Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #1 – John Layman, Writer; Jesus Hervas, Artist; David Baron, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Video game tie-ins rarely rise about their origins, with most simply filling in the blanks—except, of course, for the gold standard of Tom Taylor’s Injustice saga. So I was surprised to see acclaimed indie creator John Layman as the writer on this tie-in to the upcoming “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.” Set in the same continuity as the Arkham City games, it sets up some major changes to the status quo. Gordon is Mayor, and the revolving door at Arkham has been resolved—whether Batman likes it or not. The facility is now under federal control, overseen by ARGUS Chief Amanda Waller, who has made some major changes. The place is now an airtight, high-tech facility designed to be a one-way trip for the worst of the worst. In addition to Gotham’s worst criminals, it now holds criminal elites from around the world including Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark.
As anyone who has read comics before knows, this is a recipe for disaster. Batman and Gordon are both naturally suspicious of the new boss in charge, and they set up their investigations in their own way. Batman charges around, making clear he doesn’t particularly respect Waller’s authority, and manages to prove just how thin her security is in the most dramatic way possible. Gordon, meanwhile, goes to the source, and starts finding out just how disturbing this place is with the help of a Harley Quinn who seems much more unhinged than she normally comes off. It doesn’t take long for violence to break out at the facility, with one inmate finding out the hard way that pissing off a giant shark-man can end badly. So far, it doesn’t seem like the Suicide Squad is a thing yet, but the pieces are falling into place. It’s all setup, for sure, but it also seems like Layman is elevating the material in a compelling way.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
