Suicide Squad #20 Review
***SPOILER FREE REVIEW***
I wasn't sure what to expect from the new Suicide Squad creative team, as I had never read a comic produced by either writer Ales Kot (Change) or writer Partick Zircher (Cable & Deadpool, Shadowman). Luckily for us, newcomer Kot and veteran Zircher craft one of the most enjoyable issues of Suicide Squad yet.
A title like Suicide Squad is never going to be considered a high-concept thought provoking Morrison-esque piece of writing. Rather, it should be a fun, energetic title filled with B-list villains getting thrown into insane situations by the manipulative Amanda Waller. Zot clearly gets this, channeling Ostrander and his original run of Suicide Squad. While this issue is light on action, we get strong characterization and interesting changes to the Suicide Squad. Already, Zot has written King Shark and Harley Quinn as far more compelling and deep characters than previous writer Adam Glass ever wrote them. Likewise, we really get the sense of Amanda Waller being the puppetmaster she should be in this issue, which is a welcomed changed compared to how Waller has been written by Glass. Kot manages to make this title fun, bringing in references to Rumi while at the same time not afraid to spill some blood.
My only complaint is that this particular issue isn't completely new reader friendly; several references to the previous issues is mentioned, as well as the plot line of what happened to both Deadpool and the hunt for Mitch Shelly (the Resurrection Man). However, the learning curve is pretty small, and doesn't prevent this title from being enjoyable. Interestingly enough, 3 new additions to the Squad are shown, and all 3 are certain to raise the profile of this book and provide the team with a new dynamic.
Zircher's art is fantastic. He makes all the characters in this title look great, and he's excellent at drawing dynamic faces that convey real emotion. Keep your eye out for one real great page involving a overturned game board; it's a magnificent and dynamic panel. His pencil and ink work are superb, and hope he stays on this title for a nice, long run. Zircher's art is nicely complimented by Jason Keith's nice use of a wide range of colors, providing the best looking issue of Suicide Squad yet.
Kot and Zircher brought their A-game to this title. In fact, I was so impressed with their work, I went and purchased Shadowman Vol. 1, just to check out more of Zircher's work. I haven't been this excited about Suicide Squad since the early issue of Glass' run. However, this issue trumps almost everything else that Glass did for this title. I can safely recommend this issue to anyone who is willing to pick up a comic that is proud to be loud, violent, crude, yet fun and a little more sophisticated than expected.
