The New 52 Review: SUICIDE SQUAD #1

"Suicide solution?"

SUICIDE SQUAD #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Adam Glass
ARTISTS: Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty, and Scott Hanna
COLORS: Val Staples
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Ryan Benjamin
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

The DC Comics Universe has had two teams that have used the name, “Suicide Squad.” The first debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 (cover date August/September 1959) and was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.

The second Suicide Squad appeared in Legends #3 (cover date January 1987), the midpoint of the 1986 six-issue crossover miniseries. Created by John Ostrander, this was an anti-hero team of incarcerated super-villains that undertook high-risk, black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” there is a new Suicide Squad comic book series.

Suicide Squad #1 (“Kicked in the Teeth”) opens with Deadshot being tortured. How did we get here? Deadshot was imprisoned in Belle Reve Penitentiary, a prison for metahumans and super-villains. He and six other inmates: Black Spider, El Diablo, Harley Quinn, King Shark, Voltaic, and Savant were offered the chance to see daylight by joining Task Force X. There first mission was to extract a rogue agent. Now, they awaken to find themselves prisoners in a dank basement, and their captors want information and are willing to kill to get it.

Although I’ve known of Suicide Squad, I have never made the effort to read it, although I was at times curious. I’m glad that I tried this new Suicide Squad title. It’s something different in superheroes, and not just because the heroes are really convicts. Writer Adam Glass takes his anti-hero protagonists and isn’t afraid to grind them up, lay bare their crimes and shames, and always have them on the ropes. If Glass keeps up this pace, he will have, in Suicide Squad, a comic book that people will have no excuse not to read – other than that they can’t afford to purchase it or don’t want to steal it.

By the way, Ryan Benjamin’s gorgeous cover looks dangerous and the interior art strikes the perfect tone for this nitty gritty team book.

A-

September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
BATWOMAN #1 2.99
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batwoman-1.html
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/demon-knights-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
GRIFTER #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/grifter-1.html
LEGION LOST #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/legion-lost-1.html
MISTER TERRIFIC #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/mister-terrific-1.html
RED LANTERNS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-lanterns-1.html
RESURRECTION MAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/resurrection-man-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html