This is the fifth time the long-awaited multi-player game has been withheld from release. The game was originally previewed during the Pandemic in 2020 at the first DC FanDome online event. The previous rescheduling had planned to debut the game last year before it was again rescheduled for this coming May. Developers released a recent trailer that added more hype to the project with the reveal of the late Kevin Conroy voicing Batman in the game one final time. The recent passing of the voice actor added more emotional investment and anticipation to this game’s launch.

Suicide Squad Problems Target Rocksteady’s Reputation

So why another delay?

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier’s latest Tweet on the topic claims that it was the result of a Playstation showcase last month. The gameplay had been “poorly received by fans.” Another source closely familiar with the game has stated that the game is on an indefinite hold until they work out the problems the fans noted about the quality of the product. This is a major blow to the Montreal-based Rocksteady, which has not released a game since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight. 

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is set five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight and revolves around Task Force X’s latest mission in Metropolis which initially pits them against the forces of Brainiac.  That is, until it’s revealed he has taken control of the Justice League, thus creating a new mission objective. The voice cast includes Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, Bumper Robinson as Deadshot, Samoa Joe as King Shark, Daniel Lapaine as Captain Boomerang, and Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller. Aside from Conroy as Batman, the only other Justice League voice actor confirmed is Scott Porter as The Flash.

Official Source – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Release Date Reportedly Delayed Again (comicbook.com)

The post Suicide Squad Game Delayed Yet Again, According To Sources appeared first on DC Comics News.

Kevin Conroy.

Suicide Squad Gets A Final Dose of Vengeance From Conroy’s Dark Knight

The 68-year-old actor, who passed away on November 10 was, for over 30 years, the definitive voice of Batman. This game will mark his final performance as the Dark Knight. Rocksteady’s latest trailer for this long-awaited game made this revelation at the end of one of the game’s cinematics.

After a grieving period that feels longer than it should for longtime Batman fans, hearing that iconic tone and those lines one last time will bring tears to your eyes. Since the premiere of Batman: The Animated Series in September of 1992, Conroy had reprised the role in multiple spinoffs, video games, and DTV animated features. He even got the chance to play a live-action Bruce Wayne in The CW’s Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. Since his passing, former cast mates and fans worldwide have paid tribute to Kevin’s memory via social media and fan videos.

Here is the official synopsis for the multi-player platform:

Based on the DC Comics supervillain/anti-hero team the Suicide Squad, the game revolves around the titular team of super-criminals, who are assembled by Amanda Waller and sent to Metropolis to stop the alien invader Brainiac and save the members of the Justice League who have been brainwashed by him.

Other confirmed cast members include Conroy’s fellow BTAS alum Tara Strong once again as Harley Quinn, Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller, and Joe Seanoa as Nanaue/King Shark. Seanoa is best known to WWE fans as Samoa Joe.

Click below to view the trailer.

The game was first announced at the 2020 DC FanDome during the global pandemic and has been delayed multiple times. It is expected to be released May 26, 2023.

Official Source – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League trailer reveals Kevin Conroy’s Batman (batman-news.com)

The post Suicide Squad: Kevin Conroy’s Final Bow As Batman appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin

Artist: Laura Braga

Colors: Luis Guerrero

Letters: Pat Brosseau

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3: Sins of the old! In response to their lack of gratitude, the world holding Superboy, Impulse, and Tim Drake captive has brought back the three villains who have caused them the most pain to keep them in their place: Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, and Lex Luthor. Old wounds will open. Wonder Girl and her search team will have to hurry up before there’s no Young Justice left to save!

Positives

Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3 picks up the story with Robin, Superboy, and Impulse coming face-to-face with Deathstroke, Lex Luthor, and Captain Boomerang. Bart is the one to spot the connection between this particular trio of villains. He tells his teammates, “These guys… it’s like they were chosen to hurt us specifically. Deathstroke blew my kneecap off! Captain Boomerang killed Robin’s dad! And Lex… you’ve never gotten over that he’s part of you, Conner….”.

I find it interesting that it’s Bart that realizes this, rather than Robin, who is the detective of the trio. Bart’s teammates tend to see him as somewhat flakey and easily distractible. But they tend to forget that like his mentor Wally West, Bart is strongly intuitive. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that he might clue in to something being off before Tim, despite Tim being generally more observant. In fact, it seems that Bart is more resistant to this world’s temptations than the others.

However, it appears that he is wrong that the choice of villains is meant to hurt them. Rather, I think that the architect of this world is offering them catharsis through a victory over them. But Bart sees through the illusion, as does Tim with a little prodding. But Conner has nearly completely given in to it.

Positives Cont.

After reading the previous issue, I concluded that the Cassie of this world wasn’t really the real Cassie, but either this world’s architect or their agent. “Cassie” confirms this when Conner finally realizes that Bart was right. She tells him, “Don’t make me do this. He’s going to be so mad”. It’s unclear who “he” is, though. Is it Pariah? Considering that this is a Dark Crisis tie-in. And Pariah has put the Justice League into similar false worlds in that storyline. However, I have a suspicion that something else is going on here.

When all three reject the life that this world is offering them, Cassie then informs them “He gave you the chance to accept this world on your own terms. Now he’s gong to make you accept it…by force”. The boys are then faced with the Justice League, Teen Titans, and several other DC heroes, presumably ready for a fight. This looks to be an insurmountable challenge, assuming that these copies are actually as formidable as the originals.

Negatives

The only real issue I have had with this series so far is the characterization of Arrowette and Wonder Girl. They seem to have somehow picked up a deep-seated resentment for the male members of the team that never existed before this series. But since neither Cissie or the real Cassie appear in this chapter, it can’t really be levelled as a negative for this issue.

However, the fact that they don’t put in an appearance is something of a negative. At the very least we should have gotten a quick check-in with the girls, who are as important to the story as the boys. But this is a pretty minor quibble, as I am sure they will figure prominently in the series’ forthcoming issues.

Verdict

As a fan of Peter David’s original Young Justice series, I am loving this return of the team. Fitzmartin and Braga are doing a fine job of tapping the nostalgia for that series, while still creating a new story of their own. I am hoping that this series is leading to a new Young Justice title. Hopefully DC has plans for Young Justice once the dust settles from Dark Crisis.

The post Review: Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin

Artist: Laura Braga

Colors: Luis Guerrero

Letters: Pat Brosseau

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2: Impulse, Superboy, and Tim Drake were just saved by Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl in the strange fantasy word they’re trapped in. And she’s here to help them navigate their retro surroundings. But…Cassie Sandsmark is back on our Earth searching for her friends alongside Red Tornado and the superhero formerly known as Arrowette. Which Cassie is lying and who’s about to get burned?!

Positives

Young Justice: Dark Crisis #2 picks up where last issue left off, with Wonder Girl Cassie Sandsmark showing up to help Robin, Superboy, and Impulse face off against the villain Mighty Endowed. However, it becomes evident that this isn’t the real Cassie. The boys have somehow travelled to a idealized version of the DCU Earth, but the story also shows the real Cassie on Earth-0.

Cassie again tries to enlist Cissie King-Jones, who was formerly the Young Justice member Arrowette. Cissie seems to have some anger aimed at the male members of Young Justice, but gives in to Cassie’s plea for help. But she firmly states, “I’ll help you, but this is the last thing I ever do for Young Justice. She also enlists the help of Red Tornado, who acted as the adult chaperone for Young Justice. It’s great to see him included in this story, as it wouldn’t quite be a Young Justice reunion without him.

After dealing with Mighty Endowed, the boys and the false Cassie travel to the Justice League’s Watchtower on the moon .I found it a bit nostalgic to see League as they appeared in the Grant Morrison JLA era. The boys split up to have a talk with their respective mentors in the League. Each of them is presented with the offer of taking over the role of them mentor – to become Batman, Superman, and The Flash.

The odd thing is that the fake Cassie is present at all three encounters simultaneously, pushing each of them to accept the offer. It seems that this Cassie is someone or something more than just this Earth’s copy of the real Cassie. Could she be the architect of this world in disguise?

Positives Cont.

The encounter between Batman and Tim has caused a bit of a stir on the Internet. Batman’s referring to Tim’s relationship as being “a phase” has been taken out of context to argue that Batman is homophobic. This is inaccurate, as Batman isn’t calling Tim’s bi-sexuality as being a phase, but that his specific relationship with Bernard is a phase. This Batman is pushing for Tim to resume his former relationship with Stephanie Brown.  Why Batman would want this is unclear, but not necessarily due to homophobia. And even if Batman was being homophobic, this still isn’t the real Batman.

I find it interesting that while Robin and Impulse are quickly realizing something is wrong with this world, Superboy is succumbing to its temptations. His recent history makes this somewhat understandable. He was written out of continuity, only surviving because of his being on Gemworld when the Flashpoint changed history. And he returned to find that Jon Kent had taken his role as Superboy and heir apparent to the role of Superman. So, it’s not hard to see that Conner might want to stay on this world where his old life has been fully restored.

The issue ends with the boys finding Cassie captured by a trio of supervillains: Lex Luthor, Captain Boomerang, and Deathstroke. This seems like a odd grouping. Luthor and Deathstroke are major villains, but Boomerang is nowhere near being in their league. But they all have one thing in common. Each of them is the cause of past trauma for each of the boys. Boomerang killed Tim’s father, Deathstroke crippled Impulse, and Conner was horrified to learn that he had been cloned from a mix of Luthor’s and Superman’s DNA.

Negatives

I am somewhat confused as to where Cissie’s anger towards the boys is coming from. She is quite vocal about her dislike for the three of them. She tells Cassie, “I stopped bing a superhero because of the toxicity. Your life revolves around those three boys… But who are you without them?… I didn’t want my decisions to be overshadowed by three privileged idiots who had the whole world handed to them on a platter, while you and I scraped for any attention”.

But none of this was in the original Young Justice comic by Peter David. The boys never overshadowed Cassie in David’s original series. Perhaps Cissie was as bit, but that was more likely to her not being the protégé of a major DC star like the others. And her retirement from Young Justice and the identity of Arrowette was in reaction to her having taken a life. She felt unworthy of continuing as a superheroine after that. There was no indication that she had any problem with any of her teammates when she quit.

Negatives Cont.

I wonder if Cissie’s guilt over that murder has caused her to slide into denial. Has she projected her anger towards the boys, making them scapegoats? Or has Fitzmartin retconned Cissie’s reasons for quitting? If it’s the latter, I can’t say that I like this alteration to the continuity. And while the boys arguably are somewhat privileged, Cassie is no less privileged. And none of them have ever lorded their privilege over their teammates or anyone else.

In short, I am starting to sense that either Fitzmartin has made some significant retcons to the team’s past. Either that, or she is mischaracterizing the girls, especially Cissie. Or perhaps there is more going on that will become clearer as the story progresses.

Verdict

Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2 continues this nostalgic look back at Peter David’s classic series. The original Young Justice series was one of my all-time favourite comics, and Meghan Fitzmartin and Laura Braga have managed to capture much of the feel of that series. This series is proving to be a nostalgic look back while providing an interesting story that will hopefully set up new incarnation of the team for the Infinite Frontier era.

The post Review: Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan

Artists: Xermanico, Mikel Janin

Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jordie Bellaire

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Flashpoint Beyond #3: The DC event of 2022 continues! Thomas Wayne’s investigation into the Clockwork Killer goes sideways when he is confronted by a deadly alien invader the world knows as…Project: Superman? What’s happened to the Kryptonian and Krypton in the World of Flashpoint? Will Thomas Wayne do what he has to in order to stop Superman-or has he changed? What are those strange earthquakes now erupting across reality?

Positives

Flashpoint Beyond #3 continues the story of Thomas Wayne’s mysterious return to the Flashpoint timeline and in this issue, much of the focus is on Subject 1, the Flashpoint version of Superman. We get a shocking revelation about him as, in this timeline, Kal-El was not the sole Kryptonian infant sent to Earth to save him from Krypton’s destruction. Instead, he was sent as a sleeper agent to prepare the way for an invasion force.

This raises some interesting questions about the nature of the Flashpoint timeline. Originally, it was formed by Barry Allen to prevent his mother’s death at the hands of Reverse-Flash. Barry’s mother’s living wouldn’t have affected Krypton at all. I had thought Doctor Manhattan only interfered with Barry’s attempt to restore the pre-Flashpoint DCU, bringing about the New 52 timeline. Did he also experiment with changes in the formation of the Flashpoint timeline? Or has some other force altered it to be even further away from the regular DCU timeline?

An important theme is reiterated in this issue. The Flashpoint Batman has stated multiple times, “Nothing matters”. This refers to his belief that none of the events currently happening in his timeline have any importance, as he plans to erase the timeline and again reinstate the main DCU timeline. Subject 1, however, maintains the opposite: “Everything matters”.

I’m beginning to suspect that he may be right and that their world is more than just an alternate timeline of the main DCU Earth. So, what else could it be? A new parallel Earth in the DC Multiverse or the wider Omniverse? Or perhaps it’s a Hypertime reality.

Positives Cont.

Hypertime does seem to play a factor in this story somehow, as we learn that two members of the Time Hunters are hiding out in Hypertime “until the League returns and the Darkness passes… unless we want to risk our own histories being rewritten again”. This bit of dialogue appears to spoil DC’s other summer event series, Dark Crisis. On the other hand, was there ever any doubt about the Justice League’s return or the defeat of the Great Darkness? However, the mention of rewriting their histories does raise the possibility that Dark Crisis’ resolution may come with some retcons to continuity.

There are also a couple of interesting points about their fellow Time Masters. They mention that Rip Hunter is missing, which deepens the overall mystery. I’m sure he’ll be playing a pivotal role as the story advances. They also mention Corky Baxter, who we last saw giving Bruce Wayne ominous warnings about messing with timelines. Corky’s teammates don’t seem too sure about Corky. Jeffrey Smith states, ‘of course, he’s involved. Let’s just hope he doesn’t make things worse”.

Also, the Clockwork Killer has claimed another victim, Reverse-Flash himself. However, considering the number of times Thawne has returned from the dead, I’m sure we’ve not seen the last of him.

Stories like this that delve into the workings of DC’s cosmology fascinate me. This story and Dark Crisis look to be giving some shape to DC’s loosely defined Omniverse. This is great, as this has been an open question since the resolution of Dark Nights Death Metal. And I don’t think we’ve ever really gotten any clear definition of what Hypertime actually is. Johns, Adams, and Sheridan, as well as Joshua Williamson on Dark Crisis, are a group of writers I can trust to properly flesh out the structure of DC’s cosmology for the Infinite Frontier era.

Negatives

The flipside of that is that there are other readers who hate these kinds of stories. Wrapping their heads around time travel, parallel Earths, and Hypertime can give some a headache. They generally prefer more straightforward stories that don’t delve into the inner workings of DC’s cosmology. Such fans might find this story a chore to work through. However, there appears to be such a straightforward story going on within the Flashpoint timeline, which they may be able to appreciate.

Verdict

Flashpoint Beyond is the kind of story I adore and with three of DC’s powerhouse writers, Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, and Tim Sheridan writing it, it’s shaping up to be an amazing companion to Dark Crisis. Plus, it’s got some absolutely brilliant art from Xermanico and Mikel Janin.

If you haven’t been following this story, you really should be.

The post Review: Flashpoint Beyond #3 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tim Sheridan

Artist: Tom Derenick

Colors: Peter Pantazis, Matt Herms

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Teen Titans Academy #13: Caught between the Suicide Squad and the Crime Syndicate, the Teen Titans fight to free the missing academy student from Amanda Waller. With time ticking away towards when the Titans must return home or risk being stuck on Earth-3 forever, the team faces an impossible choice.

Positives

With the destruction of Titans Tower last issue, Teen Titans Academy #13 opens with the school set up in its new home. It looks to be an old factory or warehouse that has been converted to serve as a school. It’s not specified, but it appears that this is a temporary home until a more permanent home for the Academy can be arranged. The kids refer to it as the “safe house” and there is mention of a new tower. But the old building is an interesting contrast to their former high-tech headquarters.

This issue also serves as a chapter in the War For Earth-3 crossover event with Suicide Squad and The Flash. Rick Flag’s Suicide Squad team infiltrates the Titans’ new headquarters to ask the Titans team for help stopping Amanda Waller’s invasion of Earth-3.

I have to wonder why Flag turns to the Titans for help rather than the Justice League. Maybe because the two teams have encountered each other before? Also, how did Flag know about their new headquarters? It doesn’t seem like they’ve been there long, and I don’t think they publicly announced the school’s new location. And maybe I’m just being suspicious, but I wonder if Flag has some other hidden motive for invading the Titans’ headquarters.

Positives Cont.

It makes sense for Wally to be hanging around the Academy, given his history with the Titans. I wonder if this means that he’s rejoined the team or is just visiting. DC has hinted that the Justice League is about to meet a disastrous end. So, perhaps Wally will be free to rejoin his old team in the near future.

I liked seeing that Wally takes a bit of time while at the school to hang out with his namesake cousin. We haven’t really seen the two together that much, except for a few times during Joshua Williamson’s run on The Flash.  It would be nice to see more of them together, either here or in the pages of The Flash.

The senior Titans set off with the Squad to Earth-3, leaving their students in the care of Roy. However, we see that a group of students have stowed away on the T-Jet. It seems doubtful that the youngsters are ready yet to face a situation as dangerous as the War For Earth-3 is likely to prove. Hopefully, they will all survive the experience. Given that a number of them are new characters created by Tim Sheridan for this title, their survival is not guaranteed. Sheridan likely has the freedom to kill off any of his new characters. After all, he’s already done so with Brick.

Positives Cont.

It also seems like the merging of Changeling and Cyborg as seen in Future State is about to happen. At least that’s what the implication seems to be. The Future State timeline appears to have been averted. However, Raven still believes that this part of her visions is likely to come true. I’m not sure that I like the idea of merging the two characters into one body is a great idea. However, it might prove interesting as a temporary situation for Gar and Vic.

I also loved the reference to the classic Batman 1966 TV show. When the two teams are getting ready to leave in the T-Jet, we hear Donna mention a couple familiar lines. First she states, “Atomic batteries to power…” and then, “Turbines to speed”. These lines were part of the process of starting up the Batmobile, when the Dynamic Duo would set out to fight crime. A nice little reference to this classic bit of DC history.

Negatives

It’s been announced that Teen Titans Academy is ending with the next issue. This makes me uneasy. Tim Sheridan has started a number of plot threads that have yet to be resolved. Does DC plan on letting him come back and resolve them in a future Titans title, or will they be left hanging. Or will Sheridan be forced to hurriedly wrap everything up in a single issue. I hope that DC affords him the opportunity to finish his saga in a worthy manner.

Verdict

I’m going to miss this title when it ends. Hopefully, Sheridan will be able to pick up his story in the aftermath of Dark Crisis, which looks like it will have some major effects. And I am sure that Sheridan’s plans for the Titans were part of the overall plan for the DCU. So, I doubt that Dark Crisis is going to derail those plans. The question is whether Sheridan will be the one to continue the story. I certainly hope so.

The post Review: Teen Titans Academy #13 appeared first on DC Comics News.

The Rocksteady-produced game had been originally anticipated by fans for its December 2022. The company is famous for its dip in the DC Universe with its phenomenal Batman: Arkham series, and now brings its talents to the dysfunctional Task Force X. After two groundbreaking trailers the year before and several months back, the game seemed to be set to go under everyone’s tree. And yet, news has reached the gaming community that the target date has been rescheduled to some time in 2023. The reason has not been confirmed, but the pandemic is one culprit. It has become common because of COVID-19 for both games and movies to be delayed. In the case of video games, anxious gamers can expect a product to be delayed and rescheduled at least once.

Suicide Squad – Who Are They and What Is The Game About?

For those new to the franchise, The Suicide Squad is a group of DC’s worst supervillains corralled by Amanda Waller with bombs in their heads and led on the field by Colonel Rick Flagg. The deal is simple: Complete missions that will go towards taking time off of their sentence and stay within established boundaries. If one of them tries to escape or disobey orders, Waller detonates the bomb in the disobedient team member.

The team was brought onto the world stage in 2016’s Suicide Squad with its breakout star Margot Robbie’s portrayal as Harley Quinn. Its standalone follow up The Suicide Squad by James Gunn saw Robbie’s return, and newcomer Peacemaker, played by John Cena. Cena is currently starring in HBO’s Peacemaker series, which is a prequel to the events of the film.

As the trailers have revealed, the game focuses on The Suicide Squad ordered by Amanda Waller to take down the Justice League after they have been possessed by the alien Brainiac. The roster includes Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, and King Shark. Its voice cast features Tara Strong, Debra Wilson, and Joe Seanoa aka former WWE Superstar Samoa Joe.

Click below to see the latest trailers.

Official Source – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League reportedly won’t come out until 2023 – The Verge

The post “Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League” Rescheduled For 2023 Release appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: James Gunn

Writer: James Gunn

Starring: Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi, Nathan Fillion, Sylvester Stallone, John Cena

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Thanks to WB for the free review copy.

Summary

The Suicide Squad: The government sends the most dangerous Super-Villains in the world – Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn, and others – to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave. As always, one wrong move and they’re dead – whether at the hands of the ultimate Kaiju; Starro the Conqueror; a teammate, or Waller herself. If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them. All of them.

Positives

Warner Bros. has released James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in the three standard formats: A 4K/Blu-Ray combo pack, a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, and a DVD pack. Each of these also includes a digital copy code redeemable through Movies Anywhere. The review copy supplied included the 4K and Blu-Ray versions of the movie.

While I enjoyed the first Suicide Squad movie, it clearly had some issues. Gunn’s sequel is a big improvement over its predecessor. It would almost qualify as a reboot. However, it does acknowledge and build on the previous movie. A number of important characters return, namely: Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, and Amanda Waller.

It also introduces a lot on new characters to the Squad. Gunn is clearly a fan of the comics, and has done some deep dives into DC Comics history to fill out the team’s ranks. Many of them look like they stepped right off the comic page, and Some of them have established history with the Squad in the comics. We get the likes of King Shark, Weasel, Ratcatcher, the Thinker, Mongal, and others. One of the weirdest is TDK, a.k.a. The Detachable Kid, based on the Legion of Super-Heroes reject, Arm-Fall-Off-Boy.

Positives Cont.

It turns out that the Suicide Squad needs a large roster, as the movie lives up to its title. This mission is indeed a suicide mission for most of the cast. I won’t get into specific spoilers about who dies, but Gunn killed off some characters that I thought for sure would come through alive. This really drives home that none of the characters are indispensable. The first movie attempted to do this by killing off Slipknot. But Gunn succeeds by actually wiping most of the team out.

In my opinion, the two stars of the movie are Bloodsport and Peacemaker. Tension is built up between the two, having very similar skillsets, but radically different attitudes. The pair spend a lot of the movie bickering and engaging in competitive behavior.

In many respects, a lot of Deadshot has been transferred over to the character of Bloodsport. They’re both incredibly skilled marksmen, and Waller uses Bloodsport’s daughter as leverage to get him to obey her orders, much like she has done with Deadshot in the comics and Idris Elba is definitely a major upgrade from Will Smith.

I didn’t expect much from John Cena at first, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with his performance as Peacemaker. Unlike the comics, where the character was originally played seriously, Gunn has discovered a wealth of humor in the character. The whole idea of a man who loves peace so much that he’s willing to fight for it is a strange contradiction. This version of Peacemaker suffers from a condition that renders him unable to see that contradiction. And Cena sells that insanity in a hilarious manner.

Positives Cont.

I absolutely love that James Gunn actually using Starro the conqueror – exactly as he appears in the comics – the major villain. That would have fallen flat with any other director, but Gunn makes it work. Gunn’s love of the comics shows through in this movie. He even includes characters from the title’s minor supporting cast like John Economos and Emilia Harcourt.

The Suicide Squad looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray, but if you have a 4K player and compatible TV, then it’s worth the extra cost to see it in full 4K Ultra HD. On the other hand, if you’re not fussy about picture quality and don’t mind missing out on the special features, the DVD is a decent budget option.

There are a wealth of special features, which are primarily found on the Blu-Ray disc. There’s the standard Director’s commentary, deleted/extended scenes, and gag reel features. There are also scene breakdowns and mini-documentaries. Of special note is the feature “Gotta Love the Squad”, which focuses on how Gunn stays true to John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad comic. It really shows how much love Gunn tried to keep his movie true to the spirit of John Ostrander’s original vision.

I also loved the inclusion of three “retro trailers”. Each is a 70s or 80s style movie trailer for the film done in a different movie genre: war movie, horror movie, and buddy cop movie. These are all hilarious, but they also underscore that there are elements of those genres present in Gunn’s movies. While these trailers are hilarious, they do draw attention to those facets of Gunn’s movie as well.

Negatives

On the subject of trailers, I have to say that there is no excuse for not including the actual teaser and theatrical trailers for the film among the special features. In my opinion, every home video movie should include all the official trailers. However, this is a rather minor disappointment.

Verdict

There are some doomsayers that are declaring the DCEU a failure and that the Snyderverse is effectively dead. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad utterly refutes that idea. It shows that with the right creative talent, there is still a lot of life left in the DCEU.

The post Blu-Ray Review: The Suicide Squad appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Cary Bates

Artistis: Irv Novick, Frank McLaughlin, Rich Buckler, Jack Abel, John Calnan, Vince Coletta, Alex Saviuk, Frank Chiaramonte, Don Heck

Colours: Gene D’Angelo

Letters: Ben Oda, Todd Klein, Milt Snapinn

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Flash: The Death of Iris West: Can the Fastest Man Alive outrun his worst nightmare? The Flash can’t outrun the loss of his wife, but nothing will stop him from hunting down her killer. Follow along as Barry Allen races to find out who is responsible for the death of his wife, Iris…and hold them responsible. This title collects stories from The Flash #270-284.

Positives

The Flash: The Death of Iris West is a collection that carries a lot of nostalgia value for me. I had (and still have) some of the issues reprinted here from late 1978 to early 1980. I turned 10 a week after this run and turned 11 a couple months after it ended. So, these stories have a personal importance for me, as well as being particularly important to DC history.

Barry Allen, the Flash of the Silver and Bronze ages had married Iris West in 1966, becoming one of DC’s first characters to be married while actively maintaining a superhero career. Others followed his example, such as Elongated Man and the Silver Age Atom. Unfortunately, this was also one of the first marriages to end, and it did so in a shocking way – by the death of his wife.

This is the other reason this story is so remarkable. Characters have died before. But the death was always undone by the story’s end. It was often a hoax, the character was in a death like state, or miraculously rose from the dead. But Iris really was dead, leaving Barry to grieve the loss, then move on with his live. Eventually, in 1985, we learned that Iris survived, but at the time her death was portrayed as permanent. And this was a major shock for young comic readers.

Positives Cont.

In retrospect, there Bates was setting up the story to have a major impact. Their marriage was a recurring subplot leading up to the issue in which Iris was killed. At first, we start seeing a bit of friction in their marriage, followed by a reconciliation, and even talk of having a child. Bates carefully puts the Allens at their happiest right before tragedy struck.

Even though Bates set it up for maximum impact, the readers were caught completely off guard. In those days there was no Internet or other source of comic news or rumours. The only warning was house ads showing the cover of that issue. This image, which adorns the cover of this collection shows Barry and Iris at a costume party. In the foreground, a hand holds an invitation stating, “You are cordially invited to attend the LAST DANCE and witness the DEATH of…”, with the final word obscured. This was an intriguing teaser, but not worrisome. Covers would routinely hint at death or distaster that was never realized. But even if someone did die, it would surely be a minor character at most.

Even though the story might be somewhat simplistic by modern standards, it was fairly complex and ground-breaking for the period. Unlike today’s comics that are aimed at a teen to adult audience, comics in the 1970s were unashamedly written for kids. As a 10-year-old, I was in the targeted audience. And I can attest that this story was every bit the emotional gut punch that Bates intended. This was one of the early steps in DC’s move towards a more mature audience. And I was at exactly the right age that my tastes were growing along with the medium.

Positives Cont.

I find it interesting looking back at these old comics how much has changed about the hero in the years since, and how much has remained the same. The costume as seen here was iconic, and it’s remained mostly the same over the years. In fact, the costume, as worn by Wally has recently reverted to being almost identical with this iteration. And this is well before the lightning effects were shown as part of the Flash’s speed powers. The only lightning evident here is the symbolic representations on the hero’s costume.

And it’s interesting to see how many characters disappeared, never to be mentioned again. Many of these are interchangeable supporting characters, but others played a significant role before vanishing. Surely the Lord of Limbo might have been a dangerous enough threat to return to plague the Flash. And it’s a bit frustrating that we’ll probably never learn what the deal is with the mysterious psychic teen Melanie.

Many comics from this time period tend to look a bit off when reprinted on higher quality paper than the original newsprint. The colours often look garish on the whiter paper,  but I was struck at how gorgeous the colours look in this collection. I don’t know if the Gene D’Angelo’s colours were tweaked or not, but they look absolutely perfect. These pages look better than they did when they were first published.

Positives Cont.

I was also struck by how similar the art looks from issue to issue, despite the number of different artists that worked on this title over this run. Nowadays, artists are more free to express differing styles, but I can see that a consistent house style was probably a reasonable choice to avoid confusing a younger audience by minimizing changes in the art from issue to issue.

This was also something of an interesting experience for me to read the complete story this way. At the time, I wasn’t able to get every consecutive issue of any series. So, I never read the whole story, just a few important pieces. So, it was interesting to finally get the complete story.

Negatives

As I stated above, the story is a bit simplistic in modern terms. And there are a lot of important parts of the story that are quickly glossed over, that really deserved more attention. Iris’ funeral is reduced to a mere two pages. And it’s hard to believe that Wally only appears in a single panel, without a single word of dialogue. Longtime readers know how important Iris and her nephew were to each other. But kids in those days weren’t interested in long, emotional scenes. They wanted to get back to the action.

Verdict

The Flash: The Death of Iris West hardcover collection is a beautiful reprinting of a major turning point in Flash history. It may not hold up to modern storytelling criteria, but it was pretty damn good for its time. And it is a nostalgic treat for those of us who remember this period, as well as a great change for younger readers to get a history lesson.

The post Review: The Flash: The Death Of Iris West appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artists:  Daniel Sampere

Colorist: Andrino Lucas

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Reviewer: Tony Farina

Summary

Task Force X is done running. They pulled the bombs out of their necks, they’ve identified their target, and they’re going on the hunt for the man who’s pulled their strings and killed their friends. And now the Squad is up against forces far more powerful than they ever could have imagined. Taking them on…could be suicide.

Positives

Suicide Squad #8 does something that the previous seven issues has not done; it has made me actually care about some of the new charcters. Not only do I finally care about the, but I care a lot. I really dig the back story of Wink and The Aerie. Sure, they have powers of X-Men, but they were science experiments, not born this way, so just pay no attention to that. The way Taylor makes us care not only about them individually, but them as a couple in just a few pages really shows what kind of writer he is. I also would like to doff my cap to him for the use of “they” as a pronoun without making a huge big deal out of it. It is mentioned, acknowledged and accepted. Good work there.

I think Sampere and Albarran really show off their skills in this issue as well because they focus on new characters. Yes, Killer Croc, Waller and a few other old members of the Squad are in this book, they are not the focal point. I have not really loved the way Harley has been drawn in particular in this series, but here, where the canvas is blank, the work just jumps off the page. I think there is something special about bringing new characters to life. Their work is equally important to the way I feel about Wink and The Aerie. There is an emotional resonance that comes through in the way they look at each other and it makes the issue stronger because of it.

Negatives

The biggest problem with Suicide Squad #8 and Taylor’s run over all the whole Ted Kord is suddenly a bad guy. I just don’t buy it. I know that this issue tries to make it make sense, but it still does not. There are still just too many characters standing around.

Verdict

This is actually the best issue to date of this new, and already cancelled series. Suicide Squad #8 has a lot to love. Taylor really has done some excellent character development here. This is what the series needed all along. It is too bad that now that it has turned a corner, it will be over in three more issues.

The post Review: Suicide Squad #8 appeared first on DC Comics News.