Suicide Squad: Blaze

Suicide Squad: Blaze #1-3

by Simon Spurrier

To catch a monster, you have to become one—but some folks have a head start. The critically acclaimed John Constantine: Hellblazer team deploy Task Force X on their most brutal and bizarre mission yet!

The attacks begin without warning. Brutal, sudden…cannibalistic. A metahuman with all the power of Superman but none of his humanity. An unstoppable being ruled only by hunger and instinct, striking at random across the world. To stop this threat, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark have been assigned to corral, nursemaid—and if necessary, execute—five deadly new recruits: the expendable products of a secret government procedure called BLAZE.

They’re ordinary prisoners, endowed with incredible power…and the certain knowledge that it’ll burn through them like wildfire. They have six months to live, maximum. If you’re staring down life in prison, maybe that’s a good deal—especially if you’re Michael Van Zandt, desperate to reunite with the mad lover who forsook you after your Bonnie-and-Clyde crime spree.

But that power? It’s surprisingly transferable. As each member of the Squad dies…the others get stronger. What would a hardened criminal do with that knowledge? Worse yet: What would a desperate, lovesick idiot do with it? One thing’s certain: this time the Suicide Squad’s bitten off more than it can chew. Win or lose-they all burn.

Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell, the creative team behind the critically acclaimed John Constantine: Hellblazer, are turned loose on the one DC title even more horrific and blackhearted than that one. Brace yourselves!

Collects Suicide Squad Blaze #1-3.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Horror, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Oh, grow up, you unbelievable cartoon. Go fight the damn Bogeyman and stop pretending to think.” -- Amanda Waller to Superman

When a being with all the power of Superman but none of his humanity begins taking people into the sky and using them as snacks and ****toys, Task Force X is assigned to put the monster down. And to do so, they will need the help of five expendable prisoners that have gone through a secret government procedure called BLAZE, which has given them all mysterious powers that are burning through their system, ready to kill them within 6 months.

If you’re staring down life in prison, maybe that’s a good deal, and it definitely is if you’re Michael Van Zandt, a lovesick idiot desperate to reunite with the mad lover who forsook him after their Bonnie-and-Clyde-like crime spree, who has also made her way into the BLAZE program. All of that power is transferable though, and as each member of the Squad dies on this horrid mission, the rest gain their fallen teammates' powers, along with becoming stronger and more unstable themselves.

What could a hardened criminal do with all that unchecked power? What about some horrid monster? Worse yet: What could a pathetic, lovesick idiot do with it? And what the fuck even is BLAZE in the first place, and how does it connect to Cannibal Superman?

The elevator pitch I use for describing this book to my friends is just to imagine Superman was Crossed and the Suicide Squad was sent to fight him, because that’s pretty much this story and it’s utterly fucking incredible. It makes sense though saying Simon Spurrier was one of the few good Crossed writers when that series was a thing. The 4 volumes of Wish You Were Here he did are some great horror comics that I’d recommend to anyone who can stomach them.

Spurrier does his classic “Tell a story through the eyes of a totally pathetic and unlikeable protagonist” and he, as Spurrier always does when he tells these kinds of stories, absolutely fucking nails it. Michael Van Zandt was the perfect protagonist to lead this kind of story, and his character development over just three issues is insane in hindsight, yet totally believable.

This book also has what is probably my favorite rendition of Amanda Waller EVER. Spurrier’s writing for her is wonderful, sans one line in the second issue which did irk me a bit. Comparing her plan in this to something in the main continuity books like the War For Earth 3 shit is like night and day, and you start to realize just how intelligent and scary Waller can be in the right writer’s hands.

I appreciated that no one was safe throughout the book too. There are 9 members between the 4 main Task Force X regulars we already know (Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang) as well as Spurrier’s 5 new BLAZE recruits (Michael, Tanya, Boris, Xavi, and Lucille), and most of them don’t even make it out of the second issue in one piece. I think even long-time SS fans will be shocked by some of the shit that goes down in this book.

And Spurrier, as always, injects plenty of his bleak, black humor into the script, which is deliciously perfect for the skin-crawling story. Spurrier has always been so damn good at finding hilarious moments in horrible situations, and he manages to do it in a way that does not detract from the story or deflate the tension that’s been built up. There’s a lot of amazing foreshadowing I noticed on my reread too, with Spurrier actually spoiling the entire ending twist as early as the first issue with some visual help from Campbell. I love shit like that and it makes me wonder if I’ll find any other hints in another eventual reread.

Aaron Campbell does a great job on the art, even doing a couple of painted pages for part of the opening sequence in the second issue. And yes, that sequence is amazing, and yes it’ll probably piss some off with how brutal and disturbing it gets, especially when you see the aftermath. His style for this painted sequence reminded me a lot of Dave McKean’s Arkham Asylum mixed with Liam Sharp’s Batman: Reptilian art, but it’s just for one singular action sequence that only lasts a couple of pages. A very effective and fucked up one at that though.

It can be a bit hard to tell what’s going on in some sections throughout the book, but it was a lot more clear for me on the second read-around, and the painted sequence is one I never had a problem understanding. But even I can admit the art in this book won’t be to everyone’s taste, so just be aware of that going in. The magazine-sized format definitely helps with the overall enjoyment though, so make sure to read this physically if you have the chance. Like with all these oversized Black Label books, you are missing out on a much better reading experience if you read them digitally. Physical editions are the way to go with Black Label books.

It’s just so nice to see Campbell & Spurrier on another Black Label book, especially after how their last series together ended. They did a Hellblazer book a couple of years back, and it was the best ongoing DC had on the stands for awhile, but sadly, it ended up getting canceled after 12 issues due to low sales. I’ve been waiting for the third arc “Dead in America” for ages now, and I still pray that it will come out one day.

Until then, I’ll take a disturbing DC Black Label book about the Suicide Squad by this creative team over nothing. This is an easy recommendation for any Suicide Squad, Si Spurrier, Aaron Campbell, or Black Label fan. It’s one of the best books from the imprint and is up there with Batman: Reptilian, Hellblazer, and Harleen as my favorite titles from it so far, and I hope we get to see this creative team do more with Black Label. Recommended to any and everyone who likes horror comics and can stomach the premise.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

PT O que começou como uma banda desenhada excecional de 5 estrelas acabou por decair gradualmente para uma leitura de 3 estrelas após o primeiro terço da história.

Não compreendo esta obsessão moderna por narrativas exageradas—tão extremas e abstratas que se tornam praticamente incompreensíveis. O que aconteceu ao essencial? Menos é mais!

A escrita em si é sólida, mas a história... bolas. Torna-se impossível desfrutar verdadeiramente das nossas personagens favoritas porque nem sequer são o foco central da narrativa.

A arte é absolutamente deslumbrante, mas é uma pena que, em metade dos painéis, a abstração chegue a um ponto em que é difícil perceber o que está a acontecer. Imagino que até o artista tenha tido dificuldades com isso, mas teve de se adaptar devido à própria abstração conceptual da história.

E qual foi a necessidade de incluir a Liga da Justiça apenas para os matar a todos? Mais um exemplo de mortes descartáveis e inconsequentes, atiradas para o enredo apenas pelo espetáculo visual.

--

EN What started as an outstanding 5-star comic book gradually declined to a 3-star read after the first third of the story.

I don’t understand this modern obsession with crafting over-the-top narratives—so extreme and abstract that they become nearly incomprehensible. What happened to the basics? Less is more!

The writing itself is solid, but the story... damn. It becomes impossible to truly enjoy our favourite characters because they’re not even the focal point of the narrative.

The artwork is absolutely stunning, but it’s a shame that, in half the panels, the abstraction reaches a level where it’s difficult to tell what’s happening. I imagine even the artist struggled with that but had to adapt due to the sheer conceptual abstraction of the story.

And what was the point of including the Justice League just to kill them all off? Another instance of meaningless, disposable deaths, thrown in purely for spectacle.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suicide Squad: Blaze collects issues 1-4 of the DC Comics Black Label series written by Simon Spurrier, art by Aaron Campbell, and colors by Jordie Bellaire.

What if there was a being as powerful as Superman but without the compassion, empathy, or intelligence to ground his moral compass and flies around the world eating and killing whoever it wants? What if that being can destroy anyone and everyone in its path? And what if no one knows where this being is hiding or will strike next? Suicide Squad Blaze sets up this horrifying picture where the Justice League is useless and governments are desperate for a resolution.

Enter Task Force X. Amanda Waller conducts a trial where 5 criminals are given a chance to be infected with Blaze, a chemical injection that will give them powers beyond their wildest imagination but will shorten their lifespan to less than 6 months. These criminals will be trained by the Suicide Squad (Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang) to take on the mysterious killer. What the inmates will quickly realize is their powers will have unpredictable side effects and can be transferred when a teammates dies - making the survivors even more powerful with even shorter lifespans.

Blaze paints a dark look at what unchecked power can bring to the world and how helpless the average person is. The book takes an interesting approach by having the protagonist be an unknown lovesick criminal who is given a second chance with the Blaze program. The book is darkly humorous, violent, and bleak, making it one of the most unique DC Comics stories out there.

The art can be a challenge to get into. Often it is hard to tell what is going on as the villain is often out of focus, hidden in shadows, or only partially in the panel. This can be jarring at first, but with further reading it becomes clearer what is going on. As with many Black Label books, Blaze is presented in an over-sized magazine format. The hardback edition is the perfect way to read this complete story.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the best DC Black Label title for me so far. I was laughing out loud so much, I fucking enjoyed what was happening there every second of reading it. Waller here is so perfectly written, but not just her. All the characters. All situations. Everything clicked so nicely together. Nicely balanced humor and emotional stuff. Just perfect. Loved it. More things lile this please, DC.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why is it so hard to make a good Suicide Squad comic under the Black Label? It should be the best place for it. And this comes across even worse having just read Rogues, which knocked it out of the park. Anyway, if you like art that gives you little idea of what is actually happening, you might dig this more than I did.

[Jordan Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read on Hoopla.

This was my first time reading a book by Si Spurrier and I went in with big expectations, having heard nothing but good things about his independent work and his Hellblazer run.

Suicide Squad Blaze was a bit disappointing for me, and didn't meet the lofty expectations I had aet for it. Spurrier's black humour is terrific, and the book made me laugh on numerous occasions. However, I found myself just not caring about where the story was going.

We follow an unlikeable (by design) protagonist as he becomes a part of the Amanda Waller led Suicide Squad, and becomes a part of a new initiative called the Blaze Program.

The tone of this story is grim, with adult themes and language littered throughout. I was satisfied with the ending and thought it was interesting, however I was still left wanting more than I was being offered

The art style also was not for me. It took me back to Batman: Reptilian where I struggled to even understand what was going on in a large portion of the panels throughout the story. It may have been striving for a desired effect, but the fact thag I was having to stop and guess at what was happening during some of the more abstract panels left me disheartened.

I would try something by Si Spurrier again for sure, but I won't be in a rush to pick this one up in a physical format for my collection.

[Alex Sarll]

The team behind that last brilliant, doomed Hellblazer run, working on the one DC property to produce a decent non-Lego film this century: a solid start for evading the company's reverse Midas touch. Spurrier has always been good with fucked situations in which the narrator isn't telling the whole truth to themselves, let alone us. And the premise here amps that up, combining Strikeforce Morituri with Rising Stars to create a process that gives regular people superpowers, at the price of drastically limiting their lifespan - and each time one of them meets a gory end, the others get more power, but also a closer expiry date. Of course, even when your alternative is life imprisonment, and a superhuman cannibal is terrorising the globe, it takes particular sorts of people to accept that bargain, and the meat of this is the psychological studies of the ways in which they each find it wasn't what they expected. Plus, there's great comedy support from the more familiar Squad members Harley, Boomerang, King Shark and Peacemaker, and Waller in even more ruthless form than usual. However, even with a bunch of new characters to kill off, it falls into that Black Label pitfall of bumping off loads more just because it can, without that really saying much beyond 'we're not in continuity so none of this matters'. Or so I thought at first, and it would be telling to explain what changed my mind. Possibly more of a problem is that while Campbell and Bellaire do great mood art, and can keep the conversation scenes compelling, they haven't the clarity to convey what's actually happening in action scenes, especially those happening in the dark with a largely unseen antagonist. Except, actual violence is already pretty confusing compared to those nice bright dioramas we usually see on the page, and presumably superhuman violence would be exponentially more so, meaning this is probably a better representation, so again, what initially seems a flaw is more a cunning match of form to content. No, it doesn't work as a superhero comic in the traditional sense, but as a comic about what those aren't saying, which is to say a horror comic among other things, it's a pretty impressive piece of work.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the Batman v. Superman of Comic Books. In that there is some stuff. Some REALLY good stuff. And then there’s more, and more, and more, and more until watching or reading it becomes impenetrable white noise. For example. Dawn Of Justice had:
- Man Of Steel sequel
- Introduction of Batman
- Adaptation of Doomsday
- Adaptation of The Death Of Superman + Hint that he’s not gonna stay dead
- Adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns
- Lex Luthor’s plan
- Wonder Woman’s secret past
- Introduction of the Justice League
- Lois Lane on a wild goose chase about a secret magic bullet
Any of them could have been and should have been their own film & story. And so by trying to do them justice, you fail each one as it comes across as the most shallow and surface level version of itself. All of this is to say,

There’s too much happening in this book.
But what is happening in this book that is too much?
- The modern era of Suicide Squad (Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang & King Shark, led by Waller) fighting against a raging psychopathic cannibalistic rapist Superman type character.
I’m into that. I’ve always wanted to see the governments answer to an evil superman that isn’t just another JL or a nuke. But a team of cannon fodder who barely makes it out alive.
- The titular Blaze program
This sounds great. Five Random “survival of the fittest” criminals who are given incredible power that is guaranteed to kill them. If any of them die, their power goes to the remaining others significantly increasing their power while their time left significantly decreases. Fuck yes.
- A psychological character study of a man who’s so truly mediocre and has convinced himself that if he does the Blaze program, his ex-gf who never gave a shit, will love him forever.
Cool. I love me some character based storytelling

All of those could make for their own books. And yet they’re forced to occupy space in a densely over worded, beautifully drawn book (if not for some scribbly, nonsense action sequences) that goes on for too long while also not doing any of its premises justice. Simultaneously too long, and not long enough.

I’m glad I read this book for something different. I’m just not sure I would read it again.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

No, the Suicide Squad isn't going to Hell after the Superman villain from the 80's. This was cool. It's a Black Label book about the Suicide Squad being sent after this evil Superman. He has no morals and is barely even human but is killing multiple people around the Earth each day. No one knows where he's at or how to deal with him. Enter some prisoners who have volunteered to receive Blaze, a drug that will give them powers but kill them within 3 months. The Suicide Squad themselves are treated more as babysitters for this mission making sure nothing goes wrong as each of these Blaze subjects are more powerful than the four members of the Suicide Squad here. It's cool to see the Suicide Squad in a darker book where they can curse.

Where this book loses me at times is the art. Aaron Campbell is a capable artist except for when he tries to do effects. They just come off as if he's scribbling on the page. I couldn't tell what was happening at all in some of the action sequences. I couldn't even tell you what kinds of powers these new characters had because you are only shown from the art which just looks like blurs on the page.

The other problem I had was with the lettering. I get what Aditya Bidicar was trying to do, indicating volume levels with the size of the lettering. My problem is that at times I had to blow up a panel to huge sizes to see all of what was said and I switched to reading this on my 30 inch monitor and still had issues reading the lettering. Bitikar usually does a fine job but anytime you struggle with the lettering is an issue, even if it was for a good reason.

[Dominic Sedillo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this primarily because my former illustration instructor illustrated it.

I have nothing negative to say regarding the artwork. However, this was one of the worst Suicide Squad stories I’ve read.

Everyone is a piece of garbage and I can’t find a single person to root for. All the characters are one-note and I don’t think there is a likable or redeemable quality in any of them. Even when the Justice League has brief cameos; they’re inept and incapable.

At one point, and I realize it’s a shitty character’s perspective, the story tries to justify shaking a baby to death. Eff this book man.

Sorry, Mister Campbell.

[Cameron Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Campbell and Spurrier. The art is phenomenal. And the writing never backs itself into a corner, giving a satisfying narrative all the way through

[Nate Hipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is big, bold, and brilliant. It’s cleverly written with some excellent twists and turns and the art is spectacular. Between this and their sensational run on Hellblazer (that ended FAR too soon), I will buy anything that this creative team puts out.

[Nerdmaling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suicide Squad har, i alla fall till namnet, funnits sedan 60 talet ( Suicide Squad: "Prisoners of the Dinosaur Zoo!"" Är ett exempel på en titel från den eran. )

För en modern läsare är gruppen förknippat med filmerna och serier (exempelvis moderniseringen av Harley Quinn och Peacemaker)

Jag har recenserat den här med det som utgångspunkt.

Suicide Squad är ett exempel på hur våra hjälteideal (eller i det här fallet antihjälte) förändras och hur karaktärer moderniseras. För ovanlighetens skull så tycker jag att film och serier har varit bättre än grundmaterialet. Jag känner vagt till John Ostranders serie som kom på 80-talet men som jag uppfattar det så är det filmerna som satt tonen som nu serierna försöker efterlikna.

Det är alltså antihjältar/superskurkar som oavsett moral blir tvingade att kämpa för det goda, eller i alla fall staten. Det gör serien både till en motpol av Justice Leuage men tar också upp några mer mörka ämnen och tillför lite realism.
Man ska inte förbise humorn som ändå blir ett bärande element då så udda karaktärer ska samsas.

I den här serien så kallas motståndaren lite skämtsamt kapten canibal men är egentligen en Superman typ fast seriemördare och våldtäktsman.

Egentligen bottnar serien i någon sorts realism (vad skulle hända på riktigt om en helt ny art med otroliga krafter skulle hamna på jorden). Den här otroligt kraftfulla  rymdvarelsen jagar helt enkelt människor som ett byte och verkar inte ha så någon annan motivation. Med hjälp av kraften som är kopplade till rymdvarelsen lyckas man ge ett nytt gäng fångar krafter och dessa ska samarbeta med Suicide Squad för att stoppa varelsen.

Det kläms in en kärlekshistoria, oväntade vändningar och självdistans och humor i den här ganska välskrivna och vältecknade historian. Det är precis den versionen av suicide squad man vill se. Historien är genuint intressant och överraskar både i vändningar och små utvikningar (som kärlekshistorien). Humorn är precis på rätt nivå.

Det lite negativa är att DC black label är riktat mot vuxna och gärna vill försöka få det att bli lite vuxnare och mer filosofiskt än vad det egentligen är och ofta gör den ambitionen att det ibland är lite svårt att knyta ihop säcken. Men det är en liten petitess i sammanhanget.

Jag är ganska snäll med mina betyg på googreads. Det kanske inte är en genialisk serie som flyttar gränserna för mediet och berör en djupt på flera plan. Men som actionserie och specifikt  Suicide Squad serie kan det inte bli något annat än en solklar 5:a

[Nate]

Hey, a Black Label book that doesn’t censor swears! Finally. Why have an adult imprint if you don’t allow swear words?

Anyway, here’s the setup for this one: cannibalistic murders with the same grisly characteristics are taking place around the globe. Waller asks the Suicide Squad (in this case Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark) to receive metahuman enhancements that will make them extremely powerful but that will kill them in three months. They say no way, so she gets five average joe convicts to participate, pairing them with the Squad to go after this killer. The narrator is one of these convicts, a typical Spurrier fuckup protagonist who only signed up because the woman he lusts after signed up, too. The question is, why does Waller need these powers to go after the killer? And who is the killer?

Like the best Suicide Squad stories, this is a black comedy action romp, and it’s super entertaining. While the Suicide Squad are in the story, and they yield some memorable moments*, it’s really about the narrator, Mike, coming to terms with his mediocrity. Spurrier is so good at writing people who’ve failed at life. Some story beats here recall his Crossed: Wish You Were Here, specifically the central romance. And the ending is wacky, unexpected, and totally earned. Meanwhile, Spurrier’s dialogue possesses his usual verve and snark that I love. It’s a blast reading this, even when things get abstract and philosophical. Spurrier is great at finding humor in horrible and/or horrifying situations.

Speaking of abstract… Aaron Campbell’s art is hit or miss for me. His style is very much in the 90s Vertigo mold, which I typically enjoy. But his action scenes are abstract to the point where it’s difficult to tell what’s happening most of the time. I had a similar problem with the Hellblazer series he also did with Spurrier. Someone with a cleaner style, like Russ Braun, would have been a better fit for this book.

*My favorites: when Peacemaker retrieves a certain piece of hair, and King Shark’s reunion with this mom.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, very dark tale of the Suicide Squad. When a superpowered being whose powers rival those of Superman starts catching and eating people, the Suicide Squad is called in. But these newbies have a little extra on their side, a substance called "blaze" that will give them enhanced abilities at the expense of shortening their lives. 5 Belle Reve convicts are given the chance to join the Blaze team, but first they have to get past King Shark, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and Peacemaker. Once the five are set, the team is sent out on a variety of missions: track the creature, get its scat or hair or something to give the team an edge, and, finally, put it down. This is a very funny, very gruesome, and very depressing story, all in one. Simon Spurrier is writing in the same vein as his acclaimed take on Crossed here: the viewpoint character is a loser named Michael Van Zandt, who only wants to reconnect with the girlfriend he committed a series of crimes with. His Blaze power is that his arms become invisible. The story is very much in the same vein as that of the second movie, though this one is far darker than that. The artwork is pretty good throughout, though there are times when it is difficult to make out what's happening in action sequences. Still, all in all, this was an excellent book.

[Robby · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are interested in Si Spurrier's clever take on established Suicide Squad characters such as Harley, Boomerang, King Shark and (especially) Peacemaker, this volume may disappoint you as these alums are mostly relegated to the background. Instead, the narrative follows an original protagonist, a schlub named Mike who gets put in prison largely due to the influence of his criminal girlfriend Tanya. The couple, along with three other inmates, undergo an experimental treatment called "Blaze" that gives them superpowers until it eventually kills the host. Monitored by the aforementioned Suicide Squad members, they must grapple with a bizarre existential threat that is potentially more powerful than even the Justice League

The story attempts to be edgy and experimental, getting increasingly metaphysical over time, but never really succeeds in making Mike an interesting protagonist to follow. The artwork, while often beautiful, tends to obscure whatever action is going on, making the reader pick up the pieces after the fact. While this project would be a highlight for many creators, it is a bit disappointing coming from the otherwise witty Spurrier.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Label does it again...

This is a dark, DARK, Suicide Squad story that uses the Squad as backup characters. The real story is in the deadbeat/loser Blaze subjects. Turns out there's this experimental superhero serum that will give you powers, but SEVERELY shorten your lifespan. The Squad is smart (or dumb) enough to pass on the offer of godlike powers...and there's always a 'Plan B'. The rejects get drafted and mentored by the Suicide Squad and given an impossible mission.

(sounds like your typical Suicide Squad story, doesn't it? WRONG!)
-------------
This story is given a chance to get into the minds of these loners and losers. That isn't something often seen in Suicide Squad books. Spurrier dealt with some deep concepts, previously, in his Hellblazer run. It all fits perfectly into a Black Label miniseries. A great alternate universe take. Creative. Original. Fun.

...and kinda dark.

Bonus: Boomerang is a f'ing SHARK GOD!
Bonus Bonus: Invisible arms? Almost bad as detachable ones (Suicide Squad movie shoutout)

[Samael Kovacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

DC if your reading this, give Spurrier another run at writing Hellblazer.

Not to talk to much about Hellblazer because this is a suicide squad comic but man there was so much of Constantine written into the main charcter. You could almost say that the hellblazer himself could be slotted into the role himself.

I basicly loved everything about this. No idea this had come out just saw it in the store and needed, the best kind of days.

The way Spurrier writes Waller and Harley here was just perfect, don't want to use the word to often here cause honestly nothing is quite perfect but this was as close as one would get.

Don't really want to talk about the story cause well it's better to go in blind. But the story was hilarious when it needed to be and hit supringly emotial depths when it needed to be. It was just a great time with an all timer ending.

-Captain Boomerang supposdly dying only to end up alive again? Yeah that's of course here. Can't have a suicide squad story without that.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'espoir est mort. Cette phrase en trois mots pourrait résumer ce one shot. Bien que sous l'égide Suicide Squad, les personnages affiliés à l'équipe ne font ici qu'office de décors, afin d'encadrer une autre équipe, de parfaits inconnus, avec en son centre, Mike, le plus grand loser du village des losers, un être pathétique, vide, criminel condamné à passer sa vie derrière les barreaux suite à un quintuple meurtre accidentel, qui se retrouve un peu par hasard comme cobaye affublé de pouvoir divin, chargé de poursuivre un être cosmique qui décime la population à travers la planète.

La narration est nihiliste, et le style graphique se désagrège de plus en plus, pour aller faire une aquarelle de moins en moins lisible, jusqu'à redevenir esquisse au fusain dans sa dernière case. Cette esthétique, assurément inspirée des horreurs cosmiques de Francis Bacon, se désagrège au fur et à mesure que le personnage principal, devenant de plus en plus puissant, perd son humanité, se transcende, devient une part même de l'univers. C'est radical. Et magnifique.

[Langston Lardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did, but I got to admit it had some pretty cool / interesting moments. For one seeing the justice league, the heroes we hold in such high regards be treated in a more hopeless light can throw you off at first. Amanda Waller calling Superman a cartoon got me. Then the idea of a super power that shortens life spans, another cool concept. But something this story had that a lot don’t is actual stakes, you don’t know what’s in store for our characters and that makes each page an interest to flip to. Plus the ending was pretty neat. Some pretty good dialogue/ writing here. Really if I had any complaint it’s the artwork, it can be a bit hard to follow, especially during actions scenes, and it’s not the prettiest thing in the world to look at even when you can understand what your looking at, but you can tell the chaotic nature of the artwork was the point so I can’t knock it too much.

[Ashe Catlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't actually about the Suicide Squad nor is it about the Justice League, they play second fiddle and cameo in this. The story actually revolves around a nobody called Mike, seriously an original character that hasn't appeared in any other media gets his own Black Label.

Pair that with the villain, who's a naked aroused man, who's ripping people apart. This graphic novel is really something else but I have to confess, I read it in one sitting and whilst it's not good, I did enjoy the bleak story it chose to tell. Yes it was extremely break, there wasn't really any character progression, one of the team went a bit nuts. The Blaze initiative was a really cool concept, giving people superpower but having it shorten their life span.

The thing is if you don't like Mike or the naked aroused man then this really isn't going to be for you, as they're the sole focus.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dense narration, obscure art, and a narrative that barely features the Suicide Squad sink Blaze. The Suicide Squad are tasked with killing a serial killer with superpowers - he's depicted as some kind of murderous whirlwind, which looks really great on the page! (Not.)

Instead of focusing on the Squad, though, we get some other prison castoffs who are granted similar superpowers to the villain (hmm!) in order to fight the guy. Oh, also, the superpower serum will kill all these prisoners in a couple months, but hey, at least they'll be free and have superpowers?

It's all deeply silly, yet written so, so serious. I ended up skimming quite a bit of Blaze and have no real regrets about that. Maybe with more engaging art I would have been willing to give the narrative a closer look.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Spurrier teams back up with the same art team he did Hellblazer with for a similarly mature Black Label miniseries, and it’s pretty great! It opens with the narrator speaking directly to the reader from the end of the story, in Spurrier’s irreverent and slightly meta style, and continues from there in a dour but wry tone. The Suicide Squad end up being mentors to a new group of convicts instead of the main focus, which I thought worked well but might disappoint anyone expecting different. The suicide mission they embark on is truly apocalyptic, and Spurrier takes full advantage of the non-canon possibilities that Black Label affords. Campbell’s art style is stark and dark, but appealingly so, and Bellaire’s coloring is great as usual, just in a darker palette.

[Vladimír · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suicide Squad nebol nikdy môj obľúbený tím a Amandu Waller doslova neznášam. V tomto príbehu ma však Suicide Squad bavili, aj keď to mohlo byť tým, že neboli vyslovene hlavnými postavami. Amanda Waller bola asi prvýkrát v mojej filmovo-komiksovej histórii znesiteľná. Príbeh sa zamotával v množstve zvratov a do obrovských hĺbok ho posúvali dlhé filozofické úvahy. "Textovo" to nie je jednoduché čítanie a keď si k tomu prirátame dosť náročnú a špecifickú kresbu, nebude to sústo pre každého. Čierneho humoru je tu ale množstvo a trochu to vyvažuje spomínanú náročnosť. Nie je to komiks pre každého, ale ja som bol vo finále spokojný.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly brutal, twisted, yet compelling new entry into the world of DC Comics. Although technically a Suicide Squad title, the heart of this series rests in the unique characters that are introduced specifically for this story, and the compelling story they tell together as they are introduced into this madness. The brutality of the threat, as well as the almost mindless and animalistic nature of the entity, makes it both dangerous and unpredictable, and the way this average man comes into the fold to face such a threat is engaging to see come to life on the page. A definite must-read.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Up: DC BLACK, STOP WITH THE WEIRD-SIZED BOOKS. They don't sit right on shelves and they're hard to read on tablets. No one likes them.

Beyond that: this is the Suicide-ing-est Suicide Squad either, a benefit of it being an alternate reality story. It's a harsh story of a super cannibal that's beautifully illustrated in an equally harsh style and that is one of those stories that really brings to light how dangerous a super-hero gone wrong can be. Not a wholly original general, and it drags a bit, but still a solid offering.

[Gustavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh
Sei lá, achei bem medíocre. Não explora bem os personagens, não usa bem o esquadrão suicida, não tem uma conclusão interessante, faltou bastante coisa aqui pra mim.
A arte em si é boa, mas é bastante confusa em vários momentos. Eu entendo o porquê ser assim, mas ainda acho que não ficou muito bem aplicado.
Tem seus momentos e é bom que tiveram a liberdade pra fazer o que quisessem, mas acho que isso tudo foi utilizado meio de qualquer jeito com uma história que não sinto que se aplica muito ao Esquadrão Suicida.

[David Akeroyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

One-star for the art.

Suicide Squad stuff works best for me when there is at least one sympathetic or interesting character. No one in this meets those requirements. It's just an endless parade of boring violence and Waller making snide comments about heroes and acting like a over the top villain to the point someone should check her for a brain tumor.

[Felipe Sarmiento · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, with a few surprising twists. I enjoyed the new characters, and the spin on Superman’s origin for the extra-dimensional parasite. Art was OK, in many parts made it very difficult to follow the action though.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing and gorgeous read, but the same beautiful drawing style prevented me from knowing what was happening the majority of the time during "fight" sequences. Interesting though, like another path ala Injustice.