Future State: Suicide Squad #1
Rob Stryczek
Recap
The Suicide Squad enters the Future State era as Amanda Waller uses Task Force X to save the world and remake it in her image—but what happens when the team shows up to stop her? And in the second story in this extra-sized issue, Black Adam, the immortal one-time champion of the wizard Shazam, rules the planet Kahndaq in the 853rd century. Can he save the future from a threat rooted in the past?
Review
This book starts off with Robbie Thompson showing us our new cast referring to themselves as the Justice Squad. The characters Talon, Hypnotic Woman,The Fisherman, Bolt, and the theatrical Clayface all take up the names of the main Justice League heroes. For their mission we see them tracking down renegade criminals, and through this exchange we get to see the true motivations behind some of the members.
We see the team relocating to their base after the death of their teammate, and the new Flash struggles coming to terms with the weight being on this team carries. Thompson is able to show the intense stress through Flash that a member of Task Force X can carry. She questions if having her powers is really worth witnessing a team member die on a mission and how much more she can carry.
Breaking up the group conflict, Amanda Waller puts them in check and reminds them why she brought this team together and how they are very close to obtaining her end goal. After illustrating the plan, Waller pulls Conner to the side to share with him the potential as to why he is the best person to be Superman.
For the art, the ways that Hypnotic Woman and Clayface are drawn are a standout for me. I love the fuzzy effect that Javier Fernandez gives Hypnotic Woman throughout the issue. It’s simple, yet incredibly effective. As for the coloring, I really enjoy the use of color with Flash. Alex Sinclair is able to really showcase their skill in the moments that Flash is using her abilities. The coloring for the vibrant yellow streaks or her yellow glowing body is stunning. Fernandez and Sinclair are able to convey mood transitions very well as a pair.
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Future State: Black Adam
In this Jeremy Adams gives us a story looking into a future threat of the seven deadly sins along with other villains coming to seek violence on earth. This incredible threat takes out Superman Prime within seconds and continues like an unstoppable plague leaving witnesses in absolute awe.
The first half of the issue dives into a team of heroes seeing if they can find Black Adam as no one else can even fathom to go against this threat and survive. Fernando Pasarin and Jeromy Cox do a very beautiful job with showing how magnificent the planet of Kahndaq.
The second half of this issue shows Black Adam reflecting on the shadows and traumas of his past. He questions if a millennia of loneliness might be less damaging than a millennia of watching his loved ones pass away. After a few fights, we end the issue with the surprise of a new Booster Gold revealing a plan.
Final Thoughts
Suicide Squad is an issue that gives us the unpredictable nature of not knowing from the beginning which member we might see be killed off. While it does have the usual set up of the characters being on a tight leash of the government, we still want to see them fight to eventually be freed of the deal they made. In this next issue, I look forward to see answers as to why there is another Suicide Squad and answers on if the new Flash will be able to step away from the team without serious repercussions.
For the Black Adam story, we see heroes putting their last hope into Black Adam. While this story lacks an interesting cast of enemies, it does makes up for it with the dialogue Black Adam shares about how his past trauma affects him. The art does an incredible way of capturing the beauty of the planet of Kahndaq.
Future State - Suicide Squad #1: The Justice Squad!
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 6/106/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
