| Title | : | Suicide Squad, Volume 3: Burning Down The House |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1401274226 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781401274221 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 160 |
| Publication | : | First published September 12, 2017 |
Collects SUICIDE SQUAD #11-15 and the WAR CRIMES special. And when a retired American politician is taken to Europe and tried for alleged war crimes, the Suicide Squad must recover him from an allied nation before terrible truths are revealed.
Suicide Squad, Volume 3: Burning Down The House Reviews
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Amanda Waller is on suspension following the events of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad and Rustam is back for revenge. He frees a bunch of prisoners and forms a group called Burning World to "free" everyone. A lot of motivations of the characters were hard to follow, especially Captain Boomerang's. The deal with The People seemed overly complicated, as well. It's sometimes better for an author to be more overt in his storytelling, rather than let the artist infer things, especially if you haven't worked together before. I preferred Eddy Barrows's "backup" art over John Romita Jr's somewhat clunky style.
There is also a stand alone John Ostrander story in the book where the team is sent on a covert mission to rescue the former Secretary of Defense from the Hague. It was great to see Ostrander back on Suicide Squad. Hopefully we'll see more of him on the title.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
I received an ebook copy of this book ahead of publication from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Cool stuff. It's always good to get back to the old gang, even when it's such a group of misfits and degenerates. The banter between them is always entertaining, and more often than not we get some really crazy stuff from Harley Quinn that makes me laugh out loud.
Honestly, she's the main reason I even invest in Suicide Squad.
At any rate, lots of fun and great artwork. Can't ask for a lot more. :) -
This time i didn't see some things coming, i mean yeah there where some things than i was like no way and i was right about it,but a particular death happens that i still can't believe they did it,and that last story was so not wort it,i mean give more time to other characters they're cool too.
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Suicide Squad, DC Rebirth Series Ratings:
Suicide Squad, Volume 1: The Black Vault: ★
Suicide Squad, Volume 2: Going Sane: ★★★
Suicide Squad, Volume 3: Burning Down The House: ★★
Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Earthlings on Fire: Lost Interest in Series
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Solid entertaining read.
World: The art is great, Romita Jr art is very distinctive and having his art for this series made it feel different and somehow it reminded me of ‘Kick-Ass’ which is good. I found the world building to be pretty damn solid after the turd that was ‘Justice League vs. Suicide Squad’. The pieces we see here at play were from previous arcs and moving forward this creative team introduced and made some fun and interesting moves. I liked that tone overall for this series so far since Rebirth.
Story: As I said from previous arcs, I love that there are two stories here for the Squad books each issue. I liked that there is the main story and also a character piece at the end. I’ve always felt that large group books miss out on smaller quieter character moments because of the nature of the page count and the large cast, this format solves that. I liked those little pieces cause they make readers care about individual squad members and also context is given. I liked the main story, it’s simple and basic and relentless in pacing but fun. The subterfuge and the cloak and dagger and betrayal after betrayal was done well. The end was a bit abrupt and a bit too easy to explain but overall this is a book you should not think too much about and just enjoy the ride.
Characters: I like the character pieces, I’ve said above, it really gives more depth to these characters and allows for stories to focus on one character alone. Amanda gets a large dose this time around and I even enjoyed the Digger issue it’s good. Solid character work, keep it coming.
Enjoyable pop corn book that is using the perfect format for that stories it’s trying to tell.
Onward to the next book! -
'Suicide Squad, Volume 3: Burning Down the House' by Rob Williams collects Suicide Squad #11-15 and the War Crimes #1 special. The art alternates between John Romita Jr. and Eddy Barrows.
This story takes place after the events in Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. Rustam is still out there and still wants revenge on Amanda Waller, but she is on leave while the Suicide Squad is being looked in to. The Squad goes on a raid into Russia only to find out that it's like their targets knew they were coming. Then Rustam and Burning World attack Blackgate prison and the Squad has to take them down. With Waller out of play, possibly permanently, can the team do what they need to do? And how does Lex Luthor play into everthing?
It's a big confusing story arc. Characters feel a bit tacked on in places. Even when they get a break and some downtime, they don't feel genuine to me. Since the art varies greatly issue by issue, that kind of knocked me in and out of the book as well. I much preferred the Eddy Barrows art over John Romita Jr.
The War Crimes special included written by John Ostrander was a much better plotted story. It included some different Squad members in a story that felt very much like the kind of thing the Suicide Squad would be sent out on.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel. -
So, so, so close to 4 stars. SO close.
This third volume of Suicide Squad spins right out of Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad, as Rustam goes on the offensive and starts trying to destroy everything Amanda Waller has ever built. Add in the subplot about The People from the first two volumes, at least two double crosses, and some pretty good character work for Deadshot and Harley, and this is definitely trending upwards.
Rob Williams still splits the issues in half, but even though the individual halves are billed as separate stories, they basically all run together, unlike the last volumes where the second halves were all collected at the back since they were character origin pieces. This means the momentum carries through, but it's still an odd way to do it - the perspective doesn't even shift too much between the halves, so it really is just one big issue with two title pages.
The artwork falls to John Romita Jr., which isn't bad - it's not his best work, but he's done far worse at DC. Aside from a few panels here and there plus one truly heinous cover with Harley ripping her top off, it's passable. Eddy Barrows meanwhile takes the other halves of each book, and does far better, but then he's Eddy Barrows so I'm not entirely surprised.
The strange issue splitting thing aside, the story here is moving in the right direction. The character work is good, the overarching plot feels weighty, and the benefit of the JLvsSS crossover is definitely felt here. Now if only all the pieces could fall into place properly, we'd be flying. -
Fantastic! A total shake-up of the Suicide Squad as we know it. Characters die here, folks (and, yes, that is plural!) The current gang meets up with two different teams of super-heroes/-villains: Strikeforce Europa and The Burning World. I love teams because there are so many characters and this volume brings back some old lesser-knowns and some totally new ones. Harley is at her crazy best here. I really like how Rob Williams is writing her character. With the end of the title story of this volume, it will be very interesting to see how the Suicide Squad works after this. The final issue in this volume is a one-shot which doesn't entirely follow the events of the main story making it a little strange to be placed at the end.
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I've been on a Suicide Squad kick. Picked up this random volume.
The story? A villain is trying to bring down the Squad by releasing criminals and Waller must face a challenge to her authority. The Squad must fight against Rustem and help Waller. It's an ok story.
The art? Well, John Romita Jr. is hit or miss. This one is a miss. Romita's style just doesn't fit the Suicide Squad and it's not to my taste. So decent art and story make for a 2 star rating. -
Rob Williams continues to serve cliffhangers, crazy match-ups, and character moments. The only thing missing is any sense of danger for the movie stars.
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ARC REVIEW
Story: After the events of Justice League vs Suicide Squad, the Squad has demanded a shore leave, even Rick Flag thinks it’s a good idea. Amanda Waller is on suspension because of what happened and Rustam leaving Harcourt in charge. While the Squad is in New Orleans enjoying their very rare time off and Floyd is visiting his daughter Amanda Waller is shot and killed. Rustam breaks into Blackgate and sets free all the prisoners and takes a few to form a new evil group he dubbed The Burning World. The Suicide Squads first fight against them puts Hack face to face with someone just as powerful as her Djinn. After the first failed battle they find out Waller is dead, and Hack is so close to finding out who the traitor inside Belle Reve but Djinn hacks the computer first and shuts down the brain bombs freeing the Squad. Rustam thinks he has it all figured out but in the end the Suicide Squad always wins.
Art: Romita, Friend and White tackle Burning Down the House Part One: The Life Inside (issue 11), Burning Down the House part two (issue 12) with Skipper; which has a great digital world interpretation; Burning Down the House part three: Being Good (issue 13), Burning Down the House Part four: Hit It (issue 14), And Burning Down the House Conclusion (issue 15). Barrows and Lucas handle Life Outside (issue 11), Those left Behind (issue 12), Hero or Villain (issue 13), Live Free. Die. (issue 14). Even though two different groups alternated within the each issue the art was pretty consistent, slight variations between the styles but otherwise it was a smooth transition between the two. I liked the hard lines and how some of the frames were more detailed and smooth giving them a lifelike appearance
The War Crimes special was Rodriguez, Vasquez, and Eltaeb. This is the kind of art I think of when I think comic books. I love it it’s cartoony but detailed and smooth.
Characters: Rustam’s new group consists of Djinn, a digital being; Manticore, a genetically created creature, Ravan, a wizard; Jaculi, a speedster with the ability to morph his hands into weapons. War Crimes Special has Strike force Europa who are Angelique Durcoix, Kavga, Sachtten, Lionheart, Guerrieroa; with an appearance by Shado and joining the Suicide Squad this mission El Diablo, and Mad Dog the new guy.
Review: Overall, this has to be my favorite of the Suicide Squad so far. It was action packed and emotional, you find out who the traitor is and it is not surprising. The story in a whole is really good and the art just adds to it. -
2/5
Zatiaľ najlepší diel série. Postavy maju konečne nejaké charaktery a Romitova kresba je fajn. -
I received a copy of Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Burning Down the House from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Suicide Squad volume three is back, continuing from where volume two left off. Unfortunately there is an artist switch a little less than halfway through. Maybe it’s because I liked Jim Lee’s work so much, but I just found myself struggling to enjoy the new art style as much as the old. Thankfully it isn’t distracting, so I was easily able to focus on the plot instead.
For more reviews, check out
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks -
After fighting alongside the Justice League to stop Eclipso, The Suicide Squad is once again called into action, but this time, Amanda Waller is suspended after the events in the crossover, so now, Emilia Harcourt is in command of the team, but they will face a new threat since Rustam is on the loose, attempting to free the prisoners at Black Gate, in Gotham, and the Belle Reve prison to create "a new world order". At the same time, Harcourt is suspecting there is a mole in the team, in contact with the Russians, so Hack will try to uncover who the potential traitor in the team is before things go out of control.
After the Justice League VS the Suicide Squad event, the promise of the further chapter in the series was the fall of Amanda Waller and, yeah, that is pretty much the main focus in here. The main storyline follows how Amanda is being shut down following Rustam's rampage, so now the Suicide Squad is practically free, but things will go down as one member of the team is killed by the traitor, and Rustam releases the inmates of the prisons in order to start killing important politicians and public figures all over the country.
This was an "okay" arc, pretty much it nails what promises, and it always keeps itself entertaining and, I'll admit, thrilling with the whole "who killed Amanda Waller" theme, which made it pretty noir and detective-like. Rob Williams is truly having a blast with the series as he manages to explore each character's ambitions and personalities properly enough, and once the story is revolving around the whole death of Waller situation, it really creates a sense of intrigue, since each member is equally capable of commiting that crime. Although, the final resolution was so obvious, and anticipated, I guess since this is just the third volume in the series it was expected to conclude in that way, although, the promise of the introduction of Lex Luthor to the title is a powerful hook up for a cliffhanger. The art was dissapointing; John Romita Jr., Is in charge of providing the pencils and, honestly, after having Jim Lee in the main pages during the past issues, this is a downgrade. However, the epilogues of each respective issue are draw by Eddy Barrows, so it sort of compensates. This is completely a volume that works thanks to the art department, which comes as surprising, as the first volumes worked in the opposite way, so I guess there's not much of an improvement, but more of a balancing towards those aspects. I really hope Williams continues to improve over his narrative qualities in the series, since we're still having sort of plot-holes and situations that aren't fully explained nor showed, but again, having Romita Jr., In the art department isn't necessarily going to help on that, so I also hope for the next artists to fill that inconvenience, preferably Barrows. As for the volume itself it works better as a conclusion of the loose ends left from the Justice League crossover, rather than "a new chapter" in the series, but it was serviceable and fun to read, being always room for improvement in all departments. -
A clumsy, cluttered, and yet still somehow overly simplistic entry into Rob Williams' Suicide Squad run, which has some bold ideas but falters badly due to compressed storytelling and unclear motivations. Playing out a conspiracy involving an evil shadow cabal known as "the People" at the same time as a completely unrelated attack on the Squad (and the entire U.S.) by a returning Rustam and his allies muddies the plot a little too much to easily follow-- especially with as many double-crosses and reveals as this relatively short storyline has going for it. Who's working for whom? Why does this character betray the team at ONE point and then join up with them to defeat the baddie the next? And why does Rob Williams seem to think that Harley Quinn, of all people, should be the team's leader?
The most interesting thing about this volume is that it serves as the reintroduction of Rustam and his team-- major players in the original Ostrander Suicide Squad run-- to the DC Universe post-New 52 and DC Rebirth. At least Williams gets to give the terrorist team a slightly less offensive name: he re-christens them as "the Burning World", which is a major step up from their ORIGINAL name... "the Jihad". Yeeesh.
(Oh, and this volume ALSO includes a stand-alone Annual adventure, written by John Ostrander himself, in which the team is tasked with rescuing a thinly-veiled stand-in for former Vice President Dick Cheney from standing trial for war crimes in the Hague. It's good stuff; reads like classic Suicide Squad, and it's the most politically-charged and genuinely interesting issue in the book. Honestly, it's the kind of thing I wish Williams would do with the title himself; so far his Squad is all sizzle and very little steak. If you're not going to say something thoughtful or political with the Suicide Squad, then why even write the book?) -
The Rebirth era for the Suicide Squad hits its third volume from DC Comics thanks to Rob Williams and John Romita, Jr. Determined to clean up the mess left behind from their encounter with the Justice League, Amanda Waller has Task Force X running nonstop. Giving them a breather in Louisiana, Waller heads to New Orleans and is promptly shot in the chest. Facing inner turmoil and an assault by former Squad member Rustam, the team must rally together to stop his global prison break. When word comes down that Rick Flag and Katana are captured, Waller is dead, and Deadshot pulled the trigger, the crew choose to head their separate ways. Ironically it is Harley Quinn who unites the band back together to stop Rustam's Congressional assault. AS Waller returns to take credit for the entire operation, the Squad adds an old face in El Diablo and gets back to work. Rob Williams builds an elaborate plotline that seems to require a whole host of moving parts to work successfully. He chooses to sideline his heroic team members, put Deadshot in the crosshairs, and again drop Harley into the spotlight. The no-name villains and underlying subterfuge fail to capitalize on either the General Zod storyline or the Justice League crossover, leaving new readers in the dark as to current events. The blocky art from John Romita, Jr. is also an acquired taste that does not mesh well with this title. A team of killers and assassins needs shadowy, lithe designs; only Killer Croc benefits from Romita's pencilwork. The volume also intersperses the art of Eddy Barrows right into each issue, gumming up an already convoluted arc with clashing visuals. Suicide Squad: Burning Down the House is a dumpster fire of a book that needs to be hosed down.
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To już trzeci tom i razi naprawdę słaba forma Oddziału Samobójców, ale jakby coś tam drgnęło i być może tytuł zmieni ten kurs prowadzący markę prosto na górę lodową. I choć bawiłem się tu lepiej niż w obu poprzednich częściach, to czuć tutaj powtarzalność, przez co pewne "zwroty akcji" były łatwe do przewidzenia.
Waller straciła dowództwo nad grupą, na rzecz nieopierzonej młodej agentki, która myśli, że może lepiej zarządzać przestępcami. Szkopuł w tym, że ktoś tu jest zdrajcą i działa na niekorzyść zespołu. Jednocześnie mamy zadanie odzyskania pewnych danych wraz z nowym zagrożeniem, jakie widnieje na horyzoncie. I wypuszcza przestępców z więzień. Rustam zmierza do konfrontacji, z Amandą Waller, kiedy ta...
Fabularnie to wciąż ten sam schemat. Nie tykamy za mocno sztandarowych figur tej serii, ale już każdy nowy narybek może się czuć potencjalnym kolejnym workiem na zwłoki. I choć Williams "usiłuje" coś tutaj wykręcić, to nie byłem w stanie uwierzyć w pewne rozwiązania fabularne. "Bruner, nie ze mną te numery" cytując klasyka. No i te fatalne wątki niby-romansowe. Jah...
Na deser dostajemy jeszcze dodatkową misję spod pióra Johna Ostrandera, która polega na wyzwoleniu pewnego jegomościa, który jest amerykańską szychą, ale może mieć na sumieniu ludzkie życie. A raczej na pewno ma, bowiem ma być sądzony o zbrodnie wojenne, ale ktoś ma interes w jego "odratowaniu". Akurat końcówka tego wątku była całkiem fajna.
Jednak to nie fabuła pognębia ten tom, a John Romita Jr. Styl tego artysty nijak nie pasuje mi do prowadzonej akcji i choć wspierający rysownicy, jak chociażby Eddy Barrows, robią swoją robotę znacznie lepiej, to i tak mam spory niesmak po tym co tu doświadczyłem. Słusznie cała seria uważana jest za jedno z większych fiask DC Odrodzenie. -
Rustam escaped all of the shenanigans from the last arc and now he's assembled his own group with the purpose of eliminated Amanda Waller. Also, there's a traitor (or two? three?) in the Suicide Squad. And Amanda Waller is dead...well, sorta.
This wasn't a terrible arc but the ending was a little predictable for anyone who's read the Suicide Squad before. There were some pretty major changes in this arc too, although whether permanent or temporary remains to be seen. There was some confusion as well.
The War Crimes one shot looks like a throw away story where the Squad is on a covert mission to "rescue" a politician with sensitive information. "Rescue" is in quotes for a reason.
John Romita Jr. was the main artist on this arc, and it looks like he's at the top of his game here.
This is what we've come to expect from the Suicide Squad: confusion, chaos, mayhem, but still entertaining. -
Increíblemente, el mejor tomo hasta ahora (incluyendo Justice League vs. Suicide Squad) es el tomo peor ilustrado. El arte queda a manos de Romita Jr. y como era de esperarse, lo arruina completamente con personajes cuyos rostros son idénticos, sin ningún sentido de dinamismo, con poses extrañas y genéricas y con colores y acabados de tintas con líneas que sólo hacen su arte aún más horrendo.
La historia del tomo arranca justo donde se quedó el crossover de Justice League y Suicide Squad. Rustam, el antiguo líder del primer equipo y que también fue traicionado por Amanda Waller se encuentra liberado, enojado y con sed de venganza. En el volumen anterior vimos que Rustam identificó a la familia de Amanda y los usó para amenazarla, aquí tenemos a Amanda lidiando con todo eso mientras es investigada por el gobierno tras el conflicto entre ella y Maxwell Lord.
El tomo tiene muertes, giros, traiciones, villanos siendo villanos y villanos siendo héroes. Todas las cosas que me gustan de una buena historia del escuadrón suicida están en este tomo. También, Rob Williams sigue conectando sus tomos para crear una historia más grande, detalles del primer volumen son retomados aquí y abren la pauta para el cuarto volumen.
La historia tiene sus detalles y el final, aunque tiene un giro no me pareció sorpresivo y los diálogos de Waller en general no me parecieron buenos, pero la historia me entretuvo, me emocionó y me sorprendió varias veces y creo que con eso es más que suficiente. -
This is by far the best volume in the run. One of the things I didn't enjoy about volume two was that they squad was separated, and when not together the characters don't shine as much. But let me tell you, they shined in this volume! Also, this volume wasn't short, it was a fully fleshed out story arc and thank the heavens for that. I like that the squad feels more like a team now, not just a group of people forced to be together. They fact that they all came together with no force involved? Hell yes! Storyline was great and interesting, definitely has me excited to see what happens next!
Side notes:
An Enchantress transformation that didn't have June screaming and begging, oh my heart.
Waylon & June are my OTP!
Honestly, I'm not surprised by what happened to Hack, but boy am I pissed!
Also, Amanda was a beast in this volume but she was drawn poorly thorough out this entire volume. In the last issue she look great though. Amanda "the wall" Waller is my favorite.
Waiting for Harcourt to die
Pissed Flag and Katana aren't getting together. I wanted this ship so bad.
Also, waiting for Williams to do more with Katana.
Floyd Lawton is pretty great.
Digger Harkness? I wAS ROOTING FOR YOU, AND YOU BETRAYED ME!
Waylon & June in the swamp, making plans, being extra specially cute - I die. -
The foundation of the squad gets shaken to its core in this volume.
A lot of what makes the suicide squad work is due to Amanda Waller. She is the leader, but also the villain in a lot of ways. And she has fucked over a lot of people. But when one of these people returns to seek revenge, can you really blame them? And on top of that, Waller is being investigated for the whole Suicide Squad vs Justice League fiasco, so she has lost a lot of her power. However, she finds a way to take control of the situation, even if it means personal and apparently final consequences to herself.
I thought this volume had a lot of good elements to it plot wise. There was a good pace to the plot, and the volume itself was a quick read because of the story. However, there are a lot of questions up in the air once all was said and done. And hopefully Rob Williams addresses these things down the line and doesn't just leave the dangling plot threads that are there now.
The art is a bit of a mess. For the most part its Romita Jr. who handles the art, but it looks like there are other artists who help do the detail work. And while this helps in getting the book out in time, it does look disjointed and/or sloppy as the end result, and took me a bit out of the reading experience.
Overall , a good volume of suicide squad. Recommended for fans of the series. -
3.5 Stars.
In the aftermath of 'Justice League vs. Suicide Squad', tensions on Task Force X are running high. When Deadshot turns on and assassinates Amanda Waller, Belle Reve and Blackgate Prison riot and Rustam, previous leader of Suicide Squad, brings his terrorist organization 'The Burning World' to the forefront, recruiting Deadshot in the process. Harley Quinn bands the rest of the group together to counter against them.
When another traitor (not yet discovered Captain Boomerang) kills newer member Hack, Waller decides to show up, having used Deadshot and Enchantress to help her fake her death, and 'The Burning World' gets shut down, earning Floyd some needed time off with his family.
An added one issue story focuses on Suicide Squad being sent on a rescue mission, but Waller has secret plans of her own... adds El Diablo to the Squad as well...
This Volume was alright. With the possibility of General Zod joining the team, I really look forward to seeing what the next Volume holds.
Recommend, though not their best hour. -
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
This was my first ever comic. I had no frame of reference, I don't know any back stories, and I only recognized half the characters. Not quite sure if it's my thing, really. That being said, I only planned on skimming through it to sate curiosity and it sucked me right in. I would definitely be interested in seeing where some of the stories go, especially the relationships between the team members. Though if I'm being honest, unless I win another or can find a way to read them for free, the chances aren't great I'll see where it all ends up. I'll be surprising my teenage niece with this copy, she'll be all over it. So in conclusion, I'm an awesome aunt but too cheap to buy and continue this series even though I would like to know what happens before and after this volume. -
The first storyline, which continues the team's dealings with "the People" and the Russian variant on the Suicide Squad whose name I can't remember right this second, actually works really well. It digs deep into character and motivation. While I could see an argument that it brightens up our protagonists a bit much, I would have to disagree and say that it only deepens them, never crossing their basic nature of villains coerced into service.
The second story, which deals with the kidnapping of a dirty former U.S. government official introduces a European version of the Suicide Squad, and just coming up with another "someone else's version of the Suicide Squad" plot made me frustrated. Then it became anti-hero pablum that plays with all the team's and character's stereotypes with none of the depth seen at the team's best. Skip those last issues. -
Better than the first 2 volumes, but not by much. Story-wise, there is a lot going on with 3 or 4 organizations working at cross purposes. It is very confusing to keep track of who is aligned with which one. There is still a lack of characterization. You would think there would be a sense of twisted team values, twisted family, developing to make you care about them on their missions, but not at all. Art-wise, I will always have a soft spot for Romita Jr. (so many cheekbones!) but it was very strange to see him drawing DC characters. I just couldn't reconcile it in my head. The highlight was the one shot, War Crimes, at the end of this volume. Much as the first volume's strongest storyline was a one-off for me, same here. Maybe Suicide Squad works best in short bursts rather than a series?
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This book kind of feels like it's foundering here. Rustam's got no personality, and his team even less. Waller pulls off one of her classic moves here, and Harcourt (who I like because of Peacemaker - less sure about her in the comics world) is in charge of the team and pretty ineffectual as a leader. There's an unexpected death or two, expected amounts of violence, a bit of monologueing/how-they-did-it explanations, and a lot of yelling at each other. Some decent art is strewn in amid some very average art too, which is kind of a weird way to go. Then there's a nihilistic one-shot story that squeezes a lot of action in, but in service to a pretty dark story. It's not a strong volume, but it does feel like a Suicide Squad story, even if none of the characters really get a chance to shine. And one does something that's pretty out of character for them. Middling, not terrible.
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Suicide Squad, Vol. 3: Burning Down the House (Rebirth) by Rob Williams et. al. is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early September.
Present and former leaders of Task Force X are on high alert after the alleged shooting of Amanda Waller and her CEO replacement, Emilia Harcourt, sees only the Suicide Squad to blame, even if they're being driven against each other by the dreaded Rustam and their main mission of taking down Strikeforce Europa. This is a squat, detailed, yet inconsistent way of drawing characters (compared to other Suicide Squads appearing elongated and lean) is different, but still acceptable, especially when the Squad 'enter the mainframe' and seem cubist/blocky. -
This book was provided to me through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Rob Williams, the publisher, and Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read it. This is my honest review. No compensation was given.
This is one of the first comics I have ever read. I usually do not invest in them because I am a fast reader so I cannot justify spending that much on something that I will finish the same day. I don't have much to compare this with so take my review with a grain of salt.
Even though I don't have much comic experience, I do like DC a lot. I watch Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, and the movies. So I knew a lot of these characters and was not starting from scratch.
I still got confused though. I did not like the art style in this comic. It was very dark and I had trouble keeping track of who was who. The plot felt predictable as well. Maybe my mind will change when I read more comics in the future. -
Why do I let my affection for Harley keep drawing me into this terrible book? It's not like she's even all that well written or drawn here. (except for two gorgeous large images of her face)
The characters are annoying and unfunny. The drama is ridiculous, with twists that would make M Night feel ashamed. And Waller? Now I understand what people mean when they say Batman's too mentally overpowered. I can't stand her.
Extra star for the SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL: WAR CRIMES #1 included. It's a great done-in-one story with lots of characters and action that all makes sense and does not insult the reader. Oh, wait, this special was written by Ostrander. No wonder if was so much better.
Thank goodness for Hoopla. -
I tip my hat to Mr. Williams and Mr. Ostrander: This was a good one. Playing around with the (very) real motivations of the characters to construct an elaborate, insane scheme? I mean, you don't get more Suicide Squad than that. Of course, I missed what I suspect was an important plot element, not having read the OTHER comic (so obnoxious when they do that to you), but picking up the threads wasn't as terrible as you find in other situations.
And adding depths to Amanda Waller? That's something that hasn't happened in previous iterations. Not in this manner, anyway. She's an unfeeling monster; it's her M.O. This time, you start wondering, seeing her in a bit of a skewed fashion. Don't get me wrong, she's the devil. But maybe there's a sliver of a heart in there - somewhere.
