Review: NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #2

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NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #2
Written by Sean Ryan
Art by Tom Derenick, Blond, and more
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: August 13, 2014

The all-new Task Force X lands in Russia, only to have to come up against an all-new foe: The Rocket Reds! But the real danger might be dissention in the ranks as Harley Quinn faces off (literally) with the Joker’s Daughter, and Deathstroke goes AWOL.

After a slightly disappointing issue #1, I wasn’t necessarily planning on returning to the New Suicide Squad right away. While I loved the art, the characterization of the motley crew that populates this new team felt undersold. The opportunity presented by putting Harley Quinn and the Joker’s Daughter in the same room was far greater than what we saw, and Deathstroke’s leadership was uninspired.

What a difference an issue makes.

I’m not sure if Ryan just needed to warm to the characters, but issue #2 delivers everything I wanted from the start of the narrative. Black Manta rises to decisive leadership in the field, much the way old-timers will recall Bronze Tiger doing the same, and stands apart as the “good guy” among the criminals on mission. He’s smart, sharp-witted, converses toe-to-toe with Waller and Sage, and is actually willing to protect his colleagues — everything I wanted out of a field leader.

The insane banter between Harley and Joker’s Daughter actually made me laugh more than once, as did some of the on-comlink repartee between the deposed Amanda Waller and her new boss. Overall, we got a lot of personality squeezed out of a crazy situation, and got to see the plot moved forward quite a bit. My interest is renewed, for sure.

Regrettably, the art in this issue did not live up to expectation, although it’s clear to see why. Not only is the absence of the announced series artist a real disappointment, but the use of four different inkers over 20 pages also makes for a very inconsistent experience.

Tom Derenick’s pencils are the through-line here, but there is a radical interpretation of their quality depending on who is inking on any given page. I don’t know the work of the four inkers well enough to assign pages, but I will say that the ones that produce the cleanest line are those at the beginning of the issue. And they are unequivocally some of the best pages I’ve ever seen from Mr. Derenick — really sharp, dynamic work.

The rest of the issue, unfortunately, suffers from some scratchy line and flattened faces that doesn’t live up to the promise of the story. Figures feel boxy and stiff, with so much dimensionality being lost in the panels.

The yo-yo effect this book has had to date (great art/lackluster story, great story/lackluster art) leaves me a little worried about what I’ll encounter in the next issue, but if you’re a fan of the characters — particularly Black Manta — New Suicide Squad #2 is worth the pick-up. We’ll just have to wait and see what shakes out in two months time with issue #3.

The Verdict: 8.0/10

 

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