A new beginning for Taskforce X
It isn’t easy writing a book for a villain, given their very nature most readers wont identify with someone who is for all intents and purposes, a psychopath. This is part of the reason we see a lot of Villain and Anti hero books fizzle out, now imagine how hard it must be to write an ongoing book with a team of them!
Good
New Suicide Squad is an example of this done properly, the characters consist of the likes of Harley Quinn, Deathstroke and Black Manta and what Sean Ryan does so ingeniously is create likeable characters without taking away what makes them villains in the first place. As you would expect this being a number 1 of a new arc makes this ideal for new readers and veterans alike.
Sean Ryan has been on the book for a while so he quickly catches up new readers on just who is in the team and how Amanda Waller and Victor Sage keep them in line and its not long before we see the team interacting and preparing for their first mission. Having Harley and Jokers Daughter on the same team along with Deathstroke and Deadshot is a smart move and one they actually address in the book. It is fun to watch them fight over who is better and this looks to be a theme that will reoccur later in the series.
Jeremy Roberts does a fantastic job of penciling each member of the team, the action sequences are breath taking and wouldn’t look out of place in a big budget Hollywood movie. There are plenty of random cops taken out in spectacular fashion and when the gun fire and explosions start you cant help but feel the exhilaration and their own excitement at the thrill of the battle. Blond's Inks really pop out of the page and give Robert's already incredible action scenes a level of depth and ferocity that really fits the tone of the book. Every explosion, every gun shot and muzzle flash is as convincing as it is violently gorgeous.
The new comer to the book, Victor Sage treats the team like a game show, his ambition far outreaching his grasp on reality even going so far as to claim he could get the Joker. He has a weird Villain fetish and stands in stark contrast to Amanda who knows more than most just how dangerous her team can be. If the theme of the book is rivalry then the sparks between both of them might even rival those of Task Force X itself.
Bad
The book makes no pretence at what it is, an action comic and an over the top one at that. Though I'm confident Ryan will write an interesting plot and play up the rivalries between the team members the story is very straight forward but perhaps there will be some twists along the way. I found the relative ease at which Harley and Deadshot accepted their rivals just a little weird, Harley for one is a hot head and its out of character for her to let something go so quickly, especially when it involves the face of her beloved Mr J. Its also weird to see Jokers daughter throwing her foes around like she has super strength, I'm pretty sure it wasn’t intended to look that way but it is still odd to behold.
Conclusion
This book is great, stupid and incredibly fun, everyone will be able to identify with and accept one of the varied Cast as one of their own and watching the uneasy alliance between the main players gives the book a definite edge. Its also a very visual book beautifully drawn and coloured which makes it a feast for the eyes, sharp and vivid you will want to spend time taking it all in. This is just the start and the book is already off to a bombastic start, it isn’t afraid to let the team members be true to themselves but it has enough wit and humour to prevent it from becoming gross. This reader is counting the days until issue two hits news stands.
