Justice League vs Suicide Squad #3

March 2017
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Pencils: Jesus Merino
Inks: Andy Owens

This cover isn't bad - I do question what's going on with Batman's legs though. And I don't think they've in any way contained Wonder Woman or Aquaman. Flash kinda looks like he's playing Wii tennis or DDR or something. I do like what they did with Waller and the title of the issue. It's not groundbreaking by any means - pretty sure Waller does this pose at least once every appearance she makes like it's her default character standby mode, but still... when it works, it works!




The two variants just focus on Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman, and like the recent review I did of Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace - the name 'variant' is ironic as there's little to be found here. Both covers feature Harley leaping through the air with the greatest of ease, wielding a weapon and a maniacal smile with which to somehow beat down on Wonder Woman - who stands her ground with less a look of determination but exasperation that these foes think they seriously have a chance, and make her calculate how to destroy them without accidentally killing them with her left pinky finger if Wonder Woman slightly waves her hand without warning.

Both covers take place in some sort of empty void where the only thing apart from the characters are a couple of yellow bursts of gunfire or hammer blows. As usual, the Conner cover is less appealing to me than the other one, which is done by Laura Martin. By Conner's logic, Harley's been suspended in mid-air for some time now, and has been shooting through enough bullets and clips to almost bury the Amazonian, yet for some reason Wondy is only NOW doing something half hearted to stop her? More flash forwards to Agent of Peace again. By contrast, the Martin cover (apart from Harley's face and waist) doesn't look too bad - I like Harley's pants and the fact that it looks like Harley is only wearing face paint, (without her dumb eyeshadow!) and the rest of her body is normal... and Diana is moving in to take her down. Yes.

Well, when we last left off, the Squad was fighting with the League - kind of. Then Killer Frost took out Superman and everyone got frost bite. What? I'm not wrong!



Katana and Flag are on some espionage misson and discover everyone in the facility is beyond this world. Not that they're cool or anything, someone's killed them all.
Just like what Batman wants to do to the guards at Belle Reve after he escapes from his Lecter suit.
Which of course he does in about five minutes, and then goes to have a rather polite (all things considered) chat with Waller. Meanwhile, the rest of the Squad walk back in with their guard detail and query how they all got back.

Killer Frost explains it was her, and immediately El Diablo decides to jump all over her statement and declare that it was the Suicide Squad's win over the Justice League. Remember this team spirit, it's important for later. Anyway they come across the contained Justice League and have several small joygasms about it.

I gotta say, the interior interpretation of Harley is actually cute - looks wise. Personality wise she's a bit of a turd, from her strange mockery of Wonder Woman to her un-PC "spastic" impression of an injured Boomerang. Still, at least here her colours work - somehow, I mean, I still hate the pink and blue on principle - but at least her outfit looks like something you COULD wear into a sortie without suffering from terminal Hot Topic. Bit disappointed that she's not got much in the way of funny one liners... like.. what happened?

By the way, the funny line isn't pictured here in case you were wondering. 

Killer Frost and Superman have a chat about what happened back on the battlefield. I still like the original Killer Frost - and her protege I guess - but I'm not opposed to this new youthful version. She seems to be the one character they're splurging all the character development on. 

Which is fine by me, it's about time someone else took the spotlight besides Waller, Deadshot and Harley and if anyone could use some love it's Killer Frost - the last time she was used that I recall was on The Flash CW show.. and that's not good for anyone's career. 

ANYWAY back to our team mentality and the underlying theme of the issue:

We're not a team, we're just the ones who survive the most. 

Well, we've seen two groups but what happened to Maxwell Lord and friends? Oh don't worry about them, they're just doing the tourist thing on some faux-tiki-like South Pacific island full of ancient shamans or something. That's a thing that happened. 

You know what else happened? Turns out Katana and Flag went out to get a rental for movie night. Too bad what they chose was just a prison breakout one, and not like, Prison Break.. more like Massacre by Maxwell and friends: Catacomb Capers. I know they've gotta do a power spiel for these characters who for the most part, I'd say wouldn't be super well known for current readers but still... 

We get told how bad ass all these characters are and are shown actual security footage mixed in with the fiend's mugshots... and then during this.. we get certain Squad characters 'reacting' to what they see. Harley's "bleh" face might be understandable as there are several murders shown, but then Katana is reaching for her sword like she's gonna jump right into the video and stab someone. Come on, you're the most reasonable character here! You can do better than that!

Somehow that's funnier to me than the fact that someone went through and edited this security cam footage and then had to edit out Johnny Sorrow's face... because if you see it you die. So... which unlucky person had to edit it out and who had the joy of proof watching the result to make sure it was safe?

When they discover Maxwell is behind it all - Superman gets supermad. So.. the neck snap happened in this continuity then, or was there a rehash of it? Yeah, Superman was used, but if I recall Wonder Woman had to actually deal with the matter and all of the fall out by herself, so I reckon she should be the one getting angry here. 

Anyway it turns out Maxwell is trying to control everything AGAIN like your sibling who hogs the TV remote all day, and his team is on their way to Belle Reve to get something.. to somehow help with that... and Waller wants protection from both teams. This gives both the Squad and the League a good laugh until Waller reveals these new bad guys work well together because they're the original team she made in Suicide Squad history. 

Maybe? I dunno, lots of folks actually died back then, Waller may have gotten some faces confused. 

The Short End of the Jester Schtick

Not a lot happened in this issue - which is annoying because there are A LOT of characters, and ones who are rarely in the same room together without starting a punching party or two... yet they don't really seem to interact. Even within their own teams. The only believable ones are Batman and Waller but even then Batman was SUPER reasonable about everything. 

Bizarre. 

I like the idea that the Squad and League will have to learnt to work together to defeat the other Team - who are apparently very good at working together - although we have yet to really see them do anything apart from bicker and murder so we'll see how that goes. 

Wotta Comedian!

Batman: You have to know these restraints can't hold me.
Random Guard: This ain't Arkham, Batman! We actually know how to keep our inmates under lock and key!

Batman: You are going to answer... ...to me..... AMANDA WALLER!
Waller: Took you long enough, Batman. I figured you'd have broken free at least an hour ago.

Superman: Where... is... Batman?
Deadshot: Bats is probably having some kind of pow-wow with Waller about the fate of the free world. And you know they got all that sexual tension to deal with. 

Killer Frost: I didn't know draining your life force would affect my powers the way it did.... But I'm... glad you survived. So if the next time we fight you come gunning for me... I'll understand. 

Lobo: The Main Man don't frag nobody without a good reason.... or a contract.

Killer Frost: The Justice League shouldn't be another of Waller's tools... they should be in the world saving lives and being on Happy Meals. 

Superman: Trust. Me.
Boomerang: I'll ah... take yer word for it. Ya can turn yer eyes off, mate. 

Waller: He has the ability to... suggest things... manipulate people into doing what he wants.
Harley: You two should be best buds then!