Suicide Squad #34 Review and **SPOILERS**

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Our Secret Weapon, the Nebbish

Writer: Si Spurrier

Penciller: Fernando Pasarin 

Inker: Sean Parsons 

Colors: Blond 

Lettering: Pat Brosseau 

Cover: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Adriano Lucas

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: January 24, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Now here’s a feeling I haven’t had about Suicide Squad in a little while: actually anticipating what this issue will bring! I thought the last issue was a little drawn out, but I was intrigued by this expendable Juan character, and I’d like to see how it goes for him. That’s what we call serialized storytelling! Find out what I thought of Suicide Squad #34, below!

Explain It!

The number one rule of the Suicide Squad is that Amanda Waller is in control. Actually, the number one rule is don’t sit near Killer Croc in space, and the number two rule is that Amanda Waller is in control. Actually, the number two rule is not to let Captain Boomerang lead the charge into anything, and the number three rule is the one about Waller. It’s in the top three, is what I’m saying. When we last left Juan Soria, he was about to be eviscerated by some gnarly-looking aliens, as he figured was expected of him. But Killer Croc saves the day, and the same kind of lucky break happens later when Katana cuts his (other) hand off to free him from a crawly. They still call him a meat shield, Killer Croc still wants to eat him, so his resolve is toast—but he’s alive, all the way to the bitter end, where he sacrifices himself to Mother Brain, and…subsequently kills it with his bummer vibes.

It was all a set-up! From the very beginning: his weird, cylindrical cell, the refusal of anyone to learn his name, taunts from the rest of Task Force X, Juan had been a patsy from the very beginning, picked up and sent to Belle Reve after his relatively minor crime due to a psych profile. He’d been prepared for just this instance…which begs the question of how they knew for sure it would happen. Anyway, for his service he gets a reduction in his sentence, new cybernetic hands, and a new cell—and a new cellmate! It’s Killer Croc, so I guess we won’t be seeing Juan Soria ever again!

This was a pretty cool story that actually did need to be (and was) told in two issues. It was a set-up and a punchline, and fairly well delivered, all told. The way Harley was written did strike me as a little bit off, but not enough to be a problem for the story. As for the artwork and storytelling, no complaints there, either. These last two issues of Suicide Squad have been a good time, but they might be fun only for regular readers of the series. You decide what you want to do with your six bucks when the time comes.

Bits and Pieces:

We finally learn the fate of Juan Soria, and I promise that it's probably not what you expect! This issue and the last comprise a nice little story that acts a respite for regular readers of this series. People looking to jump on here, however, might get frustrated by it. If you're just looking for violent action scenes, then you're in the right place.

8/10