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Suicide Squad Volume 8: Constriction by Rob Williams, Diogenes Neves, Ronan Cliquet and Philippe Briones (graphic novel review)

I was going to say this was the last volume of the ‘Suicide Squad’ in the ‘Rebirth’ series but there are references to two other stories and ‘Sink Atlantis’ and ‘Trinity’ have also been released as graphic novels. DC Comics really needs to be a timeline of graphic novel releases to ensure everything is tracked down in their books in the right order rather than footnotes.

For the record, this eight volume reprints Suicide Squad # 41-44, 47-50 and Suicide Squad Annual # 1. # 45-46 is ‘Sink Atlantis’.

The Batman plucks Deadshot from Belle Reve Prison by changing the frequency of their head bombs to rescue the latter’s daughter from Cobra, who intend to use her body to resurrect their original leader. Amanda Waller might not be sure who grabbed Deadshot but orders Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang and new recruit, Captain Cold to give chase. There’s enough twists at the end to say spoiler although Deadshot is seriously injured at the end.

However, the female half of Laramie was being used for the operation and breaks out of the prison operating theatre and with the Squad away in Atlantis, Waller has no choice but to bring in a second team to give pursuit. Why is it with these beta teams that suicide means suicide?

Interestingly, the Australian secret service want Digger Harkness aka Captain Boomerang back for a particular mission and gives a chance to see him on a solo mission. With the Squad, Harkness often seems the weak link but, here, it shows how effective he can be. If ever there was a need to turn out a film on the character, this is the one to use.

The final multi-parter has Amanda Waller kidnapped and imprisoned and with Katana in charge, the Squad is back in Siberia at their factuality for metahumans and another of their experiments gone awol. It also brings Rick Flagg’s own story full circle.

For a final story in this version of the DC Universe, writer Rob Williams packs in a lot. I inadvertently picked up the 8th volume of the previous earlier Suicide Squad by mistake and didn’t think it has any of the power of this version. Then again, it’s a matter of age and how much they could get away with in an earlier time. The question is, do I want to see that the next DC Universe brings up?

GF Willmetts

May 2021

(pub: DC Comics, 2019. Page graphic novel softcover. Price: > ISBN: 978-1-40128887-7)

check out website: www.dccomics.com

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

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