Rick Flag is back to his old ways, by which I mean he is sending the Squad to a nearly certain death, although to be fair he was the last Squad member to die in the line of duty. Call it a wash I guess?
Title: Suicide Squad #32 (The Return of Rick Flag)
Writer: Rob Williams
Pencils: Scott Eaton
Inker: Wayne Faucher
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:
Task Force X is Amanda Waller’s team of supercriminals sent out to do clandestine black ops the US government will never admit to. Fitted with explosive devices in their brains that only Waller controls. (except when she doesn’t!)
Ten issues or so back the leader of the force heroically sacrificed himself to stop a maniacal supervillain from overtaking the world. But all of that is for nothing, now he’s back! Additionally, he’s being kind of a jerk…
What You’ll Find Out:
We open on our heroes (?) flying headlong into the sun in pursuit of Karin Grace and the Red Wave Monster. Katana tells Karin if she doesn’t close the door to the original Task Force X’s secret moon vault full of deadly alien tech a wave of phantom zone energy will engulf the entire solar system, rendering Karin’s sacrifice pointless. Despite all this Karin is hellbent on destroying the monster, until she hears from Rick, the grandson of her love. She decides to help if she can.
Karin tries to stand but the forces exerted on the ship are initially too strong for her. She fights it and manages to run over to the controls and shut the door to the vault just as the Squad dramatically speeds through in Task Force X’s ship. They chase Karin as she rockets towards the sun with the Red Wave Monster on board the ship.
We cut to Waller, Diablo, and Enchantress on the ground with a magically resurrected King Faraday, the original head of Task Force X. King tells Waller that he sent dozens of Argent teams up to the moon to their deaths, he’s no better than a ghost. Suddenly Enchantress is struck by a vision of the future, Croc is about to die!
Does Karin stop the Red Wave Monster? Does Task Force X make it out alive? Does Rick act like a total jerk the whole time?
Yes, kinda, and yes, pick up this issue for yourself at your local comic book store today! The ending of this book is not to be missed!
What Just Happened?
Plot:
This issue was a lot of fun and an excellent change from the last 3, which I didn’t love, sorry to say. I’m really happy to say that this issue felt like some solid Suicide Squad action. The ending was really interesting to me, especially what happened to Croc. I don’t know when I became a Killer Croc fan but I came to terms with that recently (read the b side story of detective comics 810-812, Red Hood and the Outlaws v1 #3, the last issue of Red Hood and the Outlaws and literally dozens more issues I could name if you don’t believe me)
I will take this moment to climb my soapbox and decry the nature of comic books shamelessly bringing people back from the dead, it’s become such a trope at this point you have to expect it. Besides Hack, and Mr. Peanut! If Rick Flag warrants a resurrection give me some silly peanut hammer man action for Pete’s sake! This is me personally asking Rob Williams for a Cosmonut resurrection! If he could get the Tom King Kite Man treatment I’d call that a bonus. HELL YEAH!
Never forget
Art:
I’m somewhat biased, to me, the perfect Suicide Squad artist is Tony Daniel, so it’s hard to say this. The art in this issue was amazingly great (notice I credited the entire art team waaay back at the top) I think Mr. Daniel might’ve been bumped if this book keeps looking this good!
Rating: 8/10
Final Thought:
Man, I’ve done a complete 180 on this book with this issue, I wasn’t feeling this book and was considering cutting it loose, now I can’t wait for next issue. I hope it keeps up!
If anyone ever wants to contact me, look me up in my group for the love of comic books , I also have several comic pages dedicated to my various true loves, Batman, Spider-man, Marvel, Oldie Goldies and Hats! (Long story on that last one haha) or on Twitter @johnbatusijack
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