If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo know how to deliver an entertaining and engaging story!
The Story
Suicide Squad delivers its third issue, and man is this book an absolute blast! If you ever need a “How To” for writing ensemble teams, you should look here. Suicide Squad is known for big bombastic action and shock value, but Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo manage to deliver so much more!
One of the exciting things about this iteration of Suicide Squad is that this creative team manages to keep the status quo, while also completely abandoning it. You still have Task Force X – a group of villains reducing their sentence by completing secret missions for the U.S. government – but instead of serving under Amanda Waller, they’re serving under a new leader, Lok. In addition to this, while you have major players such as Deadshot and Harley Quin, the book predominately features an entirely new roster of characters. Having a group of unknowns as opposed to nothing but B-list and C-list characters helps take this book back to a certain unpredictability that John Ostrander utilized so well. Simply put, you never know who is going to die or when.
But seriously, with roughly ten new characters to focus on, there’s no way Taylor and Redondo can focus on character development, right? Wrong! Somehow, someway, these two have managed to make the most of nearly every panel to ensure they pack a wallop of a story every chance they get. We’ve already gotten a fair amount of character development with Fin after King Shark killed his twin brother. This has ultimately led to most of the tension between the O.G. Squad and the Revolutionaries – especially between Fin and King Shark. Their story continues to unravel here, and the results are quite unexpected. I’d even say they’re shocking. As memorable as this moment is though, it doesn’t stand up to what comes later.
For their first mission, Lok – who is my least favorite aspect of this book because he’s incredibly one-note – sends the Squad to overthrow the government of a foreign country and appoint a new leader in the assassinated President’s place. Since the last issue focused heavily on Deadshot, Osita, Aerie, and Wink (a mission that failed miserably… or did it?), this chapter shifts gears to give Harley the spotlight with Jog, Deadly 6, Thylacine, and Chaos Kitten. As expected, we get the standard trust issues, before the team is forced to get to work. There’s a decent bout of action showcasing some of the new characters’ powers, but if I’m being honest, I could’ve used a few more pages since Chaos Kitten and Thylacine get shafted of any exposure. And lets face it, with a name like Chaos Kitten, we want to see the chaos!
Anyway, last month’s issue ended with an interesting twist as Osita – the leader of the Revolutionaries – purposely sabotaged the mission by killing the President who was intended to replace the current, sitting President. What initially appeared to be nothing more than pure defiance to “stick it to the man,” the reality of Osita’s actions are so much more entertaining and gripping. We learn that the Revolutionaries have their own plan, and that not everything is what it appears to be.
Despite their own mission, the Revolutionaries are forced to carry out the second part of Lok’s mission and kill the sitting President. It’s at this point that the book throws in a substantial twist, making the story incredibly personal! I’m not joking, I literally said, “Oh $#!^.”
I don’t want to give anything away because you deserve to experience it, but I will say that that is just one of a few surprises in this issue. That being said, this book doesn’t rely solely on shock value. Taylor and Redondo create such strong characters that the book is incredibly engaging. We’re only three issues in, and we’ve already gotten everything you could ever want from a story: action, intrigue, twists, romance, and a gripping plot. This book is a home run and I can’t wait for next month’s issue! In fact, just give me the trade. How much do I owe you?
The Art
I feel like Bruno Redondo’s art just get’s better and better! The book delivers so much personality simply based on the design of these new characters, and that shouldn’t be overlooked. Every character is visually interesting, and whether you recognize it or not, that adds a lot to the story. He also does an incredible job in making his characters emote. Every emotional beat is nailed perfectly!
In addition to this, the way Redondo chooses his layouts helps the book’s momentum rise and fall accordingly. He also frames his panels in intriguing ways that allow him to capture the essence of the scene flawlessly. Whether it’s action, humor, emotion, and anger, Redondo executes it perfectly, along with equally spectacular colors by Adriano Lucas.
Recommended if
- Look, you just need to read this book!
- You think that Tom Taylor is Tom King.
- Just read this book already!
Overall
Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo deliver another stellar issue of Suicide Squad. The book is smartly written, incredibly engaging, and chock full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes while also, somehow, continuing to hit personal, emotional beats as well.
