting enough. I feel like he's a gender swapped Katarina from Brids of Prey though.
Deadshot was pretty annoying in this issue, what with his obliviousness about Waller, and being rude to Cavalier, being hypocritical about team mate killing and getting his panties in a twist about a year being added to their sentences. Only, it wasn't his sentence, it was Mockingbird that was threatened with it because she wanted to back out.
Also everyone was a jerk to Cavalier and he handled himself like a courteous professional.
Just saying.
Wink: I know, right? Falling to our death. Pretty scary. Gasp. A last second rescue! Who could have foreseen such an eventuality.
Wink: Want a medal?
Aerie: Why did you take that?
Wink: It's really shiny.
Scale: Hello, surface dwellers...
Fin: ...You should have stayed dwelling on the surface.
Deadshot: Waller? Who's the walking information dump?
Harley: Seriously? You gotta carry a cattle prod? I dunno what yer compensatin' for, but it's clearly short and lacks electricity.
.......Maybe?
Oh well. So yes, apparently they're doing a new run of Suicide Squad. Let's have a cheeky peek.
Right. So already we have fourth wall breaking from Harley, who is of course, centre stage for the money shot. That was quick. The best I can say about her is that her expression is cute and she's toned down her ridiculous eye-shadow.... but I'm also going to criticise her stupid fairy floss hair. Her awkward legs make my legs hurt by association, and that makes me extra uncomfortable.
Joining Harley is King Shark - who's back to being a Great White again! Woo-hoo! and Deadshot who.. okay he looks more like himself but gotta say I miss the mask. We also have what appears to be Zorro, Zebra Man and a nervous Magpie knockoff?
OOOOH I WONDER WHICH CHARACTERS WILL DIE THE SUSPENSE I CAN'T EVEN...
Yeah, predictable as always there is no doubt it's gonna be some or all of the newbies. It would be nice if this run could take more of a risk with it's headliners and you know, live up to it's name?
But I guess that'll never happen.
So the issue opens in Australia! WOAH. That was a shock, but even more so when they decide to introduce our decision to get a new nuclear fleet in our navy. Like, really? Sure, it's a comic, suspend disbelief and whatever... but can I just say as a native that this scene really got my hackles up.
Like, sure, Ms. American born teleporter, WE'VE got our fictional priorities screwed up. You wanna compare notes on our gun laws and mass shootings compared to yours? We're ready.
Apart from that slight slander, I'm sold on Ms. Wink here.
We then get introduced to a bunch of her similarly super powered friends and their varying nationalities (looks like we have an Aboriginal Australian woman too, which is nice. So far she doesn't seem to be displaying any negative stereotypes.. she's no Captain Boomerang although they did make her a hunter, of course.)
Aerie is a cool character, but they had to diss him in his own hype speech? Really?
As an Australian, as a bird lover... I'm starting to feel super targeted here.
Save the 'not useful' jokes for Aquaman, you hacks! Oh, there are some Atlantean people here too. Giving the "jog on" motion - always useful when comics have to censor themselves.
Also their names are a bit on the nose.
Chaos Kitten is adorably violent, while Jog reminds me of my 15 year old nephew - always on a gadget of some kind and only vaguely paying attention to everything else.
Wow, so far these guys are absolutely kicking the Suicide Squad's collective butts. I kinda want these guys to take over.
Remember when everyone was half cheering about the movie Suicide Squad being so diverse but then groaning because they weren't actually characters at all? Yeah, I feel like I have a greater understanding of these characters despite all the jump cuts, and these are brand new people.
Actually, where is the titular Squad?
Seems a bit weird for both Zebra and Shark to have psychic powers. Also weird for Harley to have an outfit like the last Suicide Squad run on the cover, but then on the inside she's wearing her mini corset and booty shorts again like her old series. She's also got a new tattoo on her shoulder and is wearing purple lipstick. Sure... let's add some more colours to her already convoluted colour wheel. Why not.
She's also sporting some ridiculous abs. Yes, she's fit. We get it. Now get it out of our faces and put those things away before people start trying to wash their old timey clothes on them!
Waller has handed the reigns over to some dude named Lok for this mission, and he reveals that America built and sold those nuclear weapons.(Ha-HA PRIORITIES!)
Deadshot and Harley have a go at Zebra man for his theme - Harley even goes as far as to say she doesn't get it, which was supposed to be funny I think but just seemed like it was a jab at her own theme that SHE didn't get either so... who won there?
Answer: Lok did. He absolutely SHOT Harley down and then kicked her corpse around a bit.
I'm really enjoying watching the Suicide Squad staples not being the rulers of the sandpit anymore and struggling with the imbalance of power. But yeah, it was actually painful reading the Squad intro's about psychic powers, abilities with weapons and master thief stuff... then there's Harley!
She's a SCRAPPER! Watch out... other.... black ops... ........... .......... hmm.
Right, so Lok's sending the team after the Revolutionaries who are in a sort of neutral zone where even the Justice League fear to tread.. which sounds weird because I mean, Superman or Wonder Woman could like fly right over there and be in and out in a second and take the nuclear weapon away. WE know that these guys are diffusing them and aren't going to threaten anyone with them but Lok is telling everyone he knows that these guys are dangerous terrorists. Isn't the whole point of superheroes is that they aren't exactly bound by civilian rules or political nonsense? Eh, anyway it's more of a reason to send the Squad in than we usually get so let's go with it.
Now, the caption says 'two days later' when we see the Revolutionaries again, but Osita is talking to T.N.Teen about how he did good 'today' when they're disarming the bomb they presumably stole two days ago. We know the Squad was in America so yeah, they shouldn't/wouldn't/couldn't be there super on time. Just seems weird.
Anyway the Squad manage to stealth arrive, shoot Aerie, eat Scale and send in Magpie to get killed.
I mean, look at this! I damn near forgot this was supposed to be Thylacine, the Aboriginal lady hunting Magpie because she looks like a freakin' Voodoo zombie right here! It's a cool effect though, so props for that.
 |
| I see you, Deadly Six. One sin off for being so sneaky? |
So Cavalier and Harley are dispatched to the field - Harley declines the use of the rope because she hates having intact knee caps.. or gag weapons, but sure. Anyway, we see Cavalier fighting and eventually getting himself straight up head exploded but Harley? Yeah, no idea what she's doing. We don't see her again until everyone's been shot and it's over.
Now, not shot shot, but shot with non lethals. Which I assume Harley must have in her big ass guns too? So... not sure what she's doing down there, considering we see Deadshot actually shooting the entire Revolutionaries from above.
You know what would have been handy? An overhead shot. Like this:
Only, I can't even see what's going on there or where Harley is either so this one's a little too late.
She appears right next to the helicopter in the next panel though. Make of that what you will.
Also this:
So Lok, bit of a douche but a pretty cunning strategist has basically taken over the Revolutionaries and incorporated them into the Suicide Squad. In a way I'm happy because now I get to see these characters more, but I'm also sad because they were happy being free.
Also - Deadshot, Deadshot, Deadshot. Remember when you used to happily shoot and kill your team mates? NOW you're having a moral quandry? WOW.
And here's the best twist in the comic....
JUST LOOK AT THOSE FACES! Deadshot looks like a toddler who's been "abandoned" by his parents on his first day of pre-school! Harley looks like the other toddler who just soiled herself.
I mean, it's not like there were subtle hints all throughout the comic that Waller was leaving or anything.... gosh these two are supposed to be the brains of the operation but MAN are they dense!
Oh look, Deadly Six came back. Maybe Harley went down to get him and somehow DIDN'T get killed off by Thylacine. Convenient. Especially since you'd think a gun hoarder like her would have been the first target as opposed to sword guy.
The Short End of the Jester Schtick
Well, I actually liked this issue.
The Revolutionaries were a nice, well rounded gang that showed both their skills and their personalities without being information dumps or show offs, so that was really well done. I particularly liked the relationship between Wink and Aerie - so obviously chalk and cheese personality wise but they also work so well together.One criticism would be that it would have been cool to have maybe seen them in action a bit more and THEN have them be assimilated but there was a lot of personality infused already so I guess it's okay. There were still some characters who we didn't really get to see in full but I guess they'll get into it later.
Weakest points would be the Atlantean twins - I just don't like the Atlantean angle it seemed really forced. Like, oh, here's two underwater mad lads, guess they're gonna have to fight King Shark ah yeah there they go now how could I have seen that coming?
Lok was alright, not likeable but interesting enough. I feel like he's a gender swapped Katarina from Brids of Prey though.
Deadshot was pretty annoying in this issue, what with his obliviousness about Waller, and being rude to Cavalier, being hypocritical about team mate killing and getting his panties in a twist about a year being added to their sentences. Only, it wasn't his sentence, it was Mockingbird that was threatened with it because she wanted to back out.
Also everyone was a jerk to Cavalier and he handled himself like a courteous professional.
Just saying.
Wotta Comedian!
Wink: I know, right? Falling to our death. Pretty scary. Gasp. A last second rescue! Who could have foreseen such an eventuality.
Wink: Want a medal?
Aerie: Why did you take that?
Wink: It's really shiny.
Scale: Hello, surface dwellers...
Fin: ...You should have stayed dwelling on the surface.
Deadshot: Waller? Who's the walking information dump?
Harley: Seriously? You gotta carry a cattle prod? I dunno what yer compensatin' for, but it's clearly short and lacks electricity.
BONUS PANELS!
There's always time to hype up more Harley, I guess. I don't see why we're hyping for the Connor/Palmiotti run because that's already been released as a collection like years ago.
Here's a cool new Squad guys, only spoiler alert, one of them's dead. Also it changes Aerie's power to be that it's not the act of talking to birds that's useless, but that the birds themselves don't say anything important? Why is DC judging on what birds should be talking about? Maybe you should write some better dialogue in your films first and then come back to this point, huh?
Fun Facts:
- Thylacine means Tasmanian Tiger or more commonly known as Tasmanian Devil. There's already a superhero in DC called that, so we had to go with the smarty pants name here.
- Count the Marvel references! Harley asks Zebra if he was bitten by a radioactive version of his namesake, an oft abused meme from Spider-man's origins. T.N.Teen's powers and attitude reminded me a lot of the Negasonic Teenage Warhead as seen in the Deadpool films.
Man, DC really has been doing Magpie dirty recently.
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