Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Suicide Squad

Why I won't be buying the new Suicide Squad: No 'stache = no cash.

<span style="font-size: 8px;">[Title edited to reflect that this has become the main Suicide Squad thread]</span>

Ps - welcome back Starbucks Kid!

He does need the 'stache.

I really, really hated this issue. After the drek that was Legion of Doom, I decided I wouldn't pick up what Adam Glass was writing, but it was the Suicide Squad, whom I had great affection for under Ostrander's pen. So I caved,

Really wish I hadn't.

A lot has been said about making Waller into a Supermodel and all that implies about body images. I was, frankly, more disappointed in the premise and what it says about her character. The entire book is about the Squad getting tortured trying to break them into revealing the Squad's secrets. In the end (in a not so big surprise), it was Waller all along, testing the mettle of her new recruits.

I loved Ostrander's Amanda Waller, who was a complex, tough, no-nonsense character, that straddled a number of moral lines in service of what she thought was the greater good. Yes, she often struggled with that, but she was never outright evil. To torture, and possibly kill in the case of Savant, her own team was just way over the line of what she would ever do.

It's a good thing they made Waller into a supermodel.

:rolleyes:

Lord knows, there's such a shortage of skinny young beauties in popular entertainment these days.

Of course, I didn't mean to imply I approve of "Skinny" Waller, just pointing out that there's even more wrong here than just her appearance.

We talkin' Lawton here? If so...REALLY?!? They removed it?!?!

"Removal" seems to be the theme of the series! Remove the 'stache, remove the girth, remove the clothes (sorry, Harley), remove the civilians...permanently.

I didn't mistake your comments for approval, Dave. Just pinpointing why, as a fat, middle-aged woman myself, I'm royally steamed.

Waller was maybe the ONLY fat female protagonist I could think of in pop culture who wasn't played for laughs. (Even Etta Candy buffed up so she could be a "serious" secret agent or whatever over in the pages of Wonder Woman.) But even that was one too many for DC so of course she has to look like every other hot babe out there to bring in a more "diverse" audience or whatever.

Grrrr...

No 'stache?! Skinny Wall?!!!

Say waaaaaaaaaaaaa-hut?

I shall read this shortly and review it properly!

For all DC's talk of diversity, its pretty telling that the crippled and overweight people are being 'fixed'. I guess DC wants to remove all the 'ugly folks' for their diverse universe!

How cutting edge! (Note sarcasm).

Hmm. After LLOST, this was the book I was most interested in initially this week. I hope I like it better than you guys...

So with all this controversy around moustaches and big bones, I rushed Suicide Squad to the top of the pile. My immediate reaction was it's not as bad as I've been hearing but it's not fantastic either. It's 'okay', and with the plethora of comics out there, that might not be enough to come back.

Beyond the 'stache and Amanda--two things which *are* lame--the major problem I have is of everyone introduced in #1, no one was given any redeemable qualities. There was no one to empathize with or connect with. So far they're all heartless killers or psychos. That may change over time but DCnU comics don't have time given their competition.

This leads to the next problem: that causes the comic to be pretty mean-spirited. The 'twist' has been done before (and much, much better) but it's still a good one. But that just means all that happens in #1 is really for no reason other than to inflict a lot of cruelty. Thats off-putting.

Overall, there isn't anything wrong with the writing specifics or art in my mind, it's just the tone. But that's a big hurdle.

What doesn't help is that while I love some of these characters, for all I know they're unrecognizable now. That means they enough to stick with it (sorry, Floyd).

Cobie Comparion: Did I enjoy it as much as Justice League #1? no.

For a great Suicide Squad comic, I recommend Thunderbolts, which I recently reviewed!

I still haven't read it... that Cobie did NOT like it as much as the very thin JL # 1 is telling... BUT, to play devil's advocate...

I've been a fan of no-goodniks as main characters since way back in SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS (one of my fave all-time titles, I suppose)... and there was NOTHING good about the likes of The Wizard, Grodd and Sinestro in that book...

...So this just might be something I can get into. *fingers crossed*

I can tell you already I won't mind Deadshot without the porn-stache... but The Wall being a supermodel? >bleah!!<

Not sure, but I'll bet the really stupid reason behind the Wall being trimmed down was so that she would look more like Angela Bassett who portrayed her in this past summer's Green Lantern movie. REALLY stupid in hindsight as that movie turned out to not exactly set the box offices on fire!

Maybe this Amanda Waller is the REAL Amanda Waller's niece or something and the authentic Waller will return in all her portly glory.

Suicide Squad is too violent/gory/crazy people for me. Somehow, these guys don't have the charm of the Secret Six, who are also pretty violent, gory and crazy, but in a good way.

Read it finally...

I definitely liked it somewhat better than most here.

The real hook for me is WHY are they supposed to perform the mission stated? WTF?!

I'm definitely getting # 2 to find out.

But I can certainly understand it being too bloody/gross/violent for many. # 2 just might cross that line for me as well...

Ok. I'm not as devastated now.

I've found my new Floyd / Thomas and they go by the names Jason / Roy.

Forgot this book 'kinda' had its own thread!

This is one of the few new 52 that have survived on my pull. I read # 7 last night.

Anyone else wanna talk about THAT ending??

I glanced at a couple of the Ostrander Suicide Squads while doing some clearing. I bought every one of those. This version, with a little help from nostalgia, lasted 5 issues, the best of which was just below average.

Picked up the Rebirth and #1 issues, and was fairly pleased with it. Definitely more of an Ostrander vibe, that I liked. Waller and Deadshot look more like their pre-52 selves. Still find Waller a bit more of a sociopath than i like, but better than a lot that's gone before. A little annoying that right out of the gate Lee only pencils a half issue. That could be problematic going forward.

The back-up in #1 was interesting, trying to meld all versions of Deadshot (including the movie one), into one version. I'll give #2 a try.

Issue #2 still suffers from the pacing of having Lee only draw half an issue and the rest dedicated to a back-up. It really hurts the flow (but is apparently selling like crazy, so what do I know?)

They take an interesting "Kill your Darlings" approach and kill off a Squad mainstay, though I'd argue it's the easy choice.



The revelation of a big bad so far out of their power set is a good cliffhanger though.

The back up was actually quite funny, and enjoyable, even if obviously done to play off the death in the main story for poignancy.

Issue #3 - Basically an all out brawl with Zod that doesn't make a lick of sense, but is still kind of fun. Last issue Zod's heat vision completely incinerated Boomerang, yet this time out he hits no less than three characters with it and they just take impact damage. Also, as with anytime Kryptonian level threats are introduced, he could have used a speed burst and smeared everyone before they could move. I did like Katanna slicing into him with soultaker, though.

The backup (Katanna's origin), is pretty faithful to the old Batman & Outsider's one, just condensed.

I did toy with taking a look at it, but the protection of pet favourites seems to have ruled it out. It's the *suicide* squad for a reason.