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New Suicide Squad
New Suicide Squad, Volume 1: Pure Insanity
Setting the world’s most dangerous super-criminals against the most insidious threats to national security: that’s the idea behind the elite black-ops unit officially designated as Task Force X. It’s perfect…on paper.
But the real world rarely goes according to plan. Threats evolve. Teammates turn on each other. Blood and betrayals flow like rivers. And that’s why Task Force X is better known as the Suicide Squad.
Vic Sage aims to change the equation. Replacing Amanda Waller as the puppet-master of Suicide Squad’s motley crew, he’s introducing wild cards like Deathstroke and the Joker’s Daughter to whip the existing team-Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Black Manta-into shape. But the world’s deadliest assassin and the Clown Princess of Crime have ideas of their own…and no explosive implants to keep them in line.
Can this new Suicide Squad survive-or will it implode before it even begins?
Collecting: New Suicide Squad #1-8.
But the real world rarely goes according to plan. Threats evolve. Teammates turn on each other. Blood and betrayals flow like rivers. And that’s why Task Force X is better known as the Suicide Squad.
Vic Sage aims to change the equation. Replacing Amanda Waller as the puppet-master of Suicide Squad’s motley crew, he’s introducing wild cards like Deathstroke and the Joker’s Daughter to whip the existing team-Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Black Manta-into shape. But the world’s deadliest assassin and the Clown Princess of Crime have ideas of their own…and no explosive implants to keep them in line.
Can this new Suicide Squad survive-or will it implode before it even begins?
Collecting: New Suicide Squad #1-8.
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2015
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1800 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
February 20, 2024
(B+) 76% | Good
Notes: Clever but conventional, it's a clash of comparable cutthroats, clarifying character by conflict and crises of conviction.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issue #2 ◦ Issues #3-5
Notes: Clever but conventional, it's a clash of comparable cutthroats, clarifying character by conflict and crises of conviction.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issue #2 ◦ Issues #3-5
July 26, 2015
Harley is still cool in this, so that's a plus.
But Pure Insanity is a pretty good description of the plot. Lots of things go BOOM!, lots on infighting, and lots of team members come and go without much fanfare.
Deadshot, Deathstroke, Harley Quinn, Joker's Daughter, and Manta make up the first round of teammates, but it doesn't last very long. Deathstroke (it's apparently mandated that he worms his way into every title possible) quickly leaves the team because of {insert spoilery reasons}.
Joker's Daughter is another one that doesn't last, and I, for one, was not sad to see her go. It appears that her superpower is running around screeching about that precious skin she wears on her face.
*shudder*
Her secondary power is pissing Harley off.
Deadshot is out of action fairly quickly as well, but he's still on the roster, so he pops up every now and then in the story. After the first mission, Manta emerges as the leader, and stays in that position while Deadshot rests his legs
Captain Boomerang, Reverse Flash, and a whole mess of Man-Bat ninjas (no, that wasn't a typo) all end up on the team for the next mission.
The Man-Bats really made me miss Shark King's intelligent conversations...
As far as the missions go, they were all pretty typical 'espionage against other countries' kind of jobs. First up, Russia! Next up, China!
The Suicide Squad is basically just sent in to disrupt any sort of next-gen weaponry that isn't being created by American scientists.
USA! USA! USA!
The (now gorgeous) Amanda Waller has problems of her own with her new bureaucratic co-partner, but it's nothing she can't handle.
She's gonna wash that man right out of her hair...
Toward the end, the inept team manages to accidentally unleash (read: Harley pushes the wrong button) a superhero from China that was created by their scientists to become a weapon. It never says who he is, but the character looks like he's going to become some sort of good guy.
Good job, Harley!
Overall, this didn't suck. And I was really prepared for it to be an effort to slog through. So when it didn't kill me, I was kinda shocked!
Nothing incredible here, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, either.
I received a digital copy of this book for review from NetGalley and the publisher.
Get this review and more at:
July 19, 2016
Because there’s a Suicide Squad movie coming to theatre’s soon, let’s take a look at another iteration of the title. I never got past the initial first volume, when DC went New 52, because, like many title kick-offs for DC’s reboot, it wasn’t very good.
Suicide Squad is a collection of villains who are sent on dangerous and covert missions. If they get out of line, there’s a bomb implanted in their brain that can be detonated. Left over from the first group is Manta, because he looks boss in his costume; Deadshot, because under his killer façade he has a heart of gold or something and Harley Quinn.
The fanboys wouldn’t give this one a sniff if Harley’s not in it.
I gave it a whiff and it smells like that time my in-laws septic tank backed up.
Deathstroke, (sarcasm font is on) because he’s a real team player (sarcasm font is off) and The Joker’s Daughter are added to the group. She’s wearing the Joker’s face and, please, show some mercy and don’t ask me to explain that.
Uh, yeah, I just said that.
Jeff, because of their past involvement with The Joker, wouldn’t there be conflict between Harley and The Joker’s Daughter?
Yes, Goodreader there would be an obvious enmity.
Why? Because having two lunatic women kicking the crap out of each other is the type of pandering move DC comes up with to sell books. Crazy cat fights for the win! Ka-ching!
There’s two missions – one to Russia and one to China and they’re both geared towards eliminating meta-human programs. The Chinese one adds an evil Flash, Boomerang and some Ninja Man-Bats, but it doesn’t help very much.
Two stars because I like to see two insane heavily made up women slugging it out – it reminds me of my twenties.
Please, show some mercy and don’t ask me to explain that either.
*sigh*
Bottom Line : Will the movie be this bad? Will I be waiting for the film to come to my local library, where I can see it for free?
Suicide Squad is a collection of villains who are sent on dangerous and covert missions. If they get out of line, there’s a bomb implanted in their brain that can be detonated. Left over from the first group is Manta, because he looks boss in his costume; Deadshot, because under his killer façade he has a heart of gold or something and Harley Quinn.
The fanboys wouldn’t give this one a sniff if Harley’s not in it.
I gave it a whiff and it smells like that time my in-laws septic tank backed up.
Deathstroke, (sarcasm font is on) because he’s a real team player (sarcasm font is off) and The Joker’s Daughter are added to the group. She’s wearing the Joker’s face and, please, show some mercy and don’t ask me to explain that.
Uh, yeah, I just said that.
Jeff, because of their past involvement with The Joker, wouldn’t there be conflict between Harley and The Joker’s Daughter?
Yes, Goodreader there would be an obvious enmity.
Why? Because having two lunatic women kicking the crap out of each other is the type of pandering move DC comes up with to sell books. Crazy cat fights for the win! Ka-ching!
There’s two missions – one to Russia and one to China and they’re both geared towards eliminating meta-human programs. The Chinese one adds an evil Flash, Boomerang and some Ninja Man-Bats, but it doesn’t help very much.
Two stars because I like to see two insane heavily made up women slugging it out – it reminds me of my twenties.
Please, show some mercy and don’t ask me to explain that either.
*sigh*
Bottom Line : Will the movie be this bad? Will I be waiting for the film to come to my local library, where I can see it for free?
July 21, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
Confession #1: I received this book from DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to inform everyone that the review you are about to read is my opinion alone.
Confession #2: I preferred Amanda Waller as the overweight, non-politician she was in the past.
Confession #3: Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Man-bat ninjas, and Joker’s Daughter (at least as she is portrayed in this collection) really suck.
Confession #4: Harley Quinn is an interesting lady, especially when she is constantly pissed off and trying to kick people’s asses.
Confession #5: I love Deathstroke, even when he is no where near as prominently featured in the actual story as he is on the front cover of the book.
Confession #6: I enjoy things going BOOM! If enough things go BOOM!, I tend to enjoy the comic, tv show, or movie where said things are going BOOM! It is a side effect of too much testosterone I’ve been told.
Confession #7: If sexy ladies are involved in making things go BOOM! I enjoy said BOOMS! even more.
Confession #8: I swear that I will not complain if Man-bat ninjas disappear from DC comics forever, because they suck. Oh, I already mentioned that? Sorry — but they do suck.
Confession #9: If someone — perhaps Harley Quinn — where to kill Joker’s Daughter while attempting to shut her constant yapping about wearing Joker’s face, I would actually pay extra for that comic.
Confession #10: I enjoyed this comic collection. Things went BOOM!; Harley was kicking ass; and the art (though it had rough patches) was fairly good. For those reason, I could overlook the problems with the story and enjoy this delicious time killer for what it really is: the DC version of the Expendables!
Confession #1: I received this book from DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to inform everyone that the review you are about to read is my opinion alone.
Confession #2: I preferred Amanda Waller as the overweight, non-politician she was in the past.
Confession #3: Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Man-bat ninjas, and Joker’s Daughter (at least as she is portrayed in this collection) really suck.
Confession #4: Harley Quinn is an interesting lady, especially when she is constantly pissed off and trying to kick people’s asses.
Confession #5: I love Deathstroke, even when he is no where near as prominently featured in the actual story as he is on the front cover of the book.
Confession #6: I enjoy things going BOOM! If enough things go BOOM!, I tend to enjoy the comic, tv show, or movie where said things are going BOOM! It is a side effect of too much testosterone I’ve been told.
Confession #7: If sexy ladies are involved in making things go BOOM! I enjoy said BOOMS! even more.
Confession #8: I swear that I will not complain if Man-bat ninjas disappear from DC comics forever, because they suck. Oh, I already mentioned that? Sorry — but they do suck.
Confession #9: If someone — perhaps Harley Quinn — where to kill Joker’s Daughter while attempting to shut her constant yapping about wearing Joker’s face, I would actually pay extra for that comic.
Confession #10: I enjoyed this comic collection. Things went BOOM!; Harley was kicking ass; and the art (though it had rough patches) was fairly good. For those reason, I could overlook the problems with the story and enjoy this delicious time killer for what it really is: the DC version of the Expendables!
September 20, 2015
Vic Sage is replacing Amanda Waller as the person in charge of Suicide Squad and he also adds some new faces to the team like Deathstroke and Joker's Daughter. Of course everything that can go wrong goes wrong with all these changes...
A lot of action in this graphic novel. My favorite part is Harley Quinn taking the news of the new addition of Joker's Daughter to the team.
But then again she deals with it in her own way...
This volume was OK, but nothing really memorable beside Harley dealing with Joker's Daughter. I should probably have written the review right after I read it when the story was fresh in my memory. But alas, I never did, so much else to do beside writing this review apparently...
I do like the idea of Suicide Squad, collecting a bunch of villains and making them do high-risk black ops in exchange for commuted prison sentences. In many ways this is actually more fun than having heroes in groups like the Avengers since villains just don't follow rules (as one can see in this volume).
I'm looking forward to seeing what the team (and especially Harley) will take on in the next volume!
I received this copy from DC Comics through Edelweiss in return for an honest review!
A lot of action in this graphic novel. My favorite part is Harley Quinn taking the news of the new addition of Joker's Daughter to the team.
But then again she deals with it in her own way...
This volume was OK, but nothing really memorable beside Harley dealing with Joker's Daughter. I should probably have written the review right after I read it when the story was fresh in my memory. But alas, I never did, so much else to do beside writing this review apparently...
I do like the idea of Suicide Squad, collecting a bunch of villains and making them do high-risk black ops in exchange for commuted prison sentences. In many ways this is actually more fun than having heroes in groups like the Avengers since villains just don't follow rules (as one can see in this volume).
I'm looking forward to seeing what the team (and especially Harley) will take on in the next volume!
I received this copy from DC Comics through Edelweiss in return for an honest review!
November 23, 2015
Um… New Suicide Squad is… good?!
I wasn’t a fan of Adam Glass, Ales Kot or Matt Kindt’s takes on New 52 Suicide Squad and I’m not really sure why DC decided to reboot the series as New 52 New Suicide Squad, but Sean Ryan’s version of this title is really surprisingly good!
In this first volume, there are two storylines with two different squad lineups: Pure Insanity, which has Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Black Manta, Joker’s Daughter and Deathstroke; Defective, which has Harley Quinn, Black Manta, Boomerang, Reverse Flash and some ninja Manbats. Amanda Waller has a new boss called Sage who’s at odds with her over the purpose and role of Task Force X, aka Suicide Squad.
The problems with previous Suicide Squads was the lack of character development and poor dialogue, because it’s never really about the missions - which are just excuses for the characters to do what they do and act more like background noise - but about the group dynamics. Ryan not only writes snappy banter really well, he’s not afraid to challenge the characters and make them look inside.
For example, by introducing Deathstroke and Joker’s Daughter into the squad, it gives Deadshot and Harley not just some healthy competition, but a chance to show why they’re unique as both could be said to be derivative versions of the other. What happens to Deadshot shows us a vulnerable side to the gung ho character we’ve seen so far while being confronted by the face of Mistah J on another deranged Joker super-fangirl forces Harley to take a look at her own identity, or lack of one.
Even Waller gets some excellent scenes as we see her sad, lonely private life and how Suicide Squad defines her existence - we get a reason to care about the character and understand her motivations. The fact that I remember Waller’s assistant’s name - Bonnie - and know something about the assistant’s private life shows the strength and effectiveness of Ryan’s writing on this title.
I’ve never liked Black Manta - until now. In Ryan’s hands, he becomes the best part of Suicide Squad, and I didn’t think I’d ever warm to this guy! Not only do we see a heroic side to Manta, his speech to Waller at the end encapsulated everything I disliked about Suicide Squad before perfectly:
“I expected to be a part of something that had some clue about what it was doing. We’re barely given any information about our missions, the team roster changes on a whim, and, frankly, leadership appears clueless and at times in way over its head.”
Yup! It’s not the only time that Ryan hits the bullseye with his playful, self-aware script. He starts out by defining the Squad’s intent, ending with “You couldn’t screw this up if you tried!”, a little wink to the audience that could mean different things however way you choose to read it. He also has Harley and Waller echo the same line at two different points of the book: “Where else am I gonna go?” showing the emptiness of the characters’ lives or possibly a comment on the underdeveloped way they’ve been written so far. Either way, depth is always a good thing to have and it’s something that’s been sorely lacking in Suicide Squad until now.
There are a lot of great moments in this book, like when Joker’s Daughter copies everything Harley does during a fight, infuriating her, or Sage mentioning Joker’s possible inclusion in the Squad - a hint maybe of laying the groundwork in the comics for the movie currently being filmed?
I’ve not heard of Sean Ryan before so he might be one of several new DC hires who’ve come from a novelistic/screenwriting background and are unfamiliar with comics scripting because Tom Derenick is credited with “breakdowns”. Art-wise, Pure Insanity isn’t a bad-looking book but nothing special. There are also literally 8 artists for the 8 issues in this volume, which is never a good sign for an ongoing, though they do manage a more-or-less consistent look throughout which is laudable.
I may not know who Sean Ryan was before but he’s on my radar now and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for anything with his name on - DC, put this guy on more of your books! Ryan’s handling of New Suicide Squad is smart, witty and very engaging. If you want to read a good comic of the team before the movie comes out, ignore the other recent Squad books out there and start here instead. NOW I understand why they rebooted it with a new Volume 1! New Suicide Squad is the best New 52 title I’ve read in some time - well done, DC!
I wasn’t a fan of Adam Glass, Ales Kot or Matt Kindt’s takes on New 52 Suicide Squad and I’m not really sure why DC decided to reboot the series as New 52 New Suicide Squad, but Sean Ryan’s version of this title is really surprisingly good!
In this first volume, there are two storylines with two different squad lineups: Pure Insanity, which has Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Black Manta, Joker’s Daughter and Deathstroke; Defective, which has Harley Quinn, Black Manta, Boomerang, Reverse Flash and some ninja Manbats. Amanda Waller has a new boss called Sage who’s at odds with her over the purpose and role of Task Force X, aka Suicide Squad.
The problems with previous Suicide Squads was the lack of character development and poor dialogue, because it’s never really about the missions - which are just excuses for the characters to do what they do and act more like background noise - but about the group dynamics. Ryan not only writes snappy banter really well, he’s not afraid to challenge the characters and make them look inside.
For example, by introducing Deathstroke and Joker’s Daughter into the squad, it gives Deadshot and Harley not just some healthy competition, but a chance to show why they’re unique as both could be said to be derivative versions of the other. What happens to Deadshot shows us a vulnerable side to the gung ho character we’ve seen so far while being confronted by the face of Mistah J on another deranged Joker super-fangirl forces Harley to take a look at her own identity, or lack of one.
Even Waller gets some excellent scenes as we see her sad, lonely private life and how Suicide Squad defines her existence - we get a reason to care about the character and understand her motivations. The fact that I remember Waller’s assistant’s name - Bonnie - and know something about the assistant’s private life shows the strength and effectiveness of Ryan’s writing on this title.
I’ve never liked Black Manta - until now. In Ryan’s hands, he becomes the best part of Suicide Squad, and I didn’t think I’d ever warm to this guy! Not only do we see a heroic side to Manta, his speech to Waller at the end encapsulated everything I disliked about Suicide Squad before perfectly:
“I expected to be a part of something that had some clue about what it was doing. We’re barely given any information about our missions, the team roster changes on a whim, and, frankly, leadership appears clueless and at times in way over its head.”
Yup! It’s not the only time that Ryan hits the bullseye with his playful, self-aware script. He starts out by defining the Squad’s intent, ending with “You couldn’t screw this up if you tried!”, a little wink to the audience that could mean different things however way you choose to read it. He also has Harley and Waller echo the same line at two different points of the book: “Where else am I gonna go?” showing the emptiness of the characters’ lives or possibly a comment on the underdeveloped way they’ve been written so far. Either way, depth is always a good thing to have and it’s something that’s been sorely lacking in Suicide Squad until now.
There are a lot of great moments in this book, like when Joker’s Daughter copies everything Harley does during a fight, infuriating her, or Sage mentioning Joker’s possible inclusion in the Squad - a hint maybe of laying the groundwork in the comics for the movie currently being filmed?
I’ve not heard of Sean Ryan before so he might be one of several new DC hires who’ve come from a novelistic/screenwriting background and are unfamiliar with comics scripting because Tom Derenick is credited with “breakdowns”. Art-wise, Pure Insanity isn’t a bad-looking book but nothing special. There are also literally 8 artists for the 8 issues in this volume, which is never a good sign for an ongoing, though they do manage a more-or-less consistent look throughout which is laudable.
I may not know who Sean Ryan was before but he’s on my radar now and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for anything with his name on - DC, put this guy on more of your books! Ryan’s handling of New Suicide Squad is smart, witty and very engaging. If you want to read a good comic of the team before the movie comes out, ignore the other recent Squad books out there and start here instead. NOW I understand why they rebooted it with a new Volume 1! New Suicide Squad is the best New 52 title I’ve read in some time - well done, DC!
February 9, 2017
I have to admit, the story in this new volume was a bit less all over the place and on track with a bit of OP limiters and departmental bureaucracy BS slowing down the batshit crazy. Sure, there's still the same kinds of betrayals and standard supervillains to balance this stuff out, but at least this time Waller is up against the Machine.
Um. That's not a super villain. Or not the one you're thinking of. I'm just talking about the Man. Or the Stupid Man. The elitist asshole that barges into situations without a clue what's going on and takes charge to make a real hash of everything. That Man.
*sigh*
Well, at least it makes for good story! :)
Um. That's not a super villain. Or not the one you're thinking of. I'm just talking about the Man. Or the Stupid Man. The elitist asshole that barges into situations without a clue what's going on and takes charge to make a real hash of everything. That Man.
*sigh*
Well, at least it makes for good story! :)
September 11, 2016
You know what? I wanted to stop. I wanted to never pick up another Suicide Squad comic ever again. But then I did and this NEW Suice Squad is actually better than the other run I've read. At least the art has improved of about 200% (they also completely changed Deadshots looks) and although events are still pretty chaotic, I kind of liked this one.
Harley was the centre for me, again, and she looks awesome in this. Many other stuff didn't really make sense but this time around, I wasn't that much bothered because the squad itself is still in disarray, trying to find it's place and rhythm (making it kind of authentic). I guess it really all depends on the writer/artist!
I mean, the plot isn't overly original (Russia being the first enemy and naming their robots "Rocket Reds" of all things, Chine being next) but since there is a new facility, a new political system in the US (and the world), even Amanda Waller didn't land on her feet as she usually did. I liked that. So we have infighting between Harley and the so-called Joker's Daughter (new member) as well as between Amanda and her new boss. One pissing contest after another. Not bad, overall.
Harley was the centre for me, again, and she looks awesome in this. Many other stuff didn't really make sense but this time around, I wasn't that much bothered because the squad itself is still in disarray, trying to find it's place and rhythm (making it kind of authentic). I guess it really all depends on the writer/artist!
I mean, the plot isn't overly original (Russia being the first enemy and naming their robots "Rocket Reds" of all things, Chine being next) but since there is a new facility, a new political system in the US (and the world), even Amanda Waller didn't land on her feet as she usually did. I liked that. So we have infighting between Harley and the so-called Joker's Daughter (new member) as well as between Amanda and her new boss. One pissing contest after another. Not bad, overall.
April 3, 2019
"There is so little I can actually control here. We are sending psychotic criminals into highly volatile and violent war zones . . . That's why there needs to be planning [and] some order." -- Amanda Waller
Surprisingly, Pure Insanity was actually pretty good for the most part. Squad director / puppet-master Amanda Waller's character appearance is revamped, now resembling a cross between actresses Salli Richardson and Nicole Ari Parker. Also, her usual or annoying one-track ruthless or icy nature is also possibly tempered by fatigue. (A brief, telling scene shows a sparse, undecorated apartment where she only seems to sleep, eat breakfast, and shower -- her unglamorous / stressful government job otherwise consumes her life.) Sympathy for a character I previously kind of disliked? Say it ain't so!
Elsewhere in the field, a frustrated Black Manta tries to keep the team functioning, although he's hampered by 1.) crazed Harley Quinn and angry Joker's Daughter violently bickering like siblings, 2.) lackluster replacement members like the idiotic Captain Boomerang and 'Not-Flash' (who "doesn't work" - he's not fast enough), and 3.) Deathstroke jumping sides while Deadshot sustains injuries.
Surprisingly, Pure Insanity was actually pretty good for the most part. Squad director / puppet-master Amanda Waller's character appearance is revamped, now resembling a cross between actresses Salli Richardson and Nicole Ari Parker. Also, her usual or annoying one-track ruthless or icy nature is also possibly tempered by fatigue. (A brief, telling scene shows a sparse, undecorated apartment where she only seems to sleep, eat breakfast, and shower -- her unglamorous / stressful government job otherwise consumes her life.) Sympathy for a character I previously kind of disliked? Say it ain't so!
Elsewhere in the field, a frustrated Black Manta tries to keep the team functioning, although he's hampered by 1.) crazed Harley Quinn and angry Joker's Daughter violently bickering like siblings, 2.) lackluster replacement members like the idiotic Captain Boomerang and 'Not-Flash' (who "doesn't work" - he's not fast enough), and 3.) Deathstroke jumping sides while Deadshot sustains injuries.
December 30, 2015
"Pure Insanity" indeed - no false advertisement there. Nothing makes much sense, but a lot of things blow up. If that sounds satisfactory, this one's for you. Then again, explosions are a dime a dozen in popular culture, so you have a lot of choices anyway.
August 3, 2015
Hollywood buddy read with my Shallow Comic Reading pals!
Dammit, I really wanted to like this one. With a couple of minor tweaks, I probably could have. Sadly, it missed the mark for me.
What’s strange about it is the LOVE/HATE factor for me with this one. Examples. I love Harley. She’s corny, kooky, and a sociopathic killer. But, I’m not sold on her going toe to toe with a bunch of Special Forces soldiers and tearing them up like it ain’t no thang. She’s a shrink, not a Navy Seal. I love Deadshot. His cynical sense of humor combined with his cock-sure arrogance is a winner for me. But I HATE the new duds(I know they've been around for awhile, I'm just ignoring them). He looks like he’s got some kinda bondage fetish now. I love Deathstroke. He’s actually pretty well written here and his dialogue rings true. But again, WTF is up with that uniform?! It’s like Jim Lee channeling his inner Rob Leifeld. I love Amanda Waller. She’s a smart, mean, take no shit kinda woman. And it turns out we both like pulled pork. Accept now she only has pulled pork once a week between salads with no roll because she cutting carbs so she can fit into her size 1. Does EVERY woman in the book need to be 36-24-34. Bring back the fat. Actually, there was a supporting cast secretary that was on the chubby side. But I got the feeling that DC is just trying to throw her in there in an attempt to cover their ass in case of any back-lash for trimming down Waller. I love Black Manta. But why the hell is this guy running around Russia, one thousand miles from the ocean with a scuba tank and diving helmet. Give the guy something to wear when he’s not in the water throwing down with Aquaman for gods sakes. His neck and back have gotta be jacked.
The stories themselves were alright. The dialogue wasn’t bad. The interactions between some of the characters was actually kinda fun at times. Sean Ryan has some good ideas, they just didn’t all fall into place.
What I flat out didn’t like. The Joker’s Daughter. Ugh. Even the name. WTF. Sorry to those of you that dig her, but she’s LAME. I know nothing about her back story and I just don’t give a shit. Victor Sage being a whiny pussy. I kept waiting for Waller to bitch slap the dude. I didn’t like the way the team switched out half way through either. I don’t have an issue with characters rotating in and out. Just didn’t flow for me. Professor Zoom’s new Witchblade-ish outfit was pretty bad too. I also didn’t like the disposable Man-bat ninjas. One of them could actually make for an interesting character given a little more time and attention.
Despite my issues with the costumes, the art itself was ok. I just HATE some of the character designs. Not that you have to stay with the original forever(some of them are pretty dated), just that some of these were a little to 90’s for me. Deathstroke’s armor and foot thick sword, Deadshot’s gimp outfit, and Waller’s bulimia were all just weak.
Maybe I went into this one with unrealistic expectations, but Pure Insanity just fell flat for me. I would only recommend this one to die-hard fans of the team or prior Suicide Squad collections. Otherwise you can probably do better.
Get this review and more at:
July 28, 2015
I received a free eARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this pretty well, though it felt like the beginning of something (which it was) that never really got off the ground like it has the potential to. Well, it gathers the first 8 issues of the New Suicide Squad, and perhaps it is with further issues that I would really become invested in the story a bit better.
Now, I should note that this is my first reading experience with the Suicide Squad. It does seem like a decent entry point, moving forward. What with the New 52 DC reboot and the reforming of the Squad itself. But my concern at this point is the suddenly shifting lineup change. Is this normal and expected of Suicide Squad? I know it happens with many of the super teams, and with this one being made up of criminals I imagine it might happen more often. It just seemed like a certain lineup was advertised and it was of a different makeup before this reader was fully on board with the idea. This isn't a criticism, but an observation as to perhaps why I didn't give it more starage.
But all in all, I enjoyed the artwork and the story itself. The characters were interesting as well as being somewhat bastards. I'd definitely look into continuing this story.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this pretty well, though it felt like the beginning of something (which it was) that never really got off the ground like it has the potential to. Well, it gathers the first 8 issues of the New Suicide Squad, and perhaps it is with further issues that I would really become invested in the story a bit better.
Now, I should note that this is my first reading experience with the Suicide Squad. It does seem like a decent entry point, moving forward. What with the New 52 DC reboot and the reforming of the Squad itself. But my concern at this point is the suddenly shifting lineup change. Is this normal and expected of Suicide Squad? I know it happens with many of the super teams, and with this one being made up of criminals I imagine it might happen more often. It just seemed like a certain lineup was advertised and it was of a different makeup before this reader was fully on board with the idea. This isn't a criticism, but an observation as to perhaps why I didn't give it more starage.
But all in all, I enjoyed the artwork and the story itself. The characters were interesting as well as being somewhat bastards. I'd definitely look into continuing this story.
April 5, 2019
I don't really enjoy the turn the series has taken. It's just meandering. The introduction of Vic Sage (who was the Question pre New 52) is supposed to create more drama but he's characterized as if he's a 6 year old. This guy is supposed to be running a government agency but he acts like a child. It's really some piss-poor writing (and editing for that matter because no editor should let this pass).
September 1, 2016
I received this from DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted when the embargo is lifted on July 21, 2015.
Okay, so I'm only a year late posting this review. (Thanks to Jeff for inadvertently pointing this out to me by liking my (incomplete) review!) I also want to add that I am completely STOKED for the Suicide Squad movie on August 5th!
Without further ado, here's my year-old review. It's a good thing these don't have expiration dates!
I’m not sure what I just read. Or maybe I should say I’m not sure WHY I just read it. There’s no storyline, no purposeful plot, and the only thing that carries this book is the artwork.
The story, such as it is, has the US Government bringing together several villains, straight out of Belle Reve Prison, forcing them into an incoherent team and sending them into Russia (first story arc) and China (second story arc) for a mission to… I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. The team (is it Team X, Team XL, or the Suicide Squad?) isn’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing either. Deadshot is the team lead, no, wait, it’s Deathstroke, no wait, it’s Black Manta. Even their handlers can’t agree on who’s in charge of this (hopeless) project. I think I can see where Sean Ryan is trying to build tension, but it’s simply not working, and the entire volume is just a mess.
The only saving grace is the Jeremy Robert’s artwork. He draws Harley Quinn to perfection, and the fight scenes are very well done. This is the only reason this volume managed to earn two stars.
Okay, so I'm only a year late posting this review. (Thanks to Jeff for inadvertently pointing this out to me by liking my (incomplete) review!) I also want to add that I am completely STOKED for the Suicide Squad movie on August 5th!
Without further ado, here's my year-old review. It's a good thing these don't have expiration dates!
I’m not sure what I just read. Or maybe I should say I’m not sure WHY I just read it. There’s no storyline, no purposeful plot, and the only thing that carries this book is the artwork.
The story, such as it is, has the US Government bringing together several villains, straight out of Belle Reve Prison, forcing them into an incoherent team and sending them into Russia (first story arc) and China (second story arc) for a mission to… I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. The team (is it Team X, Team XL, or the Suicide Squad?) isn’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing either. Deadshot is the team lead, no, wait, it’s Deathstroke, no wait, it’s Black Manta. Even their handlers can’t agree on who’s in charge of this (hopeless) project. I think I can see where Sean Ryan is trying to build tension, but it’s simply not working, and the entire volume is just a mess.
The only saving grace is the Jeremy Robert’s artwork. He draws Harley Quinn to perfection, and the fight scenes are very well done. This is the only reason this volume managed to earn two stars.
July 18, 2021
There's new management for the Suicide Squad, or so he thinks. Yet with the team ever more damaged, deranged, or duds, they may not survive the next issue, let alone the next mission!
Introducing Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, Joker's Daughter, Deathstroke, and Three Totally Random Man-Bat Ninjas to the Team, and new enemies in a robot Russian Rocket Reds and a Chinese super-meta.
Introducing Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, Joker's Daughter, Deathstroke, and Three Totally Random Man-Bat Ninjas to the Team, and new enemies in a robot Russian Rocket Reds and a Chinese super-meta.
June 8, 2022
Despite being volume one, this book assumes a certain level of familiarity with previous Suicide Squad comics. The fact that it's the "New" SS backs that up. I don't think I can pin down precisely when it happened, but sometime within the last twenty years or so, the ideas of "first issue" and "Volume 1" ceased to have any meaning. Time was that those would be the points at which a particular character or team was introduced to the world. It marked ground zero for new readers, the point from which most of the lore surrounding that character or team sprang. These days, Volume 1 is no more likely to introduce you to the characters or series than Volume 7 or 23 or whatever.
Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with the Suicide Squad or its individual members, have fun plunging right into the deep end with this book. Some of them might be familiar from the movies, but that's about it.
Honestly, I was not highly impressed by this book. Story wise, it's pretty typical Suicide Squad fare. There are two complete stories in this book. The first one seems to be more about Waller and Sage battling for control of the team than it does about the team's mission in Russia. The second seems to be more concerned with setting up future storylines than it does about resolving this one. I did enjoy the second half of the second story more than the first.
Probably best to throw out some random thoughts:
Isn't Vic Sage the Question? I'm possibly mistaken, or it could be a coincidence of names. Could be there have been some changes in recent decades?
Not a fan of the slim Amanda Waller. Her original look had more character. She's still as much of a badass as ever though …
Deathstroke has beefed up rather outrageously since the days of the New Teen Titans. This version of him looks like he'd have trouble fitting through doorways.
Man, that art for the second storyline is ugly. Look at Bonnie's face at the top of page 5, for instance. Shouldn't her eyes be, like, symmetrical?
Also in the second storyline, that Chinese army just kind of appears out of nowhere. Granted, our heroes were a bit distracted, but still …
As I said, things start to get a bit interesting towards the end of the second story, but overall this book is pretty lackluster. Recommended for diehard fans only.
Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with the Suicide Squad or its individual members, have fun plunging right into the deep end with this book. Some of them might be familiar from the movies, but that's about it.
Honestly, I was not highly impressed by this book. Story wise, it's pretty typical Suicide Squad fare. There are two complete stories in this book. The first one seems to be more about Waller and Sage battling for control of the team than it does about the team's mission in Russia. The second seems to be more concerned with setting up future storylines than it does about resolving this one. I did enjoy the second half of the second story more than the first.
Probably best to throw out some random thoughts:
Isn't Vic Sage the Question? I'm possibly mistaken, or it could be a coincidence of names. Could be there have been some changes in recent decades?
Not a fan of the slim Amanda Waller. Her original look had more character. She's still as much of a badass as ever though …
Deathstroke has beefed up rather outrageously since the days of the New Teen Titans. This version of him looks like he'd have trouble fitting through doorways.
Man, that art for the second storyline is ugly. Look at Bonnie's face at the top of page 5, for instance. Shouldn't her eyes be, like, symmetrical?
Also in the second storyline, that Chinese army just kind of appears out of nowhere. Granted, our heroes were a bit distracted, but still …
As I said, things start to get a bit interesting towards the end of the second story, but overall this book is pretty lackluster. Recommended for diehard fans only.
June 15, 2017
Holy hell did I like a suicide squad book? This is insane! This "New Suicide Squad" is very much worth checking out for the pure balls to the walls moments. Lots of shit explodes, bad guys throw dialog that'll make you laugh all the time, and the switch ups with the team keeps happening to make it interesting. If you ask me to tell you the whole plot it sums up as "Bad guys stopping other bad guys and shit explodes." But hey, it's funny and entertaining and for that alone I was having a blast.
What I liked: The comedy was solid. There's a moment reverse flash breaks his fucking kneecap trying to run too fast. I nearly died laughing out loud. Like it was perfect moment. On top of that you got Manta as team lead. He's fucking badass. Also the arkwork is solid and the fights look great. Actually almost everything art wise looks great.
What I didn't like: What the fuck was the plot? Who knows. Also Harley was kind of stupid as hell in this. Like dumber than usual. And Joker's daughter was dumb as hell. Who is she? Yeah don't let her back.
SO yeah this is so worth getting. Easy to jump on because "story" is lolz anyway. The fighting is fun, the characters are fun, the dialog is solid, this is very much worth checking out! Go for it! 4/5!
What I liked: The comedy was solid. There's a moment reverse flash breaks his fucking kneecap trying to run too fast. I nearly died laughing out loud. Like it was perfect moment. On top of that you got Manta as team lead. He's fucking badass. Also the arkwork is solid and the fights look great. Actually almost everything art wise looks great.
What I didn't like: What the fuck was the plot? Who knows. Also Harley was kind of stupid as hell in this. Like dumber than usual. And Joker's daughter was dumb as hell. Who is she? Yeah don't let her back.
SO yeah this is so worth getting. Easy to jump on because "story" is lolz anyway. The fighting is fun, the characters are fun, the dialog is solid, this is very much worth checking out! Go for it! 4/5!
July 30, 2015
Full review to come, but what really saved this one for me was the ending.
FULL REVIEW
Dear Ms. Amanda Waller,
Sorry, we don't think you're getting good enough results with your undercover ops team made of psychopathic criminals. Therefore, we're giving your job to some bureaucratic moron who thinks the SUICIDE SQUAD needs more chaos!!!
We're going to add Joker's Daughter (who is basically useless and kind of a dumbass), and Deathstroke, mainly because it will be fun to see them jockey for position with Harley Quinn and Deadshot -- oh yeah, we also decided it would be more fun without the bombs to keep them in check. Also, we're going on a mission to Russia that we really have no plans for and putting Black Manta in charge. Don't worry, when Deathstroke betrays everyone and Deadshot gets put in a wheelchair, we'll just bring in that asshole Boomerang and some Man-Bat ninjas. Then we can call it a day and head to China, to stop them from mass-manufacturing superheroes in some shady clone-factory setup.
Oh and we're going to piss off the new guy by leaving the power to detonate with you Amanda, because we don't want "too many people" to have it (really, we think he's a bit too trigger happy). All in all, he'll probably get killed or fired anyways pretty soon, so just grin and bear it in the meantime. And try to remember why you're even doing this job, and that you have no life outside of it. So even if you wanted to quit, you wouldn't. Just remember, we're equal opportunity; we fuck everyone over.
Sincerely,
The United States Government
(P.S. We totally ship you with Black Manta (even though it would never work). What do you think is a better ship name, BlackWall or A-Manta?)
***Oh, and a sidenote from this review's author, I really enjoyed the ending of the second story arc when the manufactured superhero escapes from the Squad's attempts to destroy him. His "no more killing" philosophy makes Harley really think about what she's doing, it makes Manta want to quit and his tantrum/yelling match with Amanda Waller makes her re-evaluate her life choices. Deadshot's injuries (being in a wheelchair and at PT for months) are bumming him out and making him rethink everything. Boomerang doesn't give two shits about any of it (because he's an irredeemable dick). But I loved the fact that he had such a chain-reaction/effect on everyone. It was a really interesting emotional climax. Also, they got rid of Joker's Daughter thank GOD. Talk about useless!!!
FULL REVIEW
Dear Ms. Amanda Waller,
Sorry, we don't think you're getting good enough results with your undercover ops team made of psychopathic criminals. Therefore, we're giving your job to some bureaucratic moron who thinks the SUICIDE SQUAD needs more chaos!!!
We're going to add Joker's Daughter (who is basically useless and kind of a dumbass), and Deathstroke, mainly because it will be fun to see them jockey for position with Harley Quinn and Deadshot -- oh yeah, we also decided it would be more fun without the bombs to keep them in check. Also, we're going on a mission to Russia that we really have no plans for and putting Black Manta in charge. Don't worry, when Deathstroke betrays everyone and Deadshot gets put in a wheelchair, we'll just bring in that asshole Boomerang and some Man-Bat ninjas. Then we can call it a day and head to China, to stop them from mass-manufacturing superheroes in some shady clone-factory setup.
Oh and we're going to piss off the new guy by leaving the power to detonate with you Amanda, because we don't want "too many people" to have it (really, we think he's a bit too trigger happy). All in all, he'll probably get killed or fired anyways pretty soon, so just grin and bear it in the meantime. And try to remember why you're even doing this job, and that you have no life outside of it. So even if you wanted to quit, you wouldn't. Just remember, we're equal opportunity; we fuck everyone over.
Sincerely,
The United States Government
(P.S. We totally ship you with Black Manta (even though it would never work). What do you think is a better ship name, BlackWall or A-Manta?)
***Oh, and a sidenote from this review's author, I really enjoyed the ending of the second story arc when the manufactured superhero escapes from the Squad's attempts to destroy him. His "no more killing" philosophy makes Harley really think about what she's doing, it makes Manta want to quit and his tantrum/yelling match with Amanda Waller makes her re-evaluate her life choices. Deadshot's injuries (being in a wheelchair and at PT for months) are bumming him out and making him rethink everything. Boomerang doesn't give two shits about any of it (because he's an irredeemable dick). But I loved the fact that he had such a chain-reaction/effect on everyone. It was a really interesting emotional climax. Also, they got rid of Joker's Daughter thank GOD. Talk about useless!!!
April 4, 2016
Very good! So this is DC having another go at a Suicide Squad ongoing series,(Why they cancelled the original new 52 one, baffles me), and for the most part its really good! So this has a new team, Harley and Deadshot of course are there, with the add on of Deadshot, Black Manta and Jokers Daughter, they are together for the first arc because this volume collects 2 mini story arcs.
Arc 1: The team is sent into Russia, to try and stop a army of Russian Iron Men. Good story, nice art. Black Manta surprised me the most, for a guy that DC paints as cold and ruthless, he's the comic relief in these stories, the leader who's trying to keep everyone together.
Arc 2: Team changes a bit: Harley, Black Manta, Cpt. Boomerang, Ninja Man-bats(I'm not kidding) and The Reverse flash(Not Thawne). The team is sent into China, the story was good but the artwork sucks, i think the artwork will change each arc for this series. Overall this is a good series.
Arc 1: The team is sent into Russia, to try and stop a army of Russian Iron Men. Good story, nice art. Black Manta surprised me the most, for a guy that DC paints as cold and ruthless, he's the comic relief in these stories, the leader who's trying to keep everyone together.
Arc 2: Team changes a bit: Harley, Black Manta, Cpt. Boomerang, Ninja Man-bats(I'm not kidding) and The Reverse flash(Not Thawne). The team is sent into China, the story was good but the artwork sucks, i think the artwork will change each arc for this series. Overall this is a good series.
June 19, 2016
2.5 stars, I hate the first story so much! There's no need for my beloved Harley Quinn to cat fight with the Joker's Daughter like highschool girls! I hate it!
The second story is a bit better but....what happened to Deadshot damnit!? He looks like a...worn out uncle when he used to be such a sexy hitman and a worthy love interest in Suicide Squad: Kick In The Teeth! ARGHHH that's so wrong!
And I just don't know what to think with the whole drama with the Chinese government's top secret experiment and stuff.
The second story is a bit better but....what happened to Deadshot damnit!? He looks like a...worn out uncle when he used to be such a sexy hitman and a worthy love interest in Suicide Squad: Kick In The Teeth! ARGHHH that's so wrong!
And I just don't know what to think with the whole drama with the Chinese government's top secret experiment and stuff.
July 21, 2015
Originally posted on my blog
Well, for the most part this is all about a catfight between Harley Quinn and Joker's Daughter over the Joker's face. Hardly any attention is being focused on anyone else, and it's horribly annoying. And the way they're sexualising this cat fight is just plain awful. Give Harley a freaking bra, for god's sake. Her corset keeps slipping down, barely covering her nips, whereas Joker's Daughter--who was originally about 16 when she first showed up--is suddenly aged up and in a skimpy skirt and crop top. As for their characterisations, they might as well be the same person, the way they're written.
After 3 issues of this, it gets tedious
The story is sporadic and hectic, with no real purpose. The first three issues were, as I mentioned earlier, mainly about the cat-fight between Harley and Joker's daughter. The rest of the story--their entire reason for being in Russia in the first place--is often pushed to the side to make room for those two characters.
Beyond the fourth issue, once they wrote Joker's Daughter out of the story, things start to make sense, but it's still a rushed and poorly written mess.
For the most part it's just regular espionage stuff, going to other countries and accidentally fucking things up and accidentally saving America from communist superheroes. Nothing really special about it.
The art is inconsistent, constantly changing artists and styles... and woof, there are some bad artists in the mix. Faces are badly drawn, anatomy is impossible, and the girls' outfits are as booby as possible.
It really feels like no effort was being put into this when they decided to slap this together after the failure of the last Suicide Squad. Fans of the movie are going to be very disappointed when they turn to the comics to get more of their Suicide Squad fix.
Well, for the most part this is all about a catfight between Harley Quinn and Joker's Daughter over the Joker's face. Hardly any attention is being focused on anyone else, and it's horribly annoying. And the way they're sexualising this cat fight is just plain awful. Give Harley a freaking bra, for god's sake. Her corset keeps slipping down, barely covering her nips, whereas Joker's Daughter--who was originally about 16 when she first showed up--is suddenly aged up and in a skimpy skirt and crop top. As for their characterisations, they might as well be the same person, the way they're written.
After 3 issues of this, it gets tedious
The story is sporadic and hectic, with no real purpose. The first three issues were, as I mentioned earlier, mainly about the cat-fight between Harley and Joker's daughter. The rest of the story--their entire reason for being in Russia in the first place--is often pushed to the side to make room for those two characters.
Beyond the fourth issue, once they wrote Joker's Daughter out of the story, things start to make sense, but it's still a rushed and poorly written mess.
For the most part it's just regular espionage stuff, going to other countries and accidentally fucking things up and accidentally saving America from communist superheroes. Nothing really special about it.
The art is inconsistent, constantly changing artists and styles... and woof, there are some bad artists in the mix. Faces are badly drawn, anatomy is impossible, and the girls' outfits are as booby as possible.
It really feels like no effort was being put into this when they decided to slap this together after the failure of the last Suicide Squad. Fans of the movie are going to be very disappointed when they turn to the comics to get more of their Suicide Squad fix.
April 7, 2016
Task Force X is a group of supervillains who are used by the government for impossible missions. They don't always succeed, but their team members are expendable so it doesn't generally matter. New head of the Task Force X Vic Sage has his own vision for how the team should be run, but he still has Amanda Waller to deal with plus the fact he doesn't have all the power. It seems Sage is really reinforcing the suicide part in the Suicide Squad nickname for Task Force X.
Pure Insanity is the title for this volume and it's just so appropriate. The Suicide Squad in the best case scenario is a questionable idea, but Vic Sage adds to the insanity by using Death Stroke and Joker's Daughter in a mission. The two of them unlike the others aren't wired with explosives in their heads. Plus Joker's Daughter and Harley don't seem to like one another.
This is my first time reading Suicide Squad, but I imagine the chaos I read was the norm. I mean if things were chaotic what would be the point.
I can see Suicide Squad being a lot of fun depending on the team's lineup. The lineup for this volume wasn't too thrilling for me.
Pure Insanity lives up to it's name.
Pure Insanity is the title for this volume and it's just so appropriate. The Suicide Squad in the best case scenario is a questionable idea, but Vic Sage adds to the insanity by using Death Stroke and Joker's Daughter in a mission. The two of them unlike the others aren't wired with explosives in their heads. Plus Joker's Daughter and Harley don't seem to like one another.
This is my first time reading Suicide Squad, but I imagine the chaos I read was the norm. I mean if things were chaotic what would be the point.
I can see Suicide Squad being a lot of fun depending on the team's lineup. The lineup for this volume wasn't too thrilling for me.
Pure Insanity lives up to it's name.
March 30, 2017
Here is a good restart of Suicide Squad. There are some new additions to the team, Manta, being my favorite. What is really explored here is control. Can a group like this be controlled from the outside? Can it even be controlled from within? These are the themes explored in an exciting adventure. The art is good, the story is strong, and I loved some the exploration into how the characters want to be perceived.
July 1, 2018
Thank you netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange of a honest review!
Love this one! The story was amazing, and the art fantastic! Also, Harley Quinn <3 You are quickly becoming one of my favourites! Will sure look out for the next volume, this looks so promising!
Love this one! The story was amazing, and the art fantastic! Also, Harley Quinn <3 You are quickly becoming one of my favourites! Will sure look out for the next volume, this looks so promising!
January 28, 2016
Not as good as the previous incarnation but it started out good and got pretty mediocre. The art was bad at times. I would still read this series.
July 23, 2015
I didn’t know a lot about the characters or story line when I first started New Suicide Squad Vol. 1. In fact, I didn’t really know what to expect since I had never read a graphic novel before. This volume consisted eight issues. There were two separate missions consisting of four issues each with an ongoing story line throughout all eight issues.
I found that reading a graphic novel is pretty much identical to reading any other book but with the addition of artwork. I loved the art! Not only did it add to the ongoing written story but it told a story all by itself. If you were to take away all of the written words the art would still be able to tell an amazing story. There was amazing attention to detail to both the art and the layout. I loved the style and everything about it was bold. The Joker’s Daughter was my favorite piece of art in the entire volume. She was dark and creepy and so incredibly well drawn.
Obviously the story is just as important as the art and I was not disappointed! There was a large cast of characters with Mrs. Waller, Vic Sage, Black Manta, Harley Quinn and Deadshot appearing in all eight issues and many other characters appearing in one of the two missions within the volume. My favorite character was either Joker’s Daughter or Harley Quinn. They were both balancing on the line of sanity and I loved their relationship throughout the first four issues. I also really enjoyed the struggle for power between Mrs. Waller and Vic Sage.
As far as the plot goes I thought that it was wonderful. It was well thought out and flowed flawlessly from issue to issue. It was packed with action from the first page to the last. A task force consisting of villains is such a fun idea and I think that it was executed perfectly. I enjoyed every minute of my first graphic novel and I plan on reading more in the future. I think that the highest complement that I can give The New Suicide Squad Vol. 1 is that it has converted me to a lover of graphic novels. I highly recommend it!
You can read this review and more on my blog!
http://brittanymariereads.wordpress.com
I found that reading a graphic novel is pretty much identical to reading any other book but with the addition of artwork. I loved the art! Not only did it add to the ongoing written story but it told a story all by itself. If you were to take away all of the written words the art would still be able to tell an amazing story. There was amazing attention to detail to both the art and the layout. I loved the style and everything about it was bold. The Joker’s Daughter was my favorite piece of art in the entire volume. She was dark and creepy and so incredibly well drawn.
Obviously the story is just as important as the art and I was not disappointed! There was a large cast of characters with Mrs. Waller, Vic Sage, Black Manta, Harley Quinn and Deadshot appearing in all eight issues and many other characters appearing in one of the two missions within the volume. My favorite character was either Joker’s Daughter or Harley Quinn. They were both balancing on the line of sanity and I loved their relationship throughout the first four issues. I also really enjoyed the struggle for power between Mrs. Waller and Vic Sage.
As far as the plot goes I thought that it was wonderful. It was well thought out and flowed flawlessly from issue to issue. It was packed with action from the first page to the last. A task force consisting of villains is such a fun idea and I think that it was executed perfectly. I enjoyed every minute of my first graphic novel and I plan on reading more in the future. I think that the highest complement that I can give The New Suicide Squad Vol. 1 is that it has converted me to a lover of graphic novels. I highly recommend it!
You can read this review and more on my blog!
http://brittanymariereads.wordpress.com
June 24, 2015
I'm a newbie to the Suicide Squad stories, but I loved the New Suicide Squad! Harley Quinn is one of my favorite characters and, while I feel like some recent writers have lost perspective on who she is and who she used to be, I thought she was pretty well represented here. Some writers completely forget that she used to be Dr. Harleen Quinzel, psychiatrist, so it was nice to have a little nod here. I felt like Joker's Daughter had a little too much build up for what her role ultimately was, but I really enjoyed Black Manta. I've never been a big Aquaman fan, but I liked how Manta was used here and thought his reasons for joining the team were interesting. The missions that they go on were very dynamic and the working relationships between the characters were volatile. Deadshot, in particular, had a rough first outing that I think might continue to affect him throughout the run. Amanda Waller was also a very intriguing character here, though I don't really like her redesign. I always liked how "The Wall" was characterized previously and don't think it was necessary for her to be drawn more in the style of the character from the Arrow tv show.
The art in New Suicide Squad was rather hit or miss. I'm sure this is because it had so many different artists (8!) working on it, but it definitely lost its way at times. The lettering was just fine though and the panels moved from one to the next easily. I definitely see myself continuing on with this title and am actually tempted to start with the single issues.
Thank you to DC Comics and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The art in New Suicide Squad was rather hit or miss. I'm sure this is because it had so many different artists (8!) working on it, but it definitely lost its way at times. The lettering was just fine though and the panels moved from one to the next easily. I definitely see myself continuing on with this title and am actually tempted to start with the single issues.
Thank you to DC Comics and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2016
Pure Insanity is a good name for this book. You never know what you're going to get with the Suicide Squad. I will be the first to say that I would never ever work on a team with Deathstroke. He is a selfish, amoral, backstabbing, violent, mercenary (no pun intended) piece of work. I really despise him. And Joker's Daughter is just plain whacked in the head. She takes it to an extreme that even Harley Quinn doesn't. What I did like was how Harley shows that she has gotten closure on her dysfunctional relationship with Joker and she can give Joker's Daughter needed council on how this blind obsession with Joker will lead to ruin.
I'm a Deadshot girl, and he wasn't in this enough for me. Although I did like seeing Black Manta as team leader. I don't really know his character very well, but he's different from what I thought, although way obsessed with Aquaman. I don't like Waller's boss, Sage, at all. He needs to go away.
The artwork is pretty great except for one of the issues. I didn't like how squishy the drawings were. I guess I have an issue with squishy drawing.
Well, it looks like I talked myself into a four star rating. As long as they keep making this series, I'll keep reading it.
I'm a Deadshot girl, and he wasn't in this enough for me. Although I did like seeing Black Manta as team leader. I don't really know his character very well, but he's different from what I thought, although way obsessed with Aquaman. I don't like Waller's boss, Sage, at all. He needs to go away.
The artwork is pretty great except for one of the issues. I didn't like how squishy the drawings were. I guess I have an issue with squishy drawing.
Well, it looks like I talked myself into a four star rating. As long as they keep making this series, I'll keep reading it.
May 8, 2018
We have Black Manta, Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Joker's Daughter teaming up to stop a Russian superhero lab. Sean Ryan provides the story which is a basic Sucide Squad story with in-fighting, gun blasting, slicing & dicing, along with explosions. The art work is pretty terrible with lots of deformed anatomy and poor draftmanship. This is not a very good follow up to the New 52 series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
May 4, 2017
The plot in this one made much more sense and was fast paced while developing the characters more than the original. It is still a tad annoying to me that the whole regeneration serum will kill has not affected Waller, Deadshot or Harley.
The new additions to the team are great. Manta is a good foil to Waller and Joker's Daughter to Harley. It saddened me that she was only in a few parts. She helps show how much Harley has changed. And yet, how much she still is under the spell of the Joker.
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Deathstroke was just a bad idea, they should have seen it a mile away....
Victor Sage is a wild card. He has ideas... Waller has ideas... who will win? I say Waller because he has far too much of a temper. And she is insane.
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The new additions to the team are great. Manta is a good foil to Waller and Joker's Daughter to Harley. It saddened me that she was only in a few parts. She helps show how much Harley has changed. And yet, how much she still is under the spell of the Joker.
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Deathstroke was just a bad idea, they should have seen it a mile away....
Victor Sage is a wild card. He has ideas... Waller has ideas... who will win? I say Waller because he has far too much of a temper. And she is insane.
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