SUICIDE SQUAD #3

[ DIE FOR A BARGAIN? ] 

Let me to tell you about a very bad man. Whom the world now knows as Captain Boomerang. And worst off all, is that he is no fool, and he also hates the vigilante Batman. A tale Written by Adam Glass; Drawn by Cliff Richards; and Published by DC Comics in December 2011.

So what’s the story morning glory?

In fine book-ended fashion, this issue of the Suicide Squad, deals with the aftermath of last issues baby snatch and zombies ploy.

Initially, this takes the form of an appearance by the urban vigilante, Mad Dog, whom shoots Black Spider amidst a continuing kafuffle. However, how the Squad managed to be get themselves into this mess in the first place, began two hours earlier.

And then, subsequently, a large amount of this ‘middle section’, recounts how the Squad splits up into two teams, to awaits for transportation to arrive and then pick them up to take them and ‘the package’ away.

For Deadshot and Harley, they go shopping together, have sex together, and then talk to Waller on the phone. Whilst El Diablo and Black Spider discuss ethics, and inadvertently discover how Voltaic died during their previous mission.

Now that last section of this story carries on from where it started – when Mad Dog shot Black Spider. Here, things are resolved rather briskly, and we see Killer Shark have a snack – Mad Dog be a snack – and an injured Black Spider being replaced by a new member, Captain Boomerang, when transportation finally arrives.

What is the most memorable sentence spoken in this issue?

For me, Harley is the girl with the most memorable lines in this issue. For a start, when see replies to Deadshots remark about ‘blending in’, she says to him ‘Riight. Blend. Easy for you and Spider, Deadshot. But me and tattoo boy have, a, ah, skin condition’. Plus, before she helps El Diablo carry Black Spider to the helicopter, she says to them both ‘Listen, I got a reputation. So if you tell anyone that I helped you, I’ll kill you, your family, your prom dates, capiche?’

Oh! And everything that came out of Boomerags mouth was funny too – always has been.

Was the story any good?

Yes – Yes – Yes – Yes – Yes – I liked the story so much, that I want to marry this story and take it home to meet my mother (I hope my girlfriend can understand?).

I liked it for a number of reasons really. Firstly, I liked the book-ended approach it took to tell this tale – that was very nice. Secondly, I liked how the characters all got a chance to express whom they are and what they are all about – that is something I wanted to see from the start. Thirdly, I liked the whole ‘lets wait for a helicopter to pick us up’ premise – very Predator 1. And fourthly, I liked that we saw Lloyd and Harley get jiggy – good to keep it in the ‘Bat-Family’, huh?

Was the art any good?

I did like the art by Cliff Richards too, because his style is similar to regular artist, Federico Dallocchino, and he also has a very nice way of drawing Harley – especially when she is in her cowgirl get-up and giving Lloyd a ride.

To juxtapose this statement, though, I did find that the colours used by Ken Lashley, did overpower certain ‘segments’ of this issue, both in a vibrant and a benign way. Just compare the background and the foreground contrast, and you can understand what I mean by this.

What is the best thing about this issue?

Captain Boomerang joining the Squad again was just fantastic! I loved John Ostrader's version of this team, and to see good old 'digger' back in the fold once more, and not looking like a ‘toy-line’, feels very promising in my book.

What is the worst thing about this issue?

Deadshot without a mustache. OK, I know that this may sounds strange, but I am missing Lloyds tash, because it made him more Burt Reynolds and less Ryan Reynolds – correct?

If you could sum up this issue in a phrase or saying, what would that phrase or saying be?

OK, I have to say that this issue had a groove thing going on, so all I can think of that is pithy and relevant is – boing!

If this issue were a movie, an object, or a piece of music, what would that be and why? 

Now this issue had an old-school charm about it, right? In the way that we saw the return of Captain Boomerang, Deadshot and Harley having their end away, as well as the novelistic approach that this story moulded itself into. So, I though of the song by the Spinners, ‘I Am Working My Way Back to You Girl', as both this comic book and this song have a buoyant vibe, and catchy way about it.

What do you think would have made this issue better than it was?

The only thing that I can think of that would have made this issue better, was if the whole conceit of the Squad ‘laying low’ for a while, was spelt out more clearly where lo-cal was concerned. Well, at first, when I saw Deadshot and Harley shopping, I thought that it was in the stadium presented to us in last issue.

Was I the only one?

Final thoughts...

I am really excited about this series now – Digger is back on the team, and things seem to be rocking and rolling in the right direction. I hope that we get to see some of the other ‘old Squad’ members in the future too – like Flag, Tiger, or Nightshade.

However, I hope that this series does not keep on feeling the need to kill off members, because otherwise, we – as fans – will not get a decent chance to grow with this book. 

Marks out of 10? 9