The Good
If you've been paying any kind of attention to the DC universe, then odds are you know the Crime Syndicate has taken over and things are looking quite ugly for our heroes. Well, that ugliness isn't limited to just the good people in tights and capes. It hit Belle Reve two issues ago and since then, it has become more than clear Matt Kindt is capable and then some of keeping SUICIDE SQUAD all kinds of awesome. Thankfully, Patrick Zircher (who was previously on the book), is sticking around and, if you're familiar with his work, then you know he's a perfect choice for the title -- especially with Kindt's darker direction.
Kindt uses a fair chunk of this issue to present an all-new origin story for King Shark and reveal who Kamo, the character in the last cliffhanger, truly is. It adds a whole new layer to the powerhouse on the Suicide Squad and it'll be especially interesting to see where Kindt goes from here. Even if Kamo is killed in the next issue, I'm curious to see if these developments will change Shark's relationship with Waller and the rest. Needless to say, Zircher and the colorists absolutely killed it with some of the panels during this plot. Zircher's work remains highly detailed work and is really brought to life with some gorgeous and vivid coloring. The character sitting on the throne with his eyes illuminating is a particularly formidable image. Equally formidable: the look at O.M.A.C. before the brawl. Let it never be said that Zircher can't make characters look staggeringly badass.
Quinn's a tad darker than usual (fear not, she isn't blowing up children this time around), but given the nature of the book, it's a logical direction and makes her feel at home with this sinister cast. She also has an interesting dynamic going on with Gordon Jr. (who thankfully remains an excellent character). We only scratch the surface of their new relationship, but building a closer connection between two characters who love mind games is a great choice. With so many people manipulating each other, I'm hopeful Kindt has a lot of twisted conflicts heading our way.
The Bad
My biggest gripe here is there's so much exposition and the opening scene -- while certainly well-done -- delays diving into the really good stuff. I understand issues need to be new reader friendly (to some degree, that is), but this is part 3 of the story and feels like its holding the reader's hand to cover material which has already been addressed numerous times in the story. I imagine it'll come off as really redundant if you read the issues back to back or in a trade.
There's an art change reserved for the big conflict. I have no complaints about the work on those pages by Roger Robinson, but they're noticeably different than the usual tone of the book (created by Zircher). And speaking of that scene, I get Kindt wants us to have an element of suspense over what goes down, but after having this fight built up so much, it would have been great to see a little more of it.
Lastly, If Kamo's so powerful, how'd they subdue him?
The Verdict
SUICIDE SQUAD is in the right hands and is awesome once again. Kindt's putting a strong focus on the absurd amount of manipulation that goes on at Belle Reve and it's generating plenty of gripping and twisted material. All of this is being brought to life in a wonderfully detailed manner by Zircher. Despite Quinn being a key player here, humor's pretty much cast aside and understandably so. When no one can trust anyone and bomb collars are involved, there isn't much to laugh about, is there? This book's definitely on the right track and should be on your radar. Hopefully we'll get to see more of the other characters soon enough.
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