New Suicide Squad #9 Review

Written by: Sean Ryan
Art by: Philippe Briones and Blond
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 10, 2015

The Boys are Back

I have enjoyed Sean Ryan's run on the New Suicide Squad, but I've had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't too keen on the makeup of the team from the get go.  If I'm right (or even if I'm not), he's not the only one.  It's not that the Team was bad per se, it's just too safe, too main stream.  That's why I was so excited when DC announced that the Squad would be changing and that change was pretty damn drastic.  I was counting the days until this new team would make it's debut.  I'm still counting because this issue is not that debut.  It's funny, because not only do we not get the new members (except for a cool cameo), we don't even get all of the old members.  This issue basically has three members...Black Manta, Deadshot and Captain Boomerang.  I'll admit, I was surprised, but not as much as when I finished the issue.  Why?  Because this is the best issue of the New Suicide Squad yet.



If you are a Deadshot fan, you are in for a treat.  He's been out of commission for a while, but the issue opens with him alive and (kind of) well.  I'd guess that he has just finished a mission, but what mission?  Sean Ryan takes us back to the beginning and we start finding out.

Like I said, Deadshot is back in action and itching for a job.  He doesn't have to wait long as Amanda Waller is sending him, Captain Boomerang and Black Manta undercover to take down and offshoot of the League of Assassins known simply as The League.  Think Isis, Taliban and the Alpha Betas all rolled up into one and you'll get the picture.  It's an easy mission...infiltrate these fanatics, steal their super villain tech and fight their way out.  Like I said, easy.

We get to see that Harley, Reverse Flash and Parasite are waiting in the wings in case of trouble and Parasite almost stole the show just being there.  I said almost because Boomerang is the victor in that department.  He is insane in a great way for this book and his interaction with Deadshot is hilarious.  Thanks Sean, now I want more Boomerang.

The issue then shifts to the guys getting inside The League.  It starts off fine, with them meeting their contact and casually discussing the League and such, but then it gets dark.  Dark,  like a sack over your head and being hit in the face with a golf club dark.Luckily they did their homework because they surely would have been killed if they didn't know the answers The League wanted to hear.

They are then taken into the desert and deal with one of the most perverse uses of Freeze tech and baseball bats I have ever seen.  It's horrifying in a way that you have to look and then are upset you did.  The issue ends with them either in The League or one step closer to being in.  I'm not sure yet, but after what they did, I say they're in.

This issue was great.  It was just powerful and had tension to burn.  I know that the appeal of this book is to see villains kind of act like heroes and go nuts with it, but this issue was different.  Sean Ryan may still have some of the old team, but he changed the game.  This was not just a silly action packed book, it was smart and really memorable.  I suddenly don't want the new team yet.

Philippe Briones and Blond also do a great job on the art in this book.  Everything looked great even when it was hard to look at.  The colors popped and while there was really no standout panel, the character work was really good.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue surprised me.  First, I thought it was going to be the debut of the new Squad and it wasn't.  Secondly, how much I loved it anyway.  This was the best issue Sean Ryan has given us and anyone who was on the fence or walked away form this book should check it out.  It may surprise you as well.

9.4/10