DC Universe: Suicide Squad #2

Writer: Tom Taylor
Art/cover: Bruno Redondo

Let me start by saying I enjoy Tom Taylor's take on Harley from Injustice so I'm actively looking forward to a much less cringe version of her in this series than usual. 

The artist is good too - only the cover is a bit distracting for me because all through my post-high school education I would buy these cheap notebooks for classes from the campus store, and they ALL had this swirly design on them, in various colours but including this exact scheme. So it's a little flash backy for me, like I suddenly remember I have an assignment due tomorrow when I look at this! Also... there are a lot of characters winking at me here... and this concerns me. 

Did I miss an in-joke? Are they cracking onto me? Is the background too bright for them too?

Now this issue opens with the ending, which is cool so we'll come back to that at the end - fittingly.
Besides, I like this part better. Yes, I know Scale and Fin annoyed me in the first issue, but Fin suffering without Scale - more interesting. Bit of character development. Looking at him sitting there in his solitary tank, mourning his brother not just for the fact that he was a relative, but because of their telepathic connection - I felt sorry for him. I want him to get revenge. I want him to grow from this. All these feelings intensify when King Shark appears and reveals he can both hear Fin and cause more devastation by what he wants to show him.

I don't really get the next part, either Fin has the fist bump power of ten men, his glowing torso is his power level or he psychically enhanced his tackle attack but he smashes said five inch glass to have a go at Shark - which, you know, fair enough. Both of them get tasered before much can happen, but still. Looked cool.

Then we go from this dark, aquatic revenge flick to a super bright, super close up of Harley yelling about how insane everything is as Deadshot and herself walk alongside Lok. This I could deal with  (after my eyes adjust of course) but damn, she just had to get one more jab in at poor Cavalier, who was clearly too beautiful for this cruel world.
She does get psychically shut up though, so that helps. Should be noted that not only Lok was annoyed with Harley's yapping but Deadshot also seems a bit bothered by what happened last issue.

Anyway, Lok's taking the current Squad walkies to see the Revolutionaries who are currently enjoying their glass cubes.

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!

DC Universe: Suicide Squad #1

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.

Suicide Squad New52 #22 - Death and Destruction in Sin City!

Sept 2013
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Patrick Zircher
Colours: Jason Keith
"Light at the End of the Tunnel"

This is one of the first issues of New52 Suicide Squad that I reviewed back before I had my current format. If you'd like to read my baby blogger prattle, you can click here - otherwise I'll put the highlights in red text if needed.

Alright, so, if you recall last time the Squad had a mini revolution and have now come to work better as a team and there's a lot less yelling 'DAMN YOU WALLER!" and in it's place, more work enjoyments. Like Las Vegas holidays!

I mentioned the cover before so there's not much more to be said apart from - while I do like the aesthetic.... I can't get past Harley's concave and malnourished looking torso. Deadshot should not be front and centre, he looks awful! It's like he took a time out to swear an oath and in the meantime, someone took a shitty sketch of him and photo-shopped it in badly. King Shark - well, I only just now noticed he has human heads in his arms. Sure, in hindsight it's pretty bad that I missed this but I could only see his freaky feet.

Right into it this time, the Squad are in Nevada because of some vague Intel about someone about to use mass hypnosis for some nefarious purpose. I mean, it's always nefarious isn't it? No one ever brainwashes crowds to start doing line dances or the world's best Mexican Wave, do they? When will this discrimination end???

Panning over Vegas there's some tourist information helpfully posted around Jnr being smacked down by Waller. Someones doing some hypnotism and they've gotta be stopped! Again, not uncommon in Vegas. The source is confidential!! Or hasn't been written in or thought about much. Again, not uncommon in Ve-. Suicide Squad. 

Anyway, Waller tells Jnr to shut up again while Deadshot and Harley gamble in disguise. That is to say, Deadshot gambles like an ordinary person while Harley clings to him in over sized gauntlets and aforementioned clown whore. She also spouts things such as 'Like a boss!' and 'tiger blood' which is a reference so dated it took me a moment to place it. When were these comics written?! 

Naturally as only one of them blends in with the ordinary folk and the other looks like the serial murderer as seen over the news a while ago, a security person at the casino asks them to come with him. Have they been cheating? Winning too much? I couldn't say, it's the first freaking panel and they're already being escorted out!

Actually, even though we only have two panels it doesn't really seem like Deadshot is gambling at all. Still, I kinda like the cinematic pan over those two panels. Harley really didn't go into too much effort to change her costume but I do kinda like the head-dress and grape earrings. I'm going to enjoy this possible throw back to her love of grape soda, and ignore the pink fluffy things on her arms that possibly foreshadow her transition to pink and blue nightmare. 

Suicide Squad New52 #21 Discipline and Punish Pt 2

Well, I really have come almost full circle now. But there is still so much to unpack in this, the first series of Suicide Squad in the New52. For example, this cover.

Aug 2013
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Patrick Zircher
Colours: Jason Keith

What is wrong with Harley's stomach?
Why does no one have eyeballs?
Who had the brills idea of locking up Waller... and leaving her a fire arm?
Has Harley always had long skeletal man fingers?
Am I supposed to be more scared of the "bad ass" Harley or of her hair style?
Is Harley's belt emblem a Pokeball?
Did she not only kill the guard but destroy their jacket too?
Has Harley never learnt the phrase "don't turn your back on your enemies?"
Why are Harley's gauntlets like ten times bigger today?
Who stole Harley's nail polish?
When did the Belle Reve cleaning crew give up entirely??

Issue starts with a flash forward in Las Vegas. Isn't that what everyone does though? Starts off normal then suddenly you're on a rooftop without your wolf pack and you're desperately trying to remember what happened 17 days ago.


Well, we know what happened because we open up on Waller doing a dodgy bit of tie in. Yay, O.M.A.C. They're always a bundle of fun. Anyway, she turns back to her usual daytime programming to see that Harley has stabbed the Unknown Soldier and waited until juuuuuust the right moment to whisper into his earpiece. Although at the rate she's getting through her sentences she probablt could. have. started. five. minutes. ago.

Harley didn't take to losing at Scrabble kindly.

Porn Parody - Digital Playground's Suicide Squad

I have dipped my toe in, why not get the whole foot wet?
Uhh... that's supposed to be a pool analogy... maybe it doesn't work the best with a porn review.

Yes, I reviewed the other major one - Axel Braun's  version so now it's Digital Playground's turn.

This one stars Aria Alexander as Harley and Isiah Maxwell as Deadshot.

Now right off the bat - tee hee - you can tell this one is basically a vehicle for the Harley Quinn actress - Aria Alexander. The intro credits - even though very small, only show stylised images of Harley and hardly mentions a squad. There's the briefest of plots thrown our way as well... something about Lex Luthor in Gotham? It's not impossible.. but you know he's a Superman villain in Metropolis, right? Guys?

So we open with just Harley and Deadshot (like, there's REALLY no Squad at all, huh?) and first off I have an issue with Deadshot's headpiece.

My what a big... eyepiece... you have. Ain't that thing heavy? Harley's wig is not the best either. It's not the worst of the worst (Suicide Squad joke, anyone?) but every now and then you see the fake looking super shiny blonde-ness, or when she goes to flip her pigtail over her shoulder and the whole freaking thing shifts dramatically.

Perhaps I should mention that this thing is just over half an hour. So, what is the story?

10 Things DC Wants you to forget about Harley Quinn!

Oh no, another Youtube based post! When will I ever learn? Well, The Key of Awesome is on hiatus, so is Epic Rap Battles of History and A Dose of Buckley, and I'm all caught up on pretty much everything else I care about on Youtube so here we are.

Here's the video.

Here's me.

Here's my post where I ramble on for hours on end about why I agree or disagree about the dot points.

Watch out for the random ambiguous point! There's one in every post! ...Apparently.

#10 Harley Quinn was only meant to be a cameo

Uh.... yeah. I don't think anyone's ever tried to hide that.

One of the first parts under her Wikipedia page reads:
Harley Quinn first appeared in the DC Animated Universe's Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favour", in what was originally supposed to be the animated equivalent of a walk-on role; a number of police officers were to be taken hostage by someone jumping out of a cake, and it was decided that to have the Joker do so himself would be too bizarre, although he ended up doing it anyway. Thus they created a female sidekick for the Joker; she would become his love interest.

From the IMDB page about the episode in question;

Originally, the script called for the Joker to appear in drag. The writers decided this was out of character for him and created a one-shot female character to fill this role instead. The character became extremely popular and was soon upgraded from one of Joker's goons to a major player in the Rogues Gallery: Harley Quinn.

VERDICT: UNSURE

I agree with the statement that Harley's character was initially supposed to be a cameo but I disagree that this is something DC is trying to hide. 

#9 Harley Quinn is a relatively new character

What? Confused here. Why is this some scandalous secret that DC is trying to hide from us? I would say the vast majority of Harley fans already know she was shown in 1992 - the rest are the couple of fans of Harley from the Suicide Squad movie who seem to believe that monstrosity was the first incarnation and everything else is some archaic cartoon for old timers.

Besides, how exactly is DC trying to hide this when you can easily see it on every Wiki about her and it often comes up as a 'fun fact!' about the character. It's pretty iconic how she became the first cartoon character to jump across to the mainstream comics in DC barely a year later.

Video/OP need to elaborate here. If DC was trying to insinuate that Harley was a part of some classic Batman stories like the Killing Joke, A Death in the Family, The Man Behind the Red Hood etc or films like The Dark Knight or Batman (1989) for example when she wasn't even in continuity then - well yes this would be some dodgy business.

Verdict: UNSURE 

As above, need more information. Are they hiding her big production year or trying to say she was always there from the beginning? An example of this would maybe be in White Knight when she was there during Robin's torture.

Suicide Squad New52 #20

Hello, Harley people!

This blog is going to be about, well, Suicide Squad #20. Duh, pay attention. Now, I did a review of this one aaaaaages ago, so here's a link if you'd like to read it in full. Otherwise, there'll be snippets of what I thought were apt or witty thoughts about it. These'll be in a different colour to the rest of the body, so if my paragraphing doesn't make sense... Y'know. Well, that's my excuse anyway.

It's important to note that from this issue and moving forward, the series had a new writer in Ales Kot. As you'd know from previous reviews, I had a few issues with Adam Glass' writing for this series. I'm not entirely blaming him for this dank ass series but he definitely had a major hand in it.
So, it's been a while. Was Kot any better? Let's find out.

July 2013
"Discipline and Punishment Pt 1 of 2"
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Patrick Zircher
Colours: Jason Keith

Y'know, I used to review these all the time before it became way too hard - it's a whole new level trying to type something when your arms keep getting thrown up in the air and my typist left because she thought I was swearing at her when I read this stuff. However, now there's a new brain-head doing the series I thought I'd give it another go.


The cover art here shows some wannabe flesh, a sad little skeleton still holding on to the freaking grenade. There are times in life where it pays to drop the ball. Or pear shaped object with a pin.
Around Skeletor is little photos of the Squad, in case we forget who they are. For a 'secret' team, there sure is a lot of this photo stuff going on. That's a problem for another day. Me? I can't get past Hardly Quinn's ugly piggy nose and the fact that Deadshot looks like a scrapped plan for a robot in a third rate sci-fi show.

Now as well as a new writer, we also have some new characters. We met the Unknown Soldier last issue but there's also new inmates (or inmates we didn't previously have the budget to see) as well as Waller's new minion. Waller is going all out, as she also has a plan to break in the current Squad because it took about 20 issues for her to realise that this Squad is useless.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay #1

2018
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Matthew Dow Smith
Colours: Tony Avina
Cover: Ryan Benjamin

Wow, look at that scene! Think it'll appear in this issue? Mmmmmm....... no.

My husband and brother weren't keen on this cover - calling Harley mongoloid looking, doubting if she could take on Bane and generally being dismissive of an obvious sell out cover featuring Harley.

True, she does not look her prettiest here but I don't mind that too much. I mean, it's a fight scene. Looks don't matter too much. I do question why Harley is fighting Bane of all people, why her corset is barely hanging on by the tiniest of threads, and yeah, why she's on the cover when she was barely in the movie this comic is based off.

Yes, this is a sequel to the animated movie Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay - even though the comic came out just before the release of the DCD/Blu-ray for some reason. Didn't a similar thing happen with the Batman and Harley Quinn movie? Well, at least this movie was better than that one.

Anyway, after procuring the 'Get out of Hell Free' card, Waller wants to check it's authenticity so she goes to speak with Jason Blood AKA Etrigan and Madame Xanadu... all the way followed by a mysterious Spectre. Heh heh... see what I did there? Subtlety. Yeah.. nailed it.

Neat trading card collection!

Woe at the Comic Store

So today I went into a comic store with my husband and it was very surreal.

For one thing, he bought several comics... I only got two. Usually I have the most, and he gets one or two. So what happened? Well.....Nothing else appealed to me in that store. What the hell, right?

I did see a couple of annoying things though.

A while ago, Gotham City Sirens was re-released with new covers. That's fine, a lot of series do that. However, I saw an omnibus today and this is what it looked like.

Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens. 

Yeah, I shit you not. If that's not the most blatant cash grab combined with complete lack of understanding of the comic... I don't know what is.

I mean, she's on all of the covers anyway... was it not clear who this trio was comprised of??

How gracious of Harley Quinn - the clear leader of this trio - to allow some 'minor villains of lesser fame' to join her on her adventures! Or rather, use her name to boost sales. Bloody hell, is this how sad we're getting, DC? Just slap Harley's name on anything and it's good to go, right? Especially with Maggot Robbie running around trying to ruin that series AND Birds of Prey at the same time!

I thought Gotham City Sirens did a great job of making sure each character had enough screen time and had everybody play to their strengths and even their character flaws. Hell, Selina being the 'main' ish character and the one who brought them all together.. you'd think she'd be the one in focus but no, everything was equal.

Well, that's what I thought anyway, but apparently I just read another 'Harley Quinn and her bitches' book entirely wrong.

Splat! Promotional Comic: Suicide Blonde - The Suicide Squad prequel

2016
Writer: Tony Bedard
Pencils: Tom Derenick
Inks: Juan Albarran

So here's a review of a promotional comic that DC did alongside Splat!. Splat! is a hair dye brand. Seems like a match made in heaven given Harley's recent.. infatuation with.. changing her hair colour every five minutes. I recall Splat! advertisements in some of my older comics so they've probably been close to the superhero and pop culture scene for a while.

Let's have a look.

Urrrrggggghhh. First page is a full spread of Harley Quinn in her cell at Belle Reve. Do you remember the trailers for Suicide Squad, and the scenes in the movie where she does her little acrobatic act half naked before she gets all Miley Cyrus with licking things, then she head butts her cell because she's frustrated about her sleeping conditions? Well here's more of that! And still no-one questioning why she's essentially making a noose in her cell and giving herself dodgy prison tatts.

Waller comes past and she forces Harley to reminisce on being outside, in the fresh air and sunlight... so, money on the table, I'm shocked didn't include Harley receiving sunburn harder than any given ginger. Oh, my apologies she said nightlife.

I first looked at this and I was like.. what the hell is this? Then I remembered, Suicide Squad Harley Quinn and Joker are #relationshipgoals! Yeah! The one thing I wish my relationships had more of are stereotypical conversations about the girl not being ready fast enough while the girl imagines how a red drape would work on her as a dress. Then the boy can stand around and front about being so gangsta while constantly checking his watch. Yes... relationship goals. Sure..

See, that's the thing about the whole 'gangsta' Joker - he has to have a moll and be seen on the social scene instead of being the classic villain we know that just goes out and does crime that he's planned out meticulously or perhaps made up on the fly because he thought of something funny...
he wouldn't really care if Harley was there or not.

Suicide Squad New 52 #17 Twisted Up By The Red Orchid

April 2013

Oh my gosh that cover though.. I like the tree hands, that is cool but what is even happening with Harley Quinn? She looks a bit like someone made a paper mache version of her as she appears in the New52 Suicide Squad but then went and put Barbie doll clothes on her that don't fit as expected..

Well to be fair that costume never seems to fit her anyway but what I'm getting at is that this cover Harley looks quite a bit munted. As well as that, Red Orchid looks pretty docile and expressionless for someone 'twisting up' an entire Squad. I don't even get the name... have you seen orchids before? They're the most ornamental things ever, beautiful as they are. I guess you have to get in early to get all the good plant villain personas.

The comic itself jumps us into Chinatown where Harley, Deadshot, Yo-Yo, Voltaic and King Shark are busy doing full head shots and what's supposed to be witty battle banter. Yo-Yo makes a weird comparison between King Shark and Chris Rock. I didn't get it then and I don't get it now. It just seems like someone told the writers to chuck in a random pop culture reference. I don't think Chris Rock even did much in 2013 to be thrown in there as a one liner... did he?

The mysteries of the New52. Will we ever truly understand what drugs they were on? Mmmm....no.
Could be the same drugs that made them think that these dipshits could annihilate a bunch of Shaolin style gang members. Deadshot mistakes them for Japanese Samurais directly after referring to Chinatown in Cantonese.. but he's really not doing so well on the cultural knowledge front for a world travelling assassin is he?

Suicide Squad New 52 #16 Death is for Suckers!

Here we are again with the Suicide Squad. Now last time we saw them they were either doing some jungle thing with Basilisk or they were fighting Joker. Not even sure we can count either as proper continuity but whatever. Here they are in hospital at Belle Reve/Reeve. this can only mean one thing... oh no, FLASHBACKS!

Yep, now they're back in Mexico. Harley is all mushy that Deadshot shot himself instead of her and now she's demanding to carry his corpse back to base because reasons. King Shark talks a lot more in this issue but I'm guessing that's only because Iceberg and the others are a little out of it. He's also a bit nonsensical.

Captain Boomerang says one line and King Shark gets all uppity telling him to shut up before he (racial slur about Australians and BBQ's) him. Captain Boomerang's not worried - he lives in the Great Southern Land of the Great White Shark and he's used to sharks. To this King Shark replies that he's a Hammerhead and he eats Great Whites like Tic Tacs. Umm...

I'm not sure if King Shark is pointing out his species change from Great White to a Hammerhead - that we're still not sure why this happened - or if the writers actually don't know the difference between these two sharks.

Cute head, eats like rays and shit

Holy giant teeth Batman!

Yeah, um.. no. I don't think your species is gonna dominate Great Whites any time soon, King Shark. Try throwing your bravado around when it makes sense.
We just get past this nonsense and then Captain Boomerang and Harley have to blurt out some stupid line about spankings which just seems so out of place in the panel, like it was just crammed in there to be like "Oh, they're totally a team just hazing each other! Also, our token female Harley is kinky!" Blegh.

Grey Lora teleports in from somewhere and starts fronting like "I should'a killed youse when I had the chance!" Don't remember Grey Lora? Hey, I wish I was in that boat. She's not even wearing grey... like what the hell? Anyway, that editor I like sooooo much has put in a kind note about what issue we can find her originally in. Not that that explained anything about her apart from she exists and is like.. there.

Suicide Squad New 52 #13

These busy covers aren't working for me. Boy, I remember when Harley Quinn used to have eyeballs. Those were the days.

Dead End

Where we last left off, the squad had been infiltrated (off screen, of course.) so Deadshot shoots Black Spider so Harley and he can make a run for it.

They're really pushing the romance thing. I read this and I get the impression Black Spider is being condescending to Harley, but Deadshot sees it as him trying to get all ninja on his pasty vaguely clown-like boner-trigger.

Well, that's a sentence I've only ever used twice before. Interesting.

Harley has gotten a bit better at running (well, she couldn't get worse - surely!) and Deadshot justifies his murdering of Black Spider by telling Harley that it wasn't actually Black Spider. He wasn't sure until he shot him though. I wonder how that'd hold up in court?

Judge: Deadshot, you're accused of shooting Bob Smith. How do you plead?
Deadshot: Not guilty, your honour. You see, I couldn't have killed Bob because the real Bob would have dodged the bullet. Yeah. Totally a Basilisk plant. 
Judge: .....What?

Back to the Amanda Waller Show - Black Spider has been posing for who knows how long with a knife to Gramma Waller's throat, then has the audacity to ask Waller if they're going to bother with niceties or if he's going to actually do his job. What a good question... but not very well thought out given the scenario.

DCAU: Suicide Squad - Hell to Pay

First things first - this hasn't come out yet, but we already know it's going to be better than actual Suicide Squad. Time will tell if it's as good as Assault on Arkham. Speaking of... this new Suicide Squad animated movie won't be in the same.. "universe" .... so it's not a sequel.

Yeah, that's right. This Suicide Squad is DCAU while Assault on Arkham is technically more in the Arkham game universe. Which is why everyone looks different.

It's good because Deadshot is not built like a tank in the new one (which I always thought was stupid because he's the gun guy, the sniper... it wouldn't matter if he was skinny or short. Why can I fit two of me in AOA Deadshot's silhouette alone?? Why are his shoulders so far away from his neck?? How is he alive??) I don't like Killer Frost's redesign in HTP as much as her AOA one... it just doesn't seem to have any personality?
Boomerang is pretty much the same.. that's fine. Harley...

Oh Harley.

Harley looked amazing in AOA - even if her modified bodysuit revealed her most dangerous weapon - not the dirty-bomb mallet but the razor sharp bony ass hips she had - and she was blatantly used as a sex object for most of the movie (kinda like Maggot Robbie, but the animated version at least had a character arc and some decent lines!) 

This HTP Harley looks kinda hideous, face wise. You guys already know that I think the blue/pink eye shadow is a terrible costume choice. At least she has face paint on her original flesh tone body, not the Joker dip dye, I guess. It just seems weird that she's wearing evening gloves and matching thigh high stockings.. with generic Daisy Duke jeans and hipster sneakers? 

Suicide Squad New52 #12

Now here I have another issue where I previously reviewed it on my other blog, so again I'll copy the parts over where I thought I was absolutely hilarious or on the mark in highlighted areas and then I'll add revisions from my today-self in the normal script.

Oct 2012

THE TRAITOR UNMASKED – YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHO IT IS!

Yes, well, we’ll see. Imitation Waller looks surprised, but that’s probably because a) her cleavage isn’t showing and b) she’s just seen how much screen time she’s getting this issue.

If you bothered to read the last issue you would know that the Suicide Squad landed in a poorly written episode of Scooby Doo and now cannibals are going to eat them for some reason.

Honestly, they wouldn’t be my first choice. I’m sure pickings are slim in the ancient-Mayan comic world but I would like to credit these guys some brains. Would you eat a shark man, a pasty wannabe clown, a dude who likens himself to a spider (eww) or the other guy who’s like, on fire half of the time? Then again, shark is a delicacy and they can save on the costs because the other guy’s a BBQ, mate!

Ermhagawd, despite being upside down we can totally see on top of this stone pillar while we have a thrilling debate on whether or not King Shark has le secret powers.

I had a secret power once. Telepathy. Oh, sure, some sceptics say I just stapled a note to my forehead but when people looked at me – they knew that it wasn’t safe to go back in the water.
I became a hero! Well, I would have been.. except I don’t live near the beach so the folks in range of my powers didn’t need rescuing. But, like all psychic powers – it’s the thought that counts. Ha!

Pew! Pew! Like, Waller to the rescue! No, wait! It’s Basilisk! No, wait! It’s the man with the scarf that has a life of it’s own – Captain Boomerang!

Well damn, this review is perfect so far - I won't have to change a thing! 

Hmm. On second thought, I'd prefer to rant and rave so maybe I will. 

Suicide Squad New 52 #8

Nostalgia is awesome. If you asked me for ten cool things about the nineties, I could list my favourite artists, movies, video games, food franchises.... you name it. On the flip side, if you asked me for some dodgy nineties nostalgia something like this piece of... art... would be at the top of the list.

June 2012.

But it's not even from the nineties! I hear you cry. You're right, anonymous voice in my head. This is from 2012. This is not a good thing. That said.... at least four out of five characters are in proportion. What the absolute hell happened to Harley Quinn???

She's lost her eyeballs, gained some ginormous bazungas, changed the direction her hair colours go, her thigh is the same size going down to her knee and oh look. Eight issues in and there's already ANOTHER variation on her costume. Yikes.

Anyway... maybe the art is better on the inside.


Well, it is a bit but the logic is not so sound. Everything is blood stained red and that's pretty cool. Lime's death is relayed in a really awkward pose. Savant is also in an awkwarder pose than what we left him in. King Shark... likes showing off his gams in surprisingly clear sewage water.
Harley Quinn found the strength to roll over after being shot.

Wait, why was she shot? Oh yeah, she trapped Deadshot inside some random room in the Gotham City police station and put the skinned Joker face on him. Remember? There was a whole issue about storming the police station.

Soo.... why does the page say this was in Arkham Asylum?

I feel like ten seconds of fact checking would have solved this problem but no-one could be bothered. Won Fon Hey?

Yet Even More Ugly Harley Quinn Merchandise!

DID I HEAR MY NAME????

You know, this kind of post could go on forever the way DC is milkin' the ever lovin' fudge out of their main pillar. You know, the female one. No, the one that's not from Themyscira and is actually worth building a pillar around.

So yes, I have managed to find even more merchandise for Harley Quinn - merchandise that only the most dedicated fan could stomach, and even then not without wincing or cringing away from it.

Firstly - do you even look back fondly on Harley Quinn's original Suicide Squad outfit? Do you like horribly paired colours? Do you enjoy wearing socks and sandals together?

Then these Harley Quinn tights could be for you!

I don't even know what you would wear this with or if you could even really wear shoes with them on? Is that a white diamond on the blue calf or is it just a dodgy design job?

They retail for about as much as your average knee high tights (read: way too much) and don't actually resemble her costume that much.

How can one pair of tights cause so many questions?







Otherwise, here are some that are inspired by the grungy, infection riddled prison tatts from the movie. Let the world know you're obsessed, draw like a child and can't spell 'secret!'

Nerdy Investigations: New 52 Harley Quinn

Earlier in a New52 Suicide Squad post, I asked myself what made writer Adam Glass change Harley Quinn so much when I remember him saying he was such a fan. In comic terms, this revamp may as well have been a few decades ago instead of back in 2011 but hey.

I decided to do some digging to try and find the interview I was recalling. 

We're not just going to focus on the outfit but mind you.. you have to point out what an extreme change she went through with her duds alone,  never mind her personality. 

For one thing, she went from a harlequinn to someone whose only visual cue that they were linked to clowns at one time was the ruffle collar and her kind of two toned theme with some diamonds sprinkled around. And even those are pushing it. For someone unfamiliar with the premise of Harley Quinn, she could be a renaissance era hooker or something. It's like someone asked Jim Lee to draw a Harley Quinn revamp and he only heard the word 'harlot'. 

Alright, sex worker jokes and slut shaming is not the way I want to go about this. So, let's compare two other revamps to how Harley Quinn was re-imagined.

So there was this one time when someone thought this was an awesome idea for Superman.

Everyone hated it, and he was soon back to fighting evil in his underoos which is more iconic and makes more money for DC.

With the Harley costume hate, DC decided it was better to keep it and ride the gravy train of publicity.









The other one I want to bring up is Catman. I was only introduced to Catman in Gail Simone's fantabulous Secret Six series. Originally created way back in 1963, he was a cat themed villain (duh) much like Catwoman and often got into scrapes with her as well as the Bat.

Eventually, he became a bit of a joke - that he was nothing like his old self but rather out of shape, dying his hair to make him look more bad-ass, all that jazz. This was in 2003 in a Green Arrow comic.

Then Gail Simone stepped in in 2005.

Suicide Squad New 52 #6

Now I'm going to review Suicide Squad New 52 issue 6 with my new levels of hindsight. I have actually reviewed this issue before on my original blog shortly after it first came out and it's interesting to see what differences I have picked up.

The love for this particular cover has not changed one iota. Yes, it's still the stupid Suicide Squad outfit but compared to the last five covers... hell, this thing could sit next to a metaphorical Mona Lisa it's that much better than what came before it.

Two things though - they have her with brown eyes instead of blue (unsure if this is due to the lighting or colour error or what.) They also use the classic Harley Quinn solo logo on this cover.

I agree with my original comic.. the time skips are annoying AF. I get it, not enough pages to go into the whole backstory or how much time has passed but damn. We open with the Squad having just let 'Harley Quinn' slip through their net.

Lime and Light (two nobodies I originally had to Google) have a reason to fly... apparently. Why are Deadshot and .... (well they *say* it's Savant but being a fan of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey I reject this characterless clone) Savant levitating? Don't tell me they're jumping down from somewhere.. they're freakin' hoverin'.

 More art errors... Lime and Light keep losing or discolouring their arm bands and man, enjoy that bottom panel because it's just about the last time their faces look normal.

Going back to the time skip.. seriously.

Did the Squad manage to get to Gotham first despite leaving well after Harley's head start? Maybe if they were air lifted but we don't know how they got there. So were they lying in wait in an alley they just knew she was going to use or did they get lucky? Did that useless bastard back at Belle Reve/Reeve remove her bomb but add a tracker instead? I mean, give us something!

Deadshot and Savant have a pissing match with their guns, one of the twins apparently has webbed hands and LOL the editor's note about Lime and Light coming fresh out of Green Arrow's second issue... his last name is McQuiver! How the hell did I not see that the first time I read this?!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!