Suicide Squad #37 – Rob Williams, Writer; Jose Luis, Penciller; Jordi Tarragona, Inker; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 6/10
Corrina: I’m Out
WARNING: SPOILERSÂ BELOW
Ray: Suicide Squad has taken an upward swing, with a compelling antagonist and a plot that relies less on complex and often boring mythology. But there’s still a nihilistic edge to the series that makes it hard to enjoy it. When we last left off, the digital ghost of Hack had taken charge of Belle Reve and sealed the prison, while Waller is left outside and has ordered her troops to go in and end the situation by any means necessary – even if it means killing all of Task Force X. And key to that invasion is the Wall, the new super-soldier sponsored by the government. Meanwhile, Hack has seemingly destroyed the physical bodies of the supervillains and sucked them into a digital cloud. After dispensing with King Faraday (who isn’t a suspect in her murder) she proceeds to conduct a strange virtual show trial where everyone is a suspect.
This is one of the strongest moments of the series, honestly, as Jose Luis’ art is on point and Hack is a compelling, sympathetic character who deserved far better – both in writing and in the story. I’d love to see her get a full revival, but in a cynical series like this, the best she can hope for is closure. She goes through the Squad one by one, interrogating them through questionable techniques, until Captain Boomerang confesses, wanting to spare his allies the torture. It’s clear that Hack has become unhinged by her transformation and her murder. However, there’s still a decent core there – or at least there would be, if she wasn’t destroyed by The Wall as soon as he enters the picture, shattering her into digital shards. He then turns on the Squad, without giving them the chance to surrender after being kidnapped. It’s clear from this issue that The Wall is going to be the next major antagonist for the series, and I can’t say that makes me excited.
Corrina: The only thing that might have kept me reading this series (other than the interesting fill-in arc) would have been Hack somehow becoming human and alive again.
Instead, while the issue is more compelling than 99 percent of Williams’ stories, once again, everything becomes bleak and dark and we’re back to square one. I’d have thought Harley at least would have thrown Boomerang under the bus, instead of laughing at his confession/sacrifice. That laughter, by the way, shifted the moment from Hack to Boomerang and also made the murderer heroic and made Hack look unhinged.
I’m not getting any enjoyment reading this series, so I’m tapping out and will let Ray handle it from here.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
