Suicide Squad Rebirth #1

By Rob Williams, Philip Tan, and Alex Sinclair

Not sure if everybody knows this or not, but there is a Suicide Squad movie coming out this weekend. Coincidentally, there is also Suicide Squad Rebirth #1 coming out today. If it seems like perfect timing, it’s because it was planned that way. The team also looks like it’s almost an exact copy of the crew coming to the big screen, so any King Shark fans out there may end up disappointed.

Rob Williams is taking a stab at this popular franchise, and to be honest, it’s not an easy job. Fans love Harley Quinn and if she is written badly, they will be very vocal. Much of this issue is a set up for things to come. The original Amanda Waller (it’s nice to see her full-figured again), is back and she is getting Task Force X back together; the only problem is she needs a leader. Williams introduces Rick Flag Jr. back into the fold, and everything seems fairly simple. This is another familiar ‘reluctant leader’ deal here, but Williams does it well enough. Flag is a man who is all about doing the right thing, and leading a team of criminals seems like something he can’t be on board with. This works for his character because it fits. The soldier who always chooses good over evil must now lead evil. Where the issue comes up a bit short is the fact that once Deadshot, Harley and Captain Boomerang are introduced, it’s not really anything different from what we’ve already seen. Williams has some room to work with though and the addition of Rick Flag to the team could add to a fresher dynamic for this group of veteran Squaders. There’s something to stories with a good conflict on the team that make for good reads.

The pencils this issue are handled by Philip Tan with colors by Alex Sinclair. Tan has an excellent style that is similar to something Jim Lee would lay down. His work is clean and detailed, and this is made clear from the first panel. A pile of photographs featuring different members of the Suicide squad fill up the page. Each character is incredibly detailed down to the markings on Kitana’s sword. The action scenes are drawn well and don’t seem to lose much quality. Tan gives us a graphic issue where people lose hands and get shot right between the eyes. Philip Tan is an artist on his way to super stardom. The colors by Alex Sinclair are excellent this issue as well. His shading in the prison cell of an incarcerated Rick Flag is awesome. The colors pop out at you throughout the entire issue and really complement the pencils by Tan. The art this issue is what an action book should look like.

Suicide Squad Rebirth #1 was a pretty good introduction to the main characters. It’s no coincidence that the lineup just so happens to match up with the current film’s, but what are you going to do? Rob Williams turned in a decent script that didn’t offer many surprises, but was fine enough, and the art is what really sells this issue. Philip Tan and Alex Sinclair really put in a good effort this issue and make it very enjoyable to read.